Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

Tips on removing oxidation from spoke nipples

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

Tips on removing oxidation from spoke nipples

Old 06-12-06, 06:19 AM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Old Yeller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 400

Bikes: 1987 Trek 1500, 1989 Pinarello Montello, 1998 Trek 7000 MTB

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
Tips on removing oxidation from spoke nipples

I purchased an old set of Ambrosio Metamorphisis wheels with DT spokes and Campy Record hubs off ebay that are pretty nice except the spoke nipples are pretty grungy looking. Does anyone have any tips on how to remove the black oxidation from chrome plated brass spoke nipples and the ferrules on the rim? I dread the idea of replacing them one by one but my anal retentive personality may cause me to do it.
Old Yeller is offline  
Old 06-12-06, 09:14 AM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
lotek's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: n.w. superdrome
Posts: 17,688

Bikes: 1 trek, serotta, rih, de Reus, Pogliaghi and finally a Zieleman! and got a DeRosa

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 9 Times in 9 Posts
buy a can of brasso (cotton wadding stuff) should clean them up just fine.

Marty
__________________
Sono pił lento di quel che sembra.
Odio la gente, tutti.


Want to upgrade your membership? Click Here.
lotek is offline  
Old 06-12-06, 10:25 AM
  #3  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Old Yeller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 400

Bikes: 1987 Trek 1500, 1989 Pinarello Montello, 1998 Trek 7000 MTB

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
I tried Simichrome and that didnt seem to work so I'm not so sure the Brasso would work either. Maybe I'm wrong. Anyone else got any ideas????
Old Yeller is offline  
Old 06-12-06, 12:16 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
cyclotoine's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Yukon, Canada
Posts: 8,775
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 113 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 16 Times in 14 Posts
i would use superfine steel wool. or brass wool as most people here will suggest. Steel being to abbrasive.
__________________
1 Super Record bike, 1 Nuovo Record bike, 1 Pista, 1 Road, 1 Cyclocross/Allrounder, 1 MTB, 1 Touring, 1 Fixed gear

Last edited by cyclotoine; 06-12-06 at 01:43 PM.
cyclotoine is offline  
Old 06-12-06, 12:37 PM
  #5  
Dolce far niente
 
bigbossman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Northern CA
Posts: 10,834
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times in 13 Posts
Originally Posted by Old Yeller
I tried Simichrome and that didnt seem to work so I'm not so sure the Brasso would work either. Maybe I'm wrong. Anyone else got any ideas????
Yeah - I just did an old Trek on Saturday. I squirted the nipples liberally with WD-40 and hit 'em with a "Chore Boy" dish scrubber. Worked well, and was quick. It didn't polish them , but it did clean off all the black/green crud.
__________________
"Love is not the dying moan of a distant violin, it’s the triumphant twang of a bedspring."

S. J. Perelman
bigbossman is offline  
Old 06-12-06, 09:44 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Durham,NC.
Posts: 305

Bikes: Heron Wayfarer/ 2004 Giant Cypress SX

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
"Never-Dull" impregnated cotten wadding in a can. It may be sold now under the name,"Eagle One" Sold at Auto Zone or I'm sure the net. Works wonders on removing surgace rust on spokes.

Richard
jens5 is offline  
Old 06-12-06, 10:22 PM
  #7  
Seńor Member
 
USAZorro's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Hardy, VA
Posts: 17,935

Bikes: Mostly English - predominantly Raleighs

Mentioned: 70 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1491 Post(s)
Liked 1,072 Times in 634 Posts
The other suggestions may well work, but if all else fails, there's 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper.
__________________
In search of what to search for.
USAZorro is offline  
Old 06-13-06, 06:31 AM
  #8  
OldBikeGuide.com
 
oldroads's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 696
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15 Post(s)
Liked 21 Times in 10 Posts
Some hardware stores and 'dollar stores' have a small brush about the size of a toothbrush that has a wooden handle and brass wire 'brushes'. These are prefect for cleaning up spoke nipples.
oldroads is offline  
Old 06-13-06, 06:34 AM
  #9  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Old Yeller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 400

Bikes: 1987 Trek 1500, 1989 Pinarello Montello, 1998 Trek 7000 MTB

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
Originally Posted by oldroads
Some hardware stores and 'dollar stores' have a small brush about the size of a toothbrush that has a wooden handle and brass wire 'brushes'. These are prefect for cleaning up spoke nipples.
Dang! Why didnt I think of that? I have a couple of those brushes already in my tool box for cleaning sparkplugs. THANKS FOR ALL THE TIPS EVERYONE!
Old Yeller is offline  
Old 06-13-06, 05:46 PM
  #10  
juneeaa memba!
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: boogled up in...Idaho!
Posts: 5,632

Bikes: Crap. The box is not big enough...

