Spline Drive nipple wrench source?

Weisse Luft said:

I would like to have the shop style Spline Drive nipple wrench to true
my wheels. I have two of the aluminum wrenches but since I will be
building a new set, a shop wrench would be more comfortable.

Thanks!

Dear Weisse,

Try googling for "spline drive spoke wrench" rather than
"nipple wrench".

Carl Fogel

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I would like to have the shop style Spline Drive nipple wrench to true
my wheels. I have two of the aluminum wrenches but since I will be
building a new set, a shop wrench would be more comfortable.

Regular nipples are cheap and work well. Why not save yourself the hassle
and skip on hte spline drive?
---------------
Alex

"Alex Rodriguez" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I would like to have the shop style Spline Drive nipple wrench to true
my wheels. I have two of the aluminum wrenches but since I will be
building a new set, a shop wrench would be more comfortable.

Regular nipples are cheap and work well. Why not save yourself the hassle
and skip on hte spline drive?
---------------
Alex

'cause probably like me, he bought some when they came out and wants to use
them.

I have a complete bag of silver 14ga Spline nipples that I'm sitting on... My
AL wrench stripped.

One of the places I'd recommend is the QBP catalog. IIRC they were selling
Spline nipples for a bit back when.

M

Alex Rodriguez said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I would like to have the shop style Spline Drive nipple wrench to true
my wheels. I have two of the aluminum wrenches but since I will be
building a new set, a shop wrench would be more comfortable.

Regular nipples are cheap and work well. Why not save yourself the hassle
and skip on hte spline drive?
---------------
Alex

Regular nipples strip and I cannot use brass nipples due to corrosion they impart on my rims. I have boatloads of Spline Drive nips and don't mind replacing if/when they corrode.

Aluminum doesn't like to be in contact with brass so using Al nips with SS spokes makes the corrosion problem much less.

Now you say using Al nips on a eyeletless rim is bad but I developed an EP lube that prevents galling on the nip-rim interface. Its non-conductive, non-corrosive and non-greasy. No PTFE, silicone or oil either.

Oh, I Googled all the terms and found only Bike Pro but they are out of the shop wrenches. Called the motorcycle shops and got the distributor but they don't carry the bicycle line. They will look into it though...

Weisse Luft said:

Alex Rodriguez said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I would like to have the shop style Spline Drive nipple wrench to

true

Quoted message said:

my wheels. I have two of the aluminum wrenches but since I will be
building a new set, a shop wrench would be more comfortable.

Regular nipples are cheap and work well. Why not save yourself the
hassle
and skip on hte spline drive?
---------------
Alex

Regular nipples strip and I cannot use brass nipples due to corrosion
they impart on my rims. I have boatloads of Spline Drive nips and
don't mind replacing if/when they corrode.

Aluminum doesn't like to be in contact with brass so using Al nips with
SS spokes makes the corrosion problem much less.

Now you say using Al nips on a eyeletless rim is bad but I developed an
EP lube that prevents galling on the nip-rim interface. Its
non-conductive, non-corrosive and non-greasy. No PTFE, silicone or oil
either.

Oh, I Googled all the terms and found only Bike Pro but they are out of
the shop wrenches. Called the motorcycle shops and got the distributor
but they don't carry the bicycle line. They will look into it
though...

why don't you just use one of these?

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/tools/wheel.html#spokewrenches

d.t. or var. both are invincible. they don't damage nipples.

Weisse Luft <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I would like to have the shop style Spline Drive nipple wrench to true
my wheels. I have two of the aluminum wrenches but since I will be
building a new set, a shop wrench would be more comfortable.

When I got one of the shop wrenches years ago from Spline, it looked
every bit identical to a Park spoke wrench ( Rubber on loop was purple
). Not sure that Park made them, but it sure looks like it. Maybe try
to contact Park and ask if they made it, maybe one of the Park boys
has one in the back of their desk drawer?
--Jim

Mike-<< One of the places I'd recommend is the QBP catalog. IIRC they were
selling
Spline nipples for a bit back when. >><BR><BR>

No soap, just checked. i think a call to Park...as they made 'em-the purple
one.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Weisse Luft said:

I would like to have the shop style Spline Drive nipple wrench to true my wheels. I have two of the aluminum wrenches but since I will be building a new set, a shop wrench would be more comfortable.

