wrote:
On May 12, 1:18 pm, Johan Bornman wrote:
Nowadays with all the spoke options I am hard-pressed to keep, or
indeed, find stock of all the permutations. How do they blacken spokes
and can this be done in a workshop as and when needed?

Dear Johan,

Modern black stainless steel spokes seem to be coated or plated:

"Today’s fashion is black or coloured spokes. Although the coating is
very tough, it is not entirely scratchproof. This means that the
wheelbuilder has to take this risk into account and match his
procedure accordingly. For Holland Mechanics the black spoke fashion
meant that new
sensors to detect black spokes had to be developed for the trueing
machines. With the new sensor, the machine will even indicate when
various spokes are mixed up in one wheel."

http://www.hollandmechanics.com/2007/pdf/HMToday_3.pdf

"DT says its black spokes are the same strength as its silver spokes
and that the coating doesn't affect the strength."

"As I understand it, some black spokes are coloured by a plating
process that's more-or-less chroming. Chrome plating has been known
for years to make spokes brittle, which is why silver-coloured chrome-
plated spokes all but vanished in the 80s."

"But the bike industry has the knowledge retention of a goldfish."

--John Stevenson, Editor-in-chief, Future cycling

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewt...f 08a217c8bba

***

Highwheeler spokes were often covered with black enamel from the rim
to roughly the crossing, and then nickel-plated the rest of the way to
the hub, like this:

http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_02.jpg

Enamel resisted pitting and wear better than nickel plating--the
tougher enamel was better suited to the end of the spoke down in the
dirt-road mud and dust (and could be renewed by the owner, with some
effort), while the more fragile but more attractive nickel plating
(which few owners could re-do on their own) stood a better chance of
surviving a foot or so above the road.

Once you've seen the real thing or a color photo like the one above,
the nickel-plated starburst at the hub is obvious in black-and-white
photos:

http://www.pepcak.webzdarma.cz/vyspan620.jpg

Like modern black spokes, the black and nickel combination was prized
for looks, but they enamel and nickel-plating also offered some
protection to the non-stainless steel spokes, and the practice
continued when safeties were introduced:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2146/...29411184_o.jpg

Bikes #1 and #2 in this photo have nickel-plated starburst spokes:

http://i36.tinypic.com/vfdx1c.jpg

Here's an early explanation of the enamel-nickel combination:

"If your wheels are not yet built up, do not attempt the removal of
hardened cups from hubs. The rims should be store enamelled before
wheels are built, and the spokes carefully brush enamelled after
completion; this insures good wearing cups. Many of our large firms
run the risk of softening cases by enamelling complete for sake of
appearance. If you must have perfection in appearance and finish, have
your spokes nickel-plated right through if direct; and if tangent,
plate 3 in. from headed end, and brush enamel up to where spokes cross
