marcusbandito

What are your thoughts on using spoke prep as opposed to locking nipples like the DT Prolock or other brands. I know that a properly tensioned wheel may or may not need any prep, and that can be debated another time. I have always used the wheelsmith stuff, or even triflow in a pinch, but have been seeing many pre-built wheels with the locking nipples.
Also, including linseed oil, what other preps do you use?

Retro Grouch 

For my last 2 wheelbuilds I used bee's wax. I haven't ridden the wheels extensively yet, but they sure did lace up nicely. I don't know how to describe it but the nipples turned smoothly, yet retained an even level of resistance. The technique I developed is to warm up the spoke threads with a hair dryer and roll the threads over the block of bee's wax.

Previously I've used Wheelsmith Spoke Prep for several years. It takes about the same amount of labor as the bee's wax but you can get globs which make some spokes have more resistance than others. I don't know for sure how to tell, but I sometimes wonder if Spoke Prep really does anything.

A long time ago I used linseed oil. It's faster but messier to use than the others and I found it best to "age" the wheels for a week or so before riding to give the linseed oil time to set up. I've had a couple sets of wheels that loosened up when the customer tried to ride on them too soon.

I have no experience with ProLock nipples. My catalogue describes them as having a two-component adhesive in the nipple threads to prevent loosening. Sounds good to me.

If I were building a new wheelset today I think that I'd use bee's wax again, at least partially because I already have it. If I had to buy all new stuff, I think that I'd try the ProLock nipples.

blamp28

I have been using linseed oil with no trouble. It is cheap and the small container I bought will last many years.

HillRider

I assume Prolock is a low strength version of Loctite or an equivalent. You can buy bolts pretreated with Loctite that "sets" after the bolts are assembled and I presume this is a similar arrangement.

San Rensho 

I would use neither. Only oil or grease on the threads. A properly tensioned wheel will not come apart from the spokes getting loose.

Also, lubricated threads make truing in the future much easier than a thread-locking system.

FlatFender

I squirt some grease from the grease gun onto a napkin, then dip the spoke threads into it before spinning on the nipple.

HillRider

That's basically all I've ever done and the few wheels I've built have remained tight and true through a fair bit of use.

waterrockets 

+3.1415927

I use air tool oil on my threads. I put a tiny bit in a yogurt cup and keep the nips in there during the build so they're good and covered for installation. I also use a cotton swab to apply oil to the backsides of the spoke holes or eyelets so the nips will turn easily against them.

Sometimes I leave all the oil off the NDS rear spokes if I know I'm headed for a lot of dish on a shallow rim. That NDS tension will be so low you don't need the lube anyway, and you don't want to give it any encouragement to loosen on a bump. This also a reasonable argument for aluminum nips on the NDS rear...

Joshua A.C. New

Hm. Oil in a cup is a good idea. I've used grease, poking the threads in just a touch, then sticking a greasy Q-tip into the seat in the rim, but your way is better in every regard except for lubing the grasping surface, which I assume isn't a big deal.

Hm. Now that I think of it, it might make it so it's easier to get the wrench on the nip so you don't accidentally round it.

carpediemracing 

I build however works.

I prefer spoke prep (Wheelsmith) since I did a lot of building using that stuff.

Before that I used grease, so grease works for me too. Spoke prep lets you build a wheel with a slightly wacky rim a little easier since you can vary tension a bit without losing the whole wheel down the road.

Finally, for the emergency situations, sometimes you need a spoke to simply prevent the rim from going one way but it may not have tension on it otherwise (or at least not a lot). For race day emergency type repairs, I'll use Loctite (red or blue) liberally to get guys on their bikes. Not ideal but, hey, they can race.

Regardless, I try and grease the nipple seats so the spoke nipples turn freely. If I'm dealing with a prebuilt tubular with a tire glued on it I may not have too much of a choice - in those cases I'll use a heavy oil and put a drop on each nipple/eyelet interface.

Some racers I know insist that once the wheel is true that I red Loctite the nipples to the spokes. Obviously it's critical to have no spoke wind up in those situations and have all the bends bent already. I don't agree but they insist and I comply. Usually no problems but it makes working on the wheel once they tweak it sort of a pain.

cdr

HillRider

Can you substitute purple (Grade 222) or Blue (Grade 242) Loctite without their knowing? These are the weakest two grades and allow fairly easy disassembly while still effectively locking the threads.

"Red" Loctite comes in various strengths but even the weakest is awfully strong. I'm surprised you can disassemble the wheel at all without using heat.

Maybe what saves you is that the various Red grades don't "wick" too well and, if you apply them after the wheel is built, they don't cover much of the thread area. The Green wicking grades would probably glue the wheels together forever.

Al1943

I buy my spokes from my LBS, his mechanic will dip the threads in Spoke Prep if I ask for it. I like to use it because the nipples turn smoothly and stay in place. I can re-turn the nipples when needed and they always work smoothly although the double butted spokes will wind up under high tension if I don't hold them. I've also used blue Locktite with the same results. I can see that linseed oil and similar products should work well.

Al

tellyho

No need for loctite. I like linseed oil; have used spokeprep. Also have used nothing at all. No problems.

Bobby Lex

The worst thing about Spoke Prep is the COST. All of the home-brew suggestions above are hands down cheaper.

OTOH, I like that Spoke Prep comes in two colors. You dip the DS spokes in one color, and the NDS spokes in another color. That way you can't accidentally mix them up.

Bob