Wheel spoke to nipple thread treatment options.

[buck91]

Any suggestions for a good balance of price to performance for a spoke to nipple thread treatment? Historically I have been a fan of spokeprep which has helped build a number of very reliable wheels for myself, friends and maybe a customer or two. These days it's just the occasional busted spoke or maybe a hand built wheel for my clydes-self. I have used grease and yes it works just fine... but I provide the extra robustness that spoke prep has offered.

Is there a widely available, more economic alternative? Maybe something by locktite or permeated?

 

[Wheel]

Cheapest ? Boiled linseed oil has been suggested by some wheelbuilders. I've used it on a set of wheels, they're not loosing up on their own yet, and they didn't gall on buildup. Just use caution with it on rags, it can auto ignite as it dries.

 

[Number_35]

I've never done this - but did use a bit of penetrating oil yesterday to free up a spoke rusted into a nipple. This was while truing a wheel on a cross bike after replacing a broken spoke. What is the purpose of Spokeprep or linseed oil? Does it prevent unwanted loosening (like Loctite) or is it to act like an anti-seize compound?

 

[NYEngineer]

I've been using Rock and Roll Lubes Nipple Cream. Seems to last and is EASY to apply. Lubing the nipples is the most thankless, time consuming part of wheel building and the fact that this stuff goes on quick and easy is huge to me.

 

[buck91]

Originally Posted by Number_35
I've never done this - but did use a bit of penetrating oil yesterday to free up a spoke rusted into a nipple. This was while truing a wheel on a cross bike after replacing a broken spoke. What is the purpose of Spokeprep or linseed oil? Does it prevent unwanted loosening (like Loctite) or is it to act like an anti-seize compound?


Ideally it does both. Allows for minimal spoke torsion and therefore more even and accurate spoke TENSION during building as well as preventing corrosion between the nipple and the spoke. In a perfect world a wheel would be perfectly tensioned and wouldn't come out of true under normal conditions. The world is not perfect, though, and Spoke Prep also provides a bit of resistance to spokes loosening.

 

[buck91]

Originally Posted by NYEngineer
I've been using Rock and Roll Lubes Nipple Cream. Seems to last and is EASY to apply. Lubing the nipples is the most thankless, time consuming part of wheel building and the fact that this stuff goes on quick and easy is huge to me.


What about Rack'n'Roll makes it so good? Is it just a lubricant thats easy to use? Using grease, I'd found it extremely easy to lube the threads prior to assembly. Using oil I find it extremely easy to lube the nipples prior to adjustments...

 

[NYEngineer]

Originally Posted by buck91
Originally Posted by NYEngineer
I've been using Rock and Roll Lubes Nipple Cream. Seems to last and is EASY to apply. Lubing the nipples is the most thankless, time consuming part of wheel building and the fact that this stuff goes on quick and easy is huge to me.


What about Rack'n'Roll makes it so good? Is it just a lubricant thats easy to use? Using grease, I'd found it extremely easy to lube the threads prior to assembly. Using oil I find it extremely easy to lube the nipples prior to adjustments...


It goes on a lot easier than Spoke Prep. It's sorta waxy so you can put a big blob of it on your finger and do multiple spokes. It also dries slightly so it stays put. I had to disassemble a wheel once to replace a faulty hub and I thought it had stayed in surprisingly well considering the wheel was on a fat bike that saw snow and beach sand.