BP>  After trying many small, expensive squeeze bottles of chain lube
 BP>  over the years, I reverted to motor oil (still very messy), then
 BP>  to chainsaw oil (not bad, but messy).  A friend recently
 BP>  suggested:  one part STP Oil Treatment,  two parts motor oil,
 BP>  three parts charcoal starter.  The light charcoal starter
 BP>  carries the viscosity-enhanced oil into the chain and evaporates
 BP>  or is easily wiped off the outside.  It works well.  After
 BP>  riding in the rain and getting a rusty chain, it still
 BP>  functioned noiselessly.  The formula seems to last for one week
 BP>  of rides, a couple hundred miles or more.
 
You're on the right track but the solvent you are useing also works as a 
pretty good degreaser (tends to remove the oil that you are attempting to put 
on), a couple of better alternatives to charcoal lighter/gasoline/naptha are 
either plain old Varsol or even better kerosine. The kerosine being both a 
solvent and lubricant when mixed with straight 10W motor oil will las as long 
as a month (depending on where you ride). If you're one of those foolish 
sub-zero riders, then merely substitute 5W oil (readily available in 
Canada!). I've used this technique for 20 years without problem and learned 
of it from an old racer who had been using it for 45 years before me. 
BTW charcoal starter contains some nasty carcenogens and is highly flamable, 
wheras varsol and kerosene are fairly non-toxic, and both require a lot of 
heat input before they combust.
--- Maximus 3.01
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