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petehouk

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Does anyone know how to cut and thread spokes? I have some 11 gauge spokes that I want to cut shorter and re-thread. My LBS can only do 14 and 15 gauge spokes, so I thought I would try it myself.

A little bit of internet searching shows that spoke threads aren't cut but rather rolled. But I can't find a tool that will roll threads onto a spoke thicker than 14 gauge.

Those 11 gauge spokes are pretty thick...what if I did cut threads instead of rolling them? I can see why rolling would be important on a spoke with a smaller diameter (you don't want to cut away metal to make the threads). Maybe it wouldn't be quite so critical on a very thick spoke.
 
I'd get several spare nipples and try force threading them. I don't know if that would work in the least, but it's the kind of nonsense I like to go for.
 
the Hozan spoke threader I used, many years ago, was for repair only. It was not a precision instrument by any stretch of the imagination. I fixed one spoke and that was enough, I cant imagine doing a whole set.. What length spoke do you need, I have several boxes.
 
When you roll threads you displace material and increase the overall diameter. This means you start with an undersize rod for the intended thread size. For example a 2.0mm (14g) spoke uses a 2.2mm X 56tpi thread. To cut threads you would have to go to the next thread size down and get the appropriate nipples. Likely the spoke diameter might be too big to do this. Nipples cannot be used as an impromptu die as they are chrome plated brass and far to soft to cut steel.
 
Motorcycles use 8-9-10 (and thicker) gauge spokes. 11 gauge was common on mopeds, 12 gauge on heavy bicycle wheels, and some industrial bicycles also using 11 gauge. It narrows down to only the lower end bicycle/motorized using 11 gauge spokes. This makes its unlikely to find a shop with an 11g thread roller. Even Buchanan's who is probably the best know motorcycle spoke maker/wheel builder does not mention 11 gauge spokes.
 
ive got one of the hozan thread rollers(had it a little over a year now) and have used it to build 3 sets of 36 hole wheels using 15 gauge blank spokes.....its worked just fine and i havent had any problems with the spokes either(just make sure you dont try to get the threads rolled in 1 shot....do them in increments itll work fine and make reference marks for the stop points for the jamb nut so you dont thread them to thick/thin by just guessing)....
keep it oiled,clean the dies often and store it loose and it will serve you quite well........
oh...for the record when doing spoke you dont want to 'cut' threads in as with a die since youll remove material thus weakening the spoke and asking for trouble(read about it on sheldons site) :wink:
as for cutting them you can use a pair of dikes,side cutters,cable cutters, or whatever you prefer to call them....they work just fine...just grind or file the ends to a slight taper before threading them
 
You could consider cutting the elbow off the spoke, swaging a new shoulder and then bending the new elbow. It isn't that difficult.
 
I've seen that Hozan thing on a few web sites. It only mentions 14 and 15 ga spokes, though. Is there another cutting head that will do 11 or 12 ga? Regardless, I ***probably*** won't spend $150 on one. I do like the idea of being able to change the length of spokes though. Even with careful measurements and calculations, I have still found myself on a few occasions with 36 spokes that are 1/4" too long. And another thing: a lot of web sites sell spokes cut to length and in packages of 50. On a recent project, I ended up with 14 extra spokes that were 262mm long and 14 extra spokes that were 267mm long. If I had a spoke threading tool, then I could have bought 100 267mm spokes, rolled 5mm more thread onto 36 of them, and then cut 5mm off. That would have left me with 28 matching 267mm spokes. Then, all I would need is a 28 hole rim and a 28 hole hub, and I could build an extra wheel that would be of no use to anyone...least of all me. Seriously, though, 28 matching spokes might be good for something, but two sets of 14 are good for nothing.
 
sorry about that.....i guess if i would actually read i wouldnt make a fool of myself :lol: (like thats anything new)
i dont know about the 11 gauge....maybe a motorcycle shop? but yeah it seems like alot(i only paid $95 for mine through a bike shop) but it will pay for itself fast if youre building alot of wheels....
after i mis-measured one wheel and had to pay for a round trip of 90 miles and the spokes that did it!
again sorry i didnt read the 11 gauge part and rambled on and on :lol:
 
Sensor--thanks for your input and don't worry about missing the 11 ga part of it. I appreciate your input on the Hozan tool. I have read some write ups on it where people say that it's not good for cutting a full set of spokes, but it sounds like you made it work. Maybe if you are used to the Phil Wood spoke threading machine, the Hozan would be too tedious.

How big of a spoke have you tried in your Hozan? If it works on 14 ga and 15 ga, maybe it would work on 11 or 12 too. I guess I don't understand how it could work on 14 and 15, but it doesn't seem like such a stretch that it could do thicker spokes as well.
 
I gather that 11 ga is not so common...what about 12 ga? Same problem? 12 ga will do for the wheel I am building. I have some of those spokes as well.
 
12 gauge is much more common as it is a common light weight motorcycle spoke.
 
Hey Sensor

What do you think about modifying one of those Hozan tools for 12 ga spokes? Can you post a picture of the cutting head on your tool?
 
sorry for the slow response(thread got buried and i havent been on to much :oops: )
im sure it wouldnt be to hard to get the rolling dies off and swapped for the correct size(although i have no idea how where the larger ones would come from) ill try to get a picture of them this weekend for you. sorry again about the lag in response
 
Worksman Bikes of NY are using 11ga. spokes standard on their line of USA made bicycles. IMHO their curved and straight topbar frames are the modern (lugged) alternative to finding and rebuilding classic frames in similar configurations but questionable condition.
But, I digress; the spokes you need may be available from then in 11ga.
 

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