Re: [CR]Re: Wheel Building

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot:PX-10LE)

Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 22:21:07 -0500
From: "Jamie Swan" <jswan@optonline.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Re: Wheel Building
In-reply-to: <36C41022E64E3B4CA150940A10B81E8906D3BF@exnswn2-syd.nexus.csiro.au>
To: Suzy.Jackson@csiro.au, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org


Hi Suzy,

I've done a fair amount of tying and soldering. The solder seems to stick to stainless spokes just fine. I use very fine copper wire. I think it is 28 gauge, 50/50 solder, tinners' flux and a large electric iron.

It looks best if you use only three turns of wire with the ends hidden under the windings. I see people do it with lots more turns of wire and all sorts of ways of finishing it off. None of them look very good.

It is like a whip finish on a rope. If you wind the wire on top of its self that gets one end under the windings. After taking the three turns you thread the loose end under the windings. Then if you gently pull the ends with two pairs of pliers the winding will snug up nice and the ends of the wire will just pop off.

Now for the soldering. Hold the wheel horizontal with the axle in an axle vise. Put one drop of flux on each winding. Melt a small puddle of solder on the tip of the iron. Bring the iron up under each winding and let the puddle of molten solder surround the winding. I usually go around once and solder the windings and then go back around with no puddle on the iron and suck off any excess solder so the I can see the windings clearly. Rinse off the flux with fresh water.

The traditional thing is to paint the windings with a small brush. Usually you see them painted red but I've done lots of other colors.

I think tied and soldered wheels look cool. I'll leave the debate as to the mechanical merits of the practice to others.

Regards, Jamie Swan - Northport, N.Y. -- http://centerportcycles.com/ (mapped)


> From: Suzy.Jackson@csiro.au
> Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 11:00:36 +1100
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: RE: [CR]Re: Wheel Building
>
> Morgan wrote:
>
>> I use "Greythumb" compound on spoke threads and a little bit of
>> "dry" oil at the ferrule when nipples start galling during the
>> tensioning process, or on older wheels that resist adjustment.
>
> What is this 'Greythumb" compound? I've always used boiled linseed oil
> to lubricate spoke threads. It's oily when you're assembling the wheel,
> so assists in getting high, even tension, and then becomes slightly
> tacky, keeping nipples from coming loose. I also understand it's been
> de-rigeur for wheelbuilding pretty much forever, so unlike modern stuff
> like Wheelsmith spokeprep (repackaged loctite as I understand it) is
> more in tune with classic bikes.
>
> I've built all my own wheels since the age of 14, when I pranged my
> shiny new Peugeot racing bike and buckled the rear wheel. I didn't have
> the money to buy a new wheel, or to have the bike shop build a wheel for
> me. The nice guy at the LBS sold me an old Nisi rim that was hanging up
> in the shop without a friend cheaply, and a fistful of spokes, and armed
> with a copy of De La Rosa and Kolin's "understanding, maintaining, and
> riding the 10 speed bicycle", I laced it up, 36 spoke four cross, 'cos
> that's how they did it in the book.
>
> Of course all my wheels now are either 32 spoke three cross, or else 40
> spoke three cross on my vintage bikes.
>
> On a related point, I'm rebuilding the wheels on my Speedwell and
> Airlite. Both use Airlite hubs, with Conloy rims on the Speedwell and
> Kuntz wooden rime on the Airlite. It being basically impossible to buy
> chrome plated spokes, I've substituted 15/16 ga DT stainless spokes.
> Does anyone have experience with tying and soldering with stainless
> spokes? I understand that it's not necessary to do so (these will be
> the only wheels I own that are tied and soldered), but I want to keep to
> the original look of the bikes as closely as possible. The wheels were
> originally tied and soldered by someone in the '40s who thought that was
> a good thing, and so I will tie and solder now. I was thinking of using
> fine stainless wire and 56% silver solder (the stuff I use when
> framebuilding) and heating with my oxy-LPG torch... Is this

> appropriate?

>

> Regards,

>

> Suzy