Bicycle Mechanics - Spoke Prep

I'm about to build my own wheels, (or at least try to) and
everything I've read says to use Spokeprep (wheelsmith
product), however all the LBSs in my area don't carry it
for retail sale (they do however have it for their own use,
I guess they don't think there are folks who actually build their
own?). One shop (and I trust these guys) suggested
using light duty loctite. Another shop (highly regarded
but not the one I use due to distance) stated to use
linseed oil.
Wheelsmith seems to indicate that spokeprep both
lubricates and locks the thread (how can that be?).
So, my conundrum is this:
which is correct? Which do I use (linseed oil or locktite?)

thanks for any help in advance,
Marty

I have heard of using light-strength Loctite, but I have never tried it myself. Use it sparingly

Linseed oil seems to make some sense - stiff, but breakable.

I prefer to true my wheels frequently rather than commiting the spokes to adhesive.

Some of the options I've used:

Linseed oil: turns "gummy" after about a week, effectively keeping the nipples from unravelling. Keeps dirt out of the threads and provides some lubrication. Available at many hardware stores for a reasonable price. Very nice, easy to adjust the spokes later.

Boiled linseed oil: turns gummy more quickly, in the space of a couple of days. Doesn't seem to come out quite as nice as regular linseed oil, but who wants to wait a week to ride their new wheels? ;)

Wheelsmith SpokePrep: somewhat similar to pipe-thread sealant compound, it has a similar effect to linseed oil without a long waiting period. Works well.

DT SpokeFreeze: this is basically high-strength Loctite. If you want to adjust the nipples later, DT recommends oiling them before SpokeFreeze is applied (TriFlow would work). I dunno, this stuff is very expensive and I would only use it if the shop is buying. Even then I'd rather use one of the other solutions.


Best of luck on your wheel build :) I'm sure you've studied up on it already, but my 2 cents' worth is to make very sure you got your lacing right, and once you have the wheel assembled, weed out any extra-tight spokes while the tension is still pretty low.

My LBS recommended, and I used bees wax from a toilet ring, that's what the mechanic used. Just stuck the threaded end of the spoke in the wax ring and pulled them out as I laced them into the wheel.

I haven't have any problems with the wheel in about 750 miles :shrug:

I have built over 100 wheels, I put nothing on the threads during the build, I perfer plated brass nipples and wheelsmith spokes. After lacing the wheel, truing it, getting it round and properly dished, I start to bring up the tension. I install 2 dial indicators on the truing stand tongs set to read the side to side and the diametrical trueness and get the rim as close to zero as I can. I measure spoke tension with a Wheelsmith spoke tensionometer and try to keep the drive side of the rear wheel to about 105kg, the front both sides to the same. Once the wheel is finished I stress relieve it, check it again and then install it on a bike and tell the customer to ride it for 10 miles or so and stop back. I then check it again, touch it up and then put a drop of locktight for assembled fasteners on each nipple. This locks the nipple and seals the thread hole from water intrusion, the locktight stays flexible so the adjustments can be done in the future if needed. The wheels I build get ridden on and off road by all types of riders, some hard on them and some not. The wheels stay straight and true season after season and I get much feedback from the customers as to how well they ride and how they stay straight. My advice to you is, do some research, get quality parts, get the tools you need and build yourself a set of nice straight, tight, evenly tensioned wheels and ride them. It's fun and no shop can afford to spend the time it takes to build a close to perfect wheelset and still make money. Good luck, have fun.

Thanks for all the replies.
Yeah I'm having fun.
Building Serotta frame up and the only
thing I had LBS do was seat the headset cups
(didn't see the need for bearing press for 1 time).
I'm also learing alot about ERGO levers, how one
can rebuild them, and that replacement parts
are available.
The wheelbuilding is a little bit more daunting
then the rest of it, If the components fail its
one thing, if the wheels fail its more likely to
cause injury.
I'm building with Mavic GP4 rims 28 hole,
campy hubs, DT 14g spokes laced 3x.

Marty

Regular oil works fine, just dip the end of the spoke before lacing. I've heard linseed oil is good, but since I've never had any around, then I haven't used it. I wouldn't use locktite, trueing might be a pain down the road. I also wouldn't recommend building them "dry". Things go together much better when lubed.

Hey lotek, just a note on the bearing press. Make your own. Take a threaded steel rod about 3 or 4 foot long (available in any hardware store), insert a couple of large flat washers and screw a nut on each end of the rod.

It works better if 1 cup at a time is pushed in, at least then you can make sure it goes in absolutely straight. Place the cup in the frame, the rod into the headtube with the cup and headtube inbetween the two washers. Then tighten one of the nuts slowly until the cup is pushed home. I greased the cups and headtube beforehand to ease it on its way.

I've used it twice, and both headsets, forks and headtubes are doing fine. :)

Weasel,

I thought of that, infact I spoke to the wrench about it and
he said bring in the frame and he would do it for me
no charge. This is why I am supporting this particular
LBS, They care about their customers, and the wrenches
are really supportive.
I did see where someone was trying to sell that setup
on e-bay as a headcup press for $25. what a joke.

Marty

He lotek,
you've given me an idea...

But I uesd a 1" anchor bolt for a street light pole for my head set press... lol Im gonna be rich!!

Any takers??

back to the wheels...

I used some moovit because I had some, when I laced the spokes... just to ease the treads... I think any houshold oil would work..
after I built the wheels, I rode them for a week, then I retrued them... and then placed a drop of lock-tite on the inside of each nipple as directed by the feller at the not so lbs...
loc-tite will re seal if you only give it a small turn so I am told...
the red tube, blue stuff...

they are my off road wheels... and well after 3-1/2 months they are still super straight!!

good luck!

Originally posted by lotek
Weasel,

I thought of that, infact I spoke to the wrench about it and
he said bring in the frame and he would do it for me
no charge. This is why I am supporting this particular
LBS, They care about their customers, and the wrenches
are really supportive.
Marty

:beer: Nice one. :)