Unlacing Wheels

mxmort
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Feb 07, 2013 4:33 pm

Unlacing Wheels

Postby mxmort » Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:48 pm

I have a set of wheels i need to unlace but the nipples are all seized on to spokes
I want to unlace without damaging rims (buckle or make them out of round) as they will be relaced
Any help on best way to cut spokes would be awesome
Thanks

User avatar
Mulger bill
Super Mod
Super Mod
Posts: 29060
Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:41 pm
Location: Sunbury Vic

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby Mulger bill » Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:43 pm

A half decent set of linsemans pliers will see you right.
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
London Boy 29/12/2011

User avatar
bychosis
Posts: 7250
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:10 pm
Location: Lake Macquarie

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby bychosis » Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:51 pm

+1. I've used pliers
bychosis (bahy-koh-sis): A mental disorder of delusions indicating impaired contact with a reality of no bicycles.

mxmort
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Feb 07, 2013 4:33 pm

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby mxmort » Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:55 pm

Thanks for the responses
Is there a method of which ones to cut each time so i dont wreck the rims and buckle or make them out of round

User avatar
Mulger bill
Super Mod
Super Mod
Posts: 29060
Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:41 pm
Location: Sunbury Vic

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby Mulger bill » Tue Apr 30, 2013 11:04 pm

What I've done is start at 12 o'clock then 3, 6 and 9. Move one spoke to the right and repeat until done.
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
London Boy 29/12/2011

mxmort
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Feb 07, 2013 4:33 pm

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby mxmort » Tue Apr 30, 2013 11:06 pm

Cool thanks for the input

User avatar
jacks1071
Posts: 3068
Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2009 9:47 pm
Location: Mackay, QLD
Contact:

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby jacks1071 » Tue Apr 30, 2013 11:45 pm

mxmort wrote:I have a set of wheels i need to unlace but the nipples are all seized on to spokes
I want to unlace without damaging rims (buckle or make them out of round) as they will be relaced
Any help on best way to cut spokes would be awesome
Thanks
I use a grinder (with safety glasses)
Our Website is: http://www.kotavelo.com.au" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Find us on Facebook by searching for "Kotavelo"

User avatar
familyguy
Posts: 8364
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 2:30 pm
Location: Willoughby, NSW

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby familyguy » Wed May 01, 2013 11:03 am

Can you get a big screwdriver to the outer end of the nipple? Grab the spokes with a pair of vise-grips and see what you can do. If you absolutely have to cut them, do what mulger says. Are you planning on saving the hub, too? Cause cutting will put odd stresses on the flanges.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.ph ... elace-hubs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jim

human909
Posts: 9810
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:48 am

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby human909 » Wed May 01, 2013 3:47 pm

familyguy wrote:Cause cutting will put odd stresses on the flanges.
Can you substantiate this at all. Releasing tension (even a sudden release) on the flange doesn't seem likely to cause "odd stresses".

User avatar
Dan
Posts: 3289
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:32 pm
Location: Vegas, baby

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby Dan » Wed May 01, 2013 6:06 pm

I've been told by a reliable source not to reuse spokes which have been fully detensioned - +1 for wire cutters.

User avatar
DavidL
Posts: 255
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 9:12 am
Location: Ballarat, Vic

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby DavidL » Wed May 01, 2013 6:15 pm

human909 wrote:
familyguy wrote:Cause cutting will put odd stresses on the flanges.
Can you substantiate this at all. Releasing tension (even a sudden release) on the flange doesn't seem likely to cause "odd stresses".
I also find that very hard to believe. As that would suggest that if a spoke is broken during riding that the hub will also be damaged. Also back to the OP the rim.

Just cut them all with a big pair of wire cutters or the likes. Wheels really are not that delicate.

- David.

User avatar
familyguy
Posts: 8364
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 2:30 pm
Location: Willoughby, NSW

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby familyguy » Wed May 01, 2013 8:42 pm

The source was a reputable and knowledgeable source, more with regards vintage parts. Granted, not something that wouldn't happen if you popped a couple on the road. Do with it what you will. I always unwind a few turns.

Jim

wqlava1
Posts: 622
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:13 am
Location: Nillumbik, Vic

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby wqlava1 » Thu May 02, 2013 12:05 pm

Dan wrote:I've been told by a reliable source not to reuse spokes which have been fully detensioned - +1 for wire cutters.
I've got diametrically opposite advice from a source that we can all look at if we have the e-book - Roger Musson's treatise on wheelbuilding.

My experience (which is probably not over a large enough number of wheels and kilometers to be statistically significant for proof for any of us) is that I've been building wheels with stainless spokes I've garnered from good quality wheelsets that have had worn out rims or freehubs, with no discernable different failure rate.

I find a 45cm set of bolt cutters to be good where I want to keep the rim or hub but not the spokes, and the wood splitter on a big stump with 6 blows spaced at 60 degrees where I am fitting the whole thing in the wheelie bin. Wear safety glasses for both these operations - old spokes may fly out from rims without rim tape, and the first blow of the wood splitter detensions the wheel in a way that may release stored energy in unexpected ways.

User avatar
Dan
Posts: 3289
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:32 pm
Location: Vegas, baby

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby Dan » Thu May 02, 2013 1:56 pm

wqlava1 wrote:
Dan wrote:I've been told by a reliable source not to reuse spokes which have been fully detensioned - +1 for wire cutters.
I've got diametrically opposite advice from a source that we can all look at if we have the e-book - Roger Musson's treatise on wheelbuilding.
Indeed, I'd forgotten about that. Reuse if you can, and if you know the history of the wheel.

User avatar
sturmey archer
Posts: 237
Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 8:14 pm
Location: Melbourne

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby sturmey archer » Fri May 03, 2013 10:25 pm

Just watch out when you cut the spokes. The first ones will be under some tension and the nipple end will fly out of the wheel and the end attached to the flange will flick in or out depending on the lacing.
1.370" x 24 tpi - what sort of stupid standard is that?

Mozzar
Posts: 122
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2013 12:01 pm

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby Mozzar » Thu May 09, 2013 12:35 pm

If your quick enough then you can just cut every spoke 1 by 1 without damaging the rim. Don't need to bother about moving around the rim and cutting in different spots, it just takes more time.

wqlava1
Posts: 622
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:13 am
Location: Nillumbik, Vic

Re: Unlacing Wheels

Postby wqlava1 » Thu May 09, 2013 1:19 pm

And how quick is that? I'd assume that the correct answer for the time gap between spoke release events will be given in milliseconds. :-)

You may well get away with it, but the assumption behind being "quick enough" is that the rim will indeed distort.

My experience is that taco-ing the rim to some degree will probably only happen for spoke tensions around the rim manufacturer's specified max and shallow section soft rims - but I would still be careful to avoid extra time truing the rims when rebuilding it.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users