Thanks!

SPLINE DRIVE SHOP QUALITY SPOKE WRENCH-for impossible to strip Spline Drive Spoke Nipple $ 22.99 from an old Bike-Pro catalog. I don't know their status.
Their number was (is?) 800-245-3776 in Santa Rosa, CA.

Have you used NOALOX?
What is wrong with using grease on
1. Spoke Threads?
2. Nipple/rim seat interface?

Where do you get the lubricant you use?
Can you describe some details of application, drying time, durability and use with different rim sockets (plated steel, stainless, and non socketed rims)?

Have you tried any "lapping" compound on the non-socketed rim spoke holes?

daveornee said:

..Have you used NOALOX?

What is wrong with using grease on
1. Spoke Threads?
2. Nipple/rim seat interface?

Where do you get the lubricant you use?
Can you describe some details of application, drying time, durability and use with different rim sockets (plated steel, stainless, and non socketed rims)?

Have you tried any "lapping" compound on the non-socketed rim spoke holes?

Thanks for the Bike Pro heads up. Will give them a call..

I would not recommend NOALOX because its a zinc product. While Zn is more electronegative than Al, its intended use is for commercially pure Al wire as used in conductors. All Al used in cycling is an alloy and there are differences in corrosion.

Grease migrates and attracts dirt. This dirt can lock threads.

The lube is an EP particulate based resin with additional binders and friction modifiers. I am currently working on tests of utility for patent application now that I have 2 years of service on two wheelsets I built using it as the sole lubricant. As an added benefit, it acts as a thread locker after final truing but does not require heat to loosen.

I have not tried lapping nipples to the seats. All of the rims I have used had adequate contact area, visualized with Prussian Blue.

Weisse Luft said:

Thanks for the Bike Pro heads up. Will give them a call..

I would not recommend NOALOX because its a zinc product. While Zn is more electronegative than Al, its intended use is for commercially pure Al wire as used in conductors. All Al used in cycling is an alloy and there are differences in corrosion.

Grease migrates and attracts dirt. This dirt can lock threads.

The lube is an EP particulate based resin with additional binders and friction modifiers. I am currently working on tests of utility for patent application now that I have 2 years of service on two wheelsets I built using it as the sole lubricant. As an added benefit, it acts as a thread locker after final truing but does not require heat to loosen.

I have not tried lapping nipples to the seats. All of the rims I have used had adequate contact area, visualized with Prussian Blue.

I have used NOALUX on 6061 - T6 aluminum tubing that I use for telescoping antenna elements. It doesn't corrode there up 90' in Midwest winters, Chicago polution, bird droppings, etc. I have also used some Zinc rich anti-sieze compounds in antenna work and bicycle threaded parts with aluminum alloys.... all with very good results.... but more time will tell more.

I hadn't thought about grease bringing dirt into the threaded area. I have noticed some nipples looking like they were black even though they started life as plated brass... only to find that migrating nipple lube attracted road grit... much like on a chain.

I know a builder who builds wheels "dry" and after all finishing is complete applies a drop of purple Loctite at the top and bottom of each nipple/spoke interface. He says that it is to protect against corrosion, but it doesn't keep the nipples from turning if/when truing is required. I saw a set of his wheels that are ridden daily in all conditions, including heavily salted roads. He used Velocity rims and alloy nipples. The rims had ~25k miles and were worn out in the brake surfaces. The rim/nipple interfaces and spoke thread/nipple interfaces were in great shape. He just slapped on a new set of rims and the rider is off for another ~25k miles.
dave at ornee dot net

Stainless and aluminum are not too terribly corrosive alone. Both form oxide layers that prevent corrosion but the chrome oxide is far tougher but very thin. The aluminum oxide is thicker but slightly porous. Anything that can "bridge" the passive chrome oxide layer on the stainless will cause trouble which is why I have doubts with any metal flake based anti-seize. On Al-Al joints, it should be no problem as long as the metal flake is Zn. Al would do nothing.

There is one combination that is to be avoided at all possible costs and that is carbon rims with aluminum nipples! The Al will corrode in a matter of days if ever wet.