[Closed] Oiling Your Nipples

I mass oil my nipples - regular light 3-1 tip all the nipples into a cut down milk bottle. pour in 3-1 til covering the nipples. Shake about, and then tip into a funnel placed into the oil bottle with a bit of kitchen towel to make a filter. Store in a ziplock bag unless you use them quickly like I tend to.

Its way quicker and you get full coverage for thread and rim. Not as messy to build with as you'd think either. A quick rim clean with IPA at the end and you're done.

Same.  I do it because that's what it says in Roger Musson's book and I've never had a problem so why change?

Edit: I meant same as OP as I hadn't seen Ben's post.  I like the bulk oiling idea, same result with less work.

I grease either the nipple seat in the rim or grease the nipple itself, whatever is easier/faster on the wheel I am building. Reduces friction when turning the nipple in the rim. I oil the spokes, reduced friction when turning the nipple on the spoke.

If I am oiling nipples I used to just chuck them all in a tin with oil (nipples are then oiled inside and out), then tip it into a nipple shuffler You can also drop oil onto the spoke/nipple when it is loosely laced and it will lube the thread and run down onto the nipple head. Some people lube spokes individualy as they lace, I dunk a handful in oil together.

Also when building carbon rims the grease may help with corrosion on alloy nipples.

Oiling is faster than greasing.

Same.  I do it because that’s what it says in Roger Musson’s book and I’ve never had a problem so why change?

Exactly, that's why I do it this way too. I don't typically use a bath of oil for nipples as it just makes everything a big oily mess and I find only a small squirt is enough.

Also when building carbon rims the grease may help with corrosion on alloy nipples.

The wheels that I have just, quite literally, cut the spokes out of were seized solid with alloy nipples on thin, bladed spokes. Suffice to say, I'll be rebuilding with brass nipples and proper (DT Swiss Competition) spokes, lubricated properly!

Thinking back to when I used to do it the other way I think (read am certain) it was messier. If you bulk oil but drain them properly you end up with nipples that have a light oil coat on the surface, just enough for the hole and the threads hold the right amount inside the nipple. You actually end up with almost no oil escaping the nipples onto the spokes or rims anywhere you don't want it, just oily fingerprints that need cleaning.

That's very interesting. I might give it a go this time.

I immerse the nipples too.

I use olive oil - there's always some hanging around the [s]workshop[/s] kitchen somewhere.

And then tip it out onto a paper towel.

I lube. I use a dab of copaslip just at the start of the nipple. I also wipe a little grease on the nipple/washer interface.

Never suffered a seized nipple. Makes me wonder if I should give quality alu nipples a second chance.

yeah but do you drain it back into the bottle though, and more importantly does Extra Virgin work better than normal stuff?

Never suffered a seized nipple. Makes me wonder if I should give quality alu nipples a second chance

Me neither....but I have had the heads start popping off some alloy nipples after about 18 months in some carbon rims.  I won't be using alloy nipples again

I use double head alu nipples (like Squorx DT) all the time and never had one break on me. Standard slotted ones Ive done loads, but thats no surprise when they cut a big slot right where you don't want it.

Me neither….but I have had the heads start popping off some alloy nipples after about 18 months in some carbon rims. I won’t be using alloy nipples again

Were the spokes right through the nipples?

I do it because that’s what it says in Roger Musson’s book and I’ve never had a problem so why change?

I built just oiled for years with no issue, when I built a DT rim with squorx nipples the instructions said to grease and they tensioned up so nicely I decided to try it on the next build with normal brass nipples. Alloy galls really easy so makes a big difference on alloy nipples.

Linseed oil kind of sets but stays gooey.

Were the spokes right through the nipples?

I can't remember, I think they came to the bottom of the slot.  I don't know why they failed, I've seen theories about aluminium nipples in carbon rims suffering from electrolysis and they did have a white coating on the heads but your and Ben's comments make me wonder whether they are simply too weak. For me the weight saving doesn't matter enough to not just use brass.

You get galvanic corrosion with carbon/alloy.

I prefer to build with brass nipples as all things being equal a wheel with brass nipples will be stronger, more durable and be able to be trued for years to come.

Alloy is lighter but requires more care to build, spoke lengths must be spot on and the nipples lubed to prevent galling. Aluminium has a finite fatigue life.

I have not had any issues with alloy squorx nipples yet, but I would choose brass squorx personally.

I dip the threads in a bit of r&r superslick.

Or I did, had a few spokes spontaneously loosen on the road bike so might use threadlock next time.

A bit of lube does make a bug difference, eapcially in the finer tensioning stages.

Iuse that hilariously awful Muc off C3 dry chain lube. I tried it once as the chain lubricant it was marketed as, but it congealed into a sticky recalcitrant mess that needed a blade to scrape off.

For spokes/nipples it perfect. Its nice and runny to start, never goes quite hard and I have a bottle of it. I tend to stand the spoke threads it it for a little while and then let ithen drain.

I think it depends on the quality of the nipples, more over the anodising of them with galvanic corrosion. Anodised nipples wont galvanically corrode (much), as the anodised layer is already oxidised, and aluminium oxide is a rubbish conductor,  and so its where they wear you need to be watching out for.

Cheap nipples often wear quickly and expose their bare alu around the point where they contact the rim, whereas better quality ones don't seem to nearly as fast. The use of a steel washer seems like a good plan too as the carbon inside a rim can be quite abrasive. Physicians and chemists can probably tell us if that carbon > steel > alu combo would be better.

Lube and oil will help too as not only does it prevent the destruction of the anodised layer when building the anodising is porous and will retain whatever they are dipped in as a thin layer of protection against the various chemicals that want to accelerate the oxidisation process.

EDIT: Its safe to say if you do want to use alu go for a non cosmetic colour like black or silver. As soon as you add in a colour you want to get a certain finish/tone which dictates the anodising depth and so there's probably a compromise in  their for the thickness of the ano layer in order to get the right colour.

* Physicists.... 😉

Just built 4 wheels using Rock 'n ' Roll Nipple Cream

Previously I've just dipped the spoke threads in whatever oil I've got to hand but thought I'd try the 'Nipple Cream'

To be honest, it was name of the product that swung it for me (and the fact that I was placing an order for a job lot of other RnR products). Nice and slippery without being overly greasy!

Also give the rim eyelet a wee wipe with oil/nipple cream using a [non-single-use-plastic] cotton bud for the nipple/rim interface!