Hi

Should the spokes also be painted green or left in a dull stainless finish? Has everyone got green spokes or when it comes to a modern rebuild are they left plain steel? I have been looking at some pictures and it seems it might just be a matter of preference i suppose?

Cheers.

Hi Brandon, Spokes and nipples were painted originaly..whether they were painted first before the wheel was built or the wheel was built and then painted is not entirely clear..Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I would think that the wheel must be built then painted? I cant think that there would be much paint left on the nipples otherwise. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

So they were all originaly painted green but some just choose to leave them unpainted...

The ones I bought from Russell Motors were painted green.

email (option): unpob@yahoo.com

so if those are genuine NOS then they were painted then fitted....i wonder if they then sprayed the whole wheel again to paint the nipples after it was built?

I still have a set of N.O.S. M20 spokes, and they are painted green, as Henri says.

But this could be if individual spokes had to be replaced, and the spokes in store had to be painted, otherwise rust would very quickly appear.

Maybe whole wheel assemblies were painted as a whole?

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbike.net

I can't speak for BSA but the pre-war Norton factory records state in relation to WD machines - "All wheels to be built up before enamelling"

I think that's logical lex

Jo'b

email (option): Jonnyob1@googlemail.com

I powder-coated my spokes before lacing the (double powder-coated) rims, using a contraption that allows grit-blasting and coating all 40 spokes and nipples at the same time:

email (option): viaconsu # planet dot nl

Good idea Hans. Thanks.

Jig is available for free use; just come and get it...

email (option): viaconsu # planet dot nl

they may have got sprayed in a rebuild work shop but anywhere else it would have been a 4" paint brush with no masking of parts cables carb everything painted good old british army squaddy

Yup, 4 inch paint brush sounds about right, so if you are into proceedure, rather than results, that's the way to go. I should think that for a good result on a modern build the items would be pre-painted to avoid rust while on the shelf and then, after you assemble the wheel and mount the tube and tire without air, you would spray them again. I've never been able to mount the tire without chipping some paint from the rim, even when I try to do it by force of my weight (and a friend's), instead of using tire irons - a method that's not very effective with modern tires, anyway.

email (option): jonny.rudge@verizon.net