Kettenpflege: Unterschied zwischen den Versionen

The problem with lubricating conventional chains is that thick lubricants can't penetrate into the inaccessible crannies where they are really needed, but thin lubricants don't last long enough. There is a family of popular chain lubricants that deal with this by mixing a thick oil-type lubricant with a volatile solvent. The resulting mix is thin enough to get some penetration by capillary action, then the solvent evaporates and leaves the thick oil behind. This type of lube is easy to apply, and is very popular for that reason.

An alternative approach to chain lubrication is to immerse the chain in hot wax. This is a variation on the oil/solvent approach. The hot wax is of a thin enough consistency that it can theoretically penetrate into the private parts of the chain, then when it cools off, you have a nice thick lubricant in place where it can do the most good. The major advantage to this approach is that, once cooled off, the wax is not sticky, and doesn't attract dirt to the outside of the chain as readily. Downsides of the wax approach include the fact that it is a great deal of trouble, and that wax is probably not as good a lubricant as oil or grease. Wax is flammable and should be heated in a double boiler or a warm oven.