Reusing spokes and nipples, cleaning tips?

[confusedcyclist]

I'm rebuilding my rear wheel with a 11 speed compatible hub.

This is my first time dismantling a previous build that's been in use for a while. The spoke threads have gunked up a bit as they were oiled during the initial build. So I cleaned the spokes down with a bit of WD-40 and wiped them off with a clean rag. The nipple threads are a bit trickier to clean out, but I painstakingly squirted the inside of all 36 nipples with the straw applicator on the WD-40 canister. When threading the nipples back on the spokes there's some grinding from contamination of the majority of the nipple threads.

Does anyone have any tips on how to clean these out a bit better for reuse? I want to avoid a special trip to buy new nipples, if I can just clean my existing batch, that would be great. Aside from one or two which were rounded, most of them are in great shape (contaminated threads aside!). I have quite a few spares left over from my previous builds, but not enough to replace all the contaminated nipples.

 

[fossyant]

Soak them in degreaser in jar. Give them a good shake.

Just checking that hub flanges are the same dimensions ?

 

[Drago]

Ultrasonic cleaner.

 

[confusedcyclist]

Ultrasonic cleaner.

I just checked with the missus, she doesn't want me using her electric toothbrush.

@fossyant Yes, they are basically the same, possibly 1mm difference, but using the same rim (which usually has the greater impact on spoke size.) So reusing the spokes should be fine.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

It probably isn't oil that's gunking up the threads but polymerised linseed oil. It is commonly used as a sort of threadlock. It goes on oily but soon polymerises and become sticky and rather hard. I would try various solvents. I can't say what will dissolve linseed oil. Perhaps even hot water - boil the nipples.
An ultrasonic cleaner worn't work on the inside of nipples. The cavitation doesn't reach in there.

 

[confusedcyclist]

It probably isn't oil that's gunking up the threads but polymerised linseed oil. It is commonly used as a sort of threadlock. It goes on oily but soon polymerises and become sticky and rather hard. I would try various solvents. I can't say what will dissolve linseed oil. Perhaps even hot water - boil the nipples.
An ultrasonic cleaner worn't work on the inside of nipples. The cavitation doesn't reach in there.

Interesting, but I used park tools synthetic chain oil in the build. No threadlock in sight as it wasn't recommended by Roger Musson. Will give boiling a go for good measure. This may be the first time the missus might actually be mad about me using the stove

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Interesting, but I used park tools synthetic chain oil in the build. No threadlock in sight as it wasn't recommended by Roger Musson. Will give boiling a go for good measure. This may be the first time the missus might actually be mad about me using the stove

OK then, the chain oil polymerised. That's the sticky stuff.

 

[Milkfloat]

Maybe I am part of a throw away society but I don't tend to reuse spokes or nipples unless they are hardly used and without corrosion.

 

[Drago]

An ultrasonic cleaner worn't work on the inside of nipples. The cavitation doesn't reach in there.

Really? How does it clean inside of carb jets and galleries then?

 

[confusedcyclist]

Maybe I am part of a throw away society but I don't tend to reuse spokes or nipples unless they are hardly used and without corrosion.

If boiling the nipples works, it'll save me £5.99 + P&P, but most importantly, time. Stainless steel spokes and brass nipples don't corrode as far as I am aware? Especially if they are oiled at the thread.

 

[confusedcyclist]

@Drago Do you have one of those lying around in your workshop? Or was it a silly suggestion?

 

[Drago]

I do have one somewhere. Don't have any fluid though. They're used for cleaning carb jets, bodies and inside the galleries. Mines only a diddy one so they went in a few bits at a time, which was a ballache but worked.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Really? How does it clean inside of carb jets and galleries then?

Yes, really.

Certain types of "dirt" can be removed from small cavities by vibrating the object in a solution. If the "dirt" is soluble in that solution, then the vibration speeds up the process. Other types of dirt can simply be vibrated out of the cavities and the fact that there's a surrounding fluid again just speed things up. That does not mean that the dirt was removed by cavitation, just by shaking vigorously in a solution.

I based my assertion on the guess that the gummy oily residue in those nipples are polymerised oil, which is not readily soluble. Such a residue is also resilient and does not break down from cavitation. This can be shown by plastic pump parts adjacent to metal pump parts which never show cavitation damage.

I've cleaned plenty of nipples in a ultrasonic cleaner. Aluminium as well as brass. If you leave the alu nipples in there too long, their surfaces become visibly damaged from cavitation, yet the threads remain smooth and strong. That can only be explained by the absence of cavitation inside the nipple.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I do have one somewhere. Don't have any fluid though. They're used for cleaning carb jets, bodies and inside the galleries. Mines only a diddy one so they went in a few bits at a time, which was a ballache but worked.

Pretty much my experience as well, so long as I can get Briggs and Stratton jets in there, it's big enough.
Snowblowers up next, I have two from garage sales awaiting the promised degunkature.