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Old 06-27-12, 02:07 AM
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wheelbuilding, spoke gauge

I am building a set of wheels. My hubs seem to be drilled for 15g spokes. does anyone know where I can find double butted 15/16 gauge spokes?
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Old 06-27-12, 03:11 AM
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Originally Posted by ryan_jrl
My hubs seem to be drilled for 15g spokes.
O_o

What kind are they?
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Old 06-27-12, 07:44 AM
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https://www.cambriabike.com/shopdispl...es+and+Nipples
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Old 06-27-12, 08:17 AM
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Originally Posted by ryan_jrl
I am building a set of wheels. My hubs seem to be drilled for 15g spokes. does anyone know where I can find double butted 15/16 gauge spokes?
I have plenty of Wheelsmith in stock in all common lengths. Email me the particulars c/o the site below and I'll quote.

The other alternative is to pass a 3/32" drill through each hole. Do this hand held so the drill follows the original hole down.
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Old 06-27-12, 09:30 AM
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What hubs are they?

Oftentimes very tight 2.16 spokes holes are mistaken for holes that are too tight to pass a 14g spokes and therefore people assume they're for 15g....until you straighten out the approach and utilize a slight twist.

Very common with very old Campy Nuovo Record hubs.

=8-)
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Old 06-27-12, 09:44 AM
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Originally Posted by mrrabbit
What hubs are they?

Oftentimes very tight 2.16 spokes holes are mistaken for holes that are too tight to pass a 14g spokes and therefore people assume they're for 15g....until you straighten out the approach and utilize a slight twist.

Very common with very old Campy Nuovo Record hubs.

=8-)
2.1mm is smaller than the thread diameter of a 14mm spoke. These hubs were drilled for 15g which was the prevailing gauge for race wheels in that era. Yes, you can thread a 14g spoke through, but Campagnolo didn't really expect their clients to spend the requisite time.

Later on, as the use of 14g spokes became more common Campagnolo enlarged the spoke holes to accommodate that.
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Old 06-27-12, 10:10 AM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
The other alternative is to pass a 3/32" drill through each hole. Do this hand held so the drill follows the original hole down.
This is for a pair of pelissier gold label hubs. Is it common to bore out the holes to accomodate the 14g spoke size? Is this a common approach, and does it not harm the hub?
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Old 06-27-12, 10:48 AM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
2.1mm is smaller than the thread diameter of a 14mm spoke. These hubs were drilled for 15g which was the prevailing gauge for race wheels in that era. Yes, you can thread a 14g spoke through, but Campagnolo didn't really expect their clients to spend the requisite time.

Later on, as the use of 14g spokes became more common Campagnolo enlarged the spoke holes to accommodate that.
2.16mm FBinNY

Not 2.1mm

=8-)
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Old 06-27-12, 11:00 AM
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Originally Posted by ryan_jrl
This is for a pair of pelissier gold label hubs. Is it common to bore out the holes to accomodate the 14g spoke size? Is this a common approach, and does it not harm the hub?
Yes, we did this on a routine basis back in the late sixties and early seventies as more and more people were wanting 14g spokes using their older hubs. It's a tiny difference and has no material impact on the hub's strength. (manufacturers, later went to bigger drill without any other changes and nobody ever noticed).
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Old 06-27-12, 11:09 AM
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Originally Posted by mrrabbit
2.16mm FBinNY

Not 2.1mm

=8-)
OK, but the OP didn't furnish a dimension, only stated that his hubs seemed to be drilled 15g, and I accepted that at face value.

And in any case the upper limit for a 2mm spoke thread is 2.169, so 2.16 can still be tight. You usually can thread them but, for instance, on large flange hubs which were drilled at an angle, the misalignment of the hole made it a royal pain to thread tight fitting spokes.

Tight spoke holes are tolerable for hand builders building a few wheels, (and I actually like them because it seems to build a marginally stronger wheel) but for production facilities who expect to build 10-40 wheels per hour, and/or might use spoke loading machinery, it's strictly a no-go.
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Last edited by FBinNY; 06-27-12 at 11:53 AM.
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Old 06-27-12, 11:41 AM
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So drill the holes out with a 3/32" drill bit. with a hand drill, not with a drill press?
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Old 06-27-12, 11:52 AM
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Originally Posted by ryan_jrl
So drill the holes out with a 3/32" drill bit. with a hand drill, not with a drill press?
The easy way is to use a drill press, or place the drill into a vise, and hand feed the hub onto the rotating drill. (please don't drill your thumb).

So it's both freehand and a drill press.

The other way is with a dremel using a 3/32 drill. The dremel is light enough that you can do it totally freehand holding the hub against your knee.
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Old 06-27-12, 12:05 PM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY

The other way is with a dremel using a 3/32 drill. The dremel is light enough that you can do it totally freehand holding the hub against your knee.
Just don't drill your knee.
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Old 06-27-12, 12:15 PM
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Originally Posted by himespau
Just don't drill your knee.
I've done dozens of these. The bits aren't long enough to reach your knee, but it's pretty easy to nick a finger if you don't stay focused. You'd have to have pretty poor reflexes to do anything more than nick yourself though.
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