gkeep
I live for the CABE
Hello,
A few weeks ago the Vee Rubber 37-642 tires arrived from Australia for my 28x13/8 rims on my Pierce. My retired machinist and all around handyman/wizard neighbor offered to help tune up the rims if I was able to free up the spokes in the nipples. After a few weeks of giving each one a shot of Croil and WD-40 3 or 4 times and waiting I was able to easily free up all but one by turning quarter turn each way a few times. These started out with lots of rust and about 2/3rds of the way around I reached a spoke that shattered like fine china, just exploded about three inches up the spoke without even making it a quarter turn. Looking at the broken ends it looks like less then half the metal was sound, he rest was scale at that point.
So I measured it out and it was 310mm. Went to the local bike shop and they whipped up a spoke that seemed to thread onto the old nipple fine. Got home and the threading was about half the length of the old spoke so the threads bottomed out before the spoke tightened up at the hub. Went back and they said the spoke machine can only thread that far. Then we discovered that the threads were too small and barely grabbing anything in the nipple. That's also the largest thread size they can do.
First off, pre-corrosion eating away metal, does anyone have a suggestion as to the gauge of a circa 1910 Pierce spoke for a 28x1 3/8 Rim? And as for thread size, I was thinking I'd hit the local small town hardware store that still has dozens of little wooden drawers full up hardware. Its the kind of place you still get the same service, smile and nice chat even when you buy 2 three cent washers as when you buy a fifty dollar item.
Are the old spokes readily available if I figure out what I need or am I better off making one up from scratch.
Thanks all for any advice and have a great weekend.
Gary
A few weeks ago the Vee Rubber 37-642 tires arrived from Australia for my 28x13/8 rims on my Pierce. My retired machinist and all around handyman/wizard neighbor offered to help tune up the rims if I was able to free up the spokes in the nipples. After a few weeks of giving each one a shot of Croil and WD-40 3 or 4 times and waiting I was able to easily free up all but one by turning quarter turn each way a few times. These started out with lots of rust and about 2/3rds of the way around I reached a spoke that shattered like fine china, just exploded about three inches up the spoke without even making it a quarter turn. Looking at the broken ends it looks like less then half the metal was sound, he rest was scale at that point.
So I measured it out and it was 310mm. Went to the local bike shop and they whipped up a spoke that seemed to thread onto the old nipple fine. Got home and the threading was about half the length of the old spoke so the threads bottomed out before the spoke tightened up at the hub. Went back and they said the spoke machine can only thread that far. Then we discovered that the threads were too small and barely grabbing anything in the nipple. That's also the largest thread size they can do.
First off, pre-corrosion eating away metal, does anyone have a suggestion as to the gauge of a circa 1910 Pierce spoke for a 28x1 3/8 Rim? And as for thread size, I was thinking I'd hit the local small town hardware store that still has dozens of little wooden drawers full up hardware. Its the kind of place you still get the same service, smile and nice chat even when you buy 2 three cent washers as when you buy a fifty dollar item.
Are the old spokes readily available if I figure out what I need or am I better off making one up from scratch.
Thanks all for any advice and have a great weekend.
Gary
