Bicycle Mechanics - Rim question: no eyelets & alloy nipples

Apart from aloy nipples becoming round or get stuck:
What are the opinions about, or even better, experiences with using alloy nipples together with a rim which got no eyelets? (campa omega boxed rim).

Thanks.

I know some do it but my feeling is not to.
Aluminum to Aluminum would create more friction because of the softer metals I think compared to alloy to ss eyelets.
Whatever rim you use lubrication of nip to rim is critical or you can round off nipples.

Hi... my advice? use any type of nipple, brass nipples are tougher in my oppinion but if the rim is made of AL and do not have any eyelets, use spoke washers, the big ones that go into the rim hole. That will distribute the force and you wont destroy the spoke hole because of too much tension in the spokes.

Thanks.

I've built quite a few wheels like that without problems (Sun Mistral or Matrix Aero), but I did notice the anodizing gets worn off from tensioning and truing, and is probably the reason for nipples breaking at the heads in some wheels (never happened to me, but I've seen it happen), so +1 to the above comment on lubricating them.

if the rim is made of AL and do not have any eyelets, use spoke washers

+1 although my reasoning would be that the washer (I think it's brass) allows the nipple to turn on the relatively rough aluminum rim surface without destroying itself or the rim. DT started selling these a while ago and I've used them once or twice in a build. The washer does add approx 1 mm to the spoke length so if you're flirting with too short spokes, it won't be good.

hope this helps,
cdr

You can burnish the inside of the spoke hole with the tip of a phillips screwdriver. Shove it in from outside the rim, and gently twist it in the spoke hole. This will remove the edge and any burs from the interface with the nipple. Shake all the junk out of the rim after doing this though.

You guys must mean nipple washers, right? Spoke washers go at the spoke head/hub flange iirc.

nipple washers

There's a good job description.