[GreyGoat]

I have a new set of wheels comming, specifically for winter road use with studs, and I'm thinking I would like to keep the spoke threads/nipples covered with a little something to avoid corrosion.. other than just grease.
I was thinking about painting on some of this tool grip rubber compound that you dip tool handles in. That or maybe some silicon, but that would be harder to make look neat. Any ideas, or experience with this?
The wheels I used last year were so corroded they could not be trued after replacing a spoke.. and they were 6 speed so not worth rebuilding.. (to me anyway)..

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[budster]

I am terribly disappointed to find this has nothing to do with margeritas and kinky sex. :D

(For a serious answer to your less interesting actual question, I recommend beeswax).

[GreyGoat]

interesting.. thanks for the tip.. definately would less messy than grease.. I think I'm going to give this rubber stuff a try see how that holds up first.. that or just keep applying something like phil wood's tenacious oil on they thru the salty season..

[GGDub]

I've never had that problem. Most nipples are brass and therefore fairly resistant to corrosion. However, we use way less salt out here and that could definetly be part of it.

[GreyGoat]

could be just the cheap wheels I had.. maybe the new ones wont have any of these problems..

[DCCommuter]

Wheelsmith makes a product called Spoke Prep that lubricates, protects, and locks the threads of spokes.

[Silverexpress]

Question, will salt corrode brass and stainless steel spokes?

I was thinking of painting my spokes with "Rustoleum" brand paint. I'm planning on using just a brush.

[willtsmith_nwi]

I have a new set of wheels comming, specifically for winter road use with studs, and I'm thinking I would like to keep the spoke threads/nipples covered with a little something to avoid corrosion.. other than just grease.
I was thinking about painting on some of this tool grip rubber compound that you dip tool handles in. That or maybe some silicon, but that would be harder to make look neat. Any ideas, or experience with this?
The wheels I used last year were so corroded they could not be trued after replacing a spoke.. and they were 6 speed so not worth rebuilding.. (to me anyway)..

How about wax.

[GreyGoat]

yeah that's what the first reply was.. beeswax.. sounds like it would work ok.. not sure how i would apply it.. maybe drip it on with a candle... then I was also thinking maybe a hot glue gun..but that would probably be stringy and not leave a neat look.. the wax drip may be a nice easy cheap solution.. can always whipe up around it.. I also thought about maybe some rubber like gasket goop.. but again how to get it on there without making a huge mess would be an issue..

[budster]

I use this stuff:

http://www.buy-dr-martens.com/snoseal.html

It has a buttery texture and, like butter, can be heated to make it softer. I just "dip" the male treads into the jar and wipe off the excess. Or if that's impractical, I dip out some snoseal, apply it to the threads and then wipe off the excess. No mess, no smell. One jar has lasted me several years. BTW, I don't like the stuff for waterproofing boots! But it works great for protecting threads. Not only does it prevent corrosion, but it ensures a tight seal and also ensures the bolt won't seize (so you'll be able to remove it later).

And in case anyone's baffled by my first reply, the original title of this thread was "how can I protect my nipples from salt?" :)

[jeff-o]

You could also try tent sealant, the stuff you use to seal the tent seams from rain. It comes in spray or liquid form.

Though I admit, I've never tried it and have no idea if it would work.

[CBBaron]

Question, will salt corrode brass and stainless steel spokes?

I was thinking of painting my spokes with "Rustoleum" brand paint. I'm planning on using just a brush.
Answer: yes, Saltly water seems to corrode any unprotected metal including stainless, and Aluminum. I've had similar experience with SS cogs and lock rings being corroded onto Al hubs as well as spokes and nipples being corroded together. It may just be that the salt crystalizes in the gap and freezes the threads together but I suspect that both metal surfaces are being affected.
I'll give the wax trick a try hopefully before everything corrodes.
Craig

[GreyGoat]

budster, I don't know what happened to the origianl thread title.. it must have gotten edited by big brother..