Are they chromed, stainless steel, or what. They don't appear to be zinc plated like the remainder of the spoke. I am starting to re-plate the spokes this weekend. They cleaned up really nice.
J
Spoke Nipple QuestionI have not stripped any 305 wheels yet. But every other wheel I've stripped has had brass nipples with nickel plating. This includes bikes back to 1947. My guess is the 305 nipples are also nickel plated brass. The rust you find on them is from the spokes rusting because of the nickel in the threads of the nipple being more noble than the steel in the spokes (and the cad or zinc plating, which is gone by now).
You can clean up your nipples and brush plate them with nickel if you want to make them look good again. You can also buy new nickel plated nipples from Buchanans. Not sure if the threads match though. Some use rolled threads (formed) and some use cut threads. Not that there are not any out there, but I've never seen a steel spoke nipple. Buchanans may have stainless nipples today. I'm not sure I'd want them because stainless likes to gall, which is pretty much like welding two pieces together. If you have stainless spokes and stainless nipples, you probably need to use some kind of lube in between to prevent galling. All this talk about nipples is making me..... well... a little anxious, if you know what I mean. regards, Rob Nickel plating does not normally come to mind when you think VJM. Nickle was used for all kinds of plating on early bikes. Early Harleys had nickel plated cylinders (outside). Brass and nickel seem to go hand in hand. I'm pretty sure all those silver keys on your key ring are nickel plated. regards, Rob
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