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Yo! Hold on there! depending on the finish of the rim, the brass wire may scratch the rim, and that'd be bad. I use a wheel holder in a vice, and a long strip of cotton sheet to make a polisher. Then, depending on what is on the top of the pile I use mothers or blue magic on the rag, take a wrap around the nipple, and go back and forth a few times like dental floss. I clean the spoke in the same way...Takes about 10 minutes/wheel.
luker is offline  
Old 06-14-06, 08:57 AM
  #11  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Old Yeller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 400

Bikes: 1987 Trek 1500, 1989 Pinarello Montello, 1998 Trek 7000 MTB

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
Originally Posted by luker
Yo! Hold on there! depending on the finish of the rim, the brass wire may scratch the rim, and that'd be bad. I use a wheel holder in a vice, and a long strip of cotton sheet to make a polisher. Then, depending on what is on the top of the pile I use mothers or blue magic on the rag, take a wrap around the nipple, and go back and forth a few times like dental floss. I clean the spoke in the same way...Takes about 10 minutes/wheel.
Don't worry, I tested the brass brush on a hidden surface of the rim first and it was fine. That hard anodizing is tough stuff. Unfortunately, the brass brush wasnt as effective as I thought it would be on the nipples. It did do a nice job cleaning up the ferrules in the rims. I'll try luker's method next but maybe with a cotton shoelace if it will hold up through an entire wheel.
Old Yeller is offline  
Old 06-03-17, 08:47 PM
  #12  
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 14
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Rusty wheels

H
Originally Posted by Old Yeller
I purchased an old set of Ambrosio Metamorphisis wheels with DT spokes and Campy Record hubs off ebay that are pretty nice except the spoke nipples are pretty grungy looking. Does anyone have any tips on how to remove the black oxidation from chrome plated brass spoke nipples and the ferrules on the rim? I dread the idea of replacing them one by one but my anal retentive personality may cause me to do it.
Hello, I'm not an expert but my steel wool ,my rotary tool,pieces of sand paper, all will work as long as we don't get in the mood if expecting extremely shining results,I sprayed wd40 to everything and this morning I wiped it off.
perros10 is offline  
Old 06-03-17, 11:03 PM
  #13  
Nigel
 
nfmisso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 2,991

Bikes: 1980s and 1990s steel: CyclePro, Nishiki, Schwinn, SR, Trek........

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 384 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 6 Posts
just take the wheel apart, clean all the components properly, and re-assemble.
nfmisso is offline  
Old 06-04-17, 12:06 AM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
Lascauxcaveman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Port Angeles, WA
Posts: 8,016

Bikes: A green one, "Ragleigh," or something.

Mentioned: 194 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1627 Post(s)
Liked 629 Times in 355 Posts
Yeah, WD40 and a brass brush. You can work at an angle so that the brush never really touches the rim itself, or at least only in glancing manner.
__________________
● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●


Last edited by Lascauxcaveman; 06-04-17 at 12:46 AM.
Lascauxcaveman is offline  
Old 06-04-17, 12:34 AM
  #15  
Still learning
 
oddjob2's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: North of Canada, Adirondacks
Posts: 11,620

Bikes: Still a garage full

Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 847 Post(s)
Liked 66 Times in 44 Posts
Originally Posted by lascauxcaveman
yeah, wd40 and a brass brush. You can work at a angle so that the brush never really touches the rim itself, or at least only in glancing manner.


+1
oddjob2 is offline  
Old 06-04-17, 12:59 AM
  #16  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 888
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 241 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
100 silver brass DT nipples cost $9.
https://www.niagaracycle.com/categor...les-box-of-100

You can just replace them one by one.
You should true the wheels anyway.
Barabaika is offline  
Old 06-04-17, 04:53 AM
  #17  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Minas Ithil
Posts: 9,337
Mentioned: 66 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2432 Post(s)
Liked 638 Times in 395 Posts
A dremel with a wire brush. I had a set of wheels with corroded nipples and rim eyelets and the dremel got them looking brand new very fast. Didn't scratch up the rim at all.

Lazyass is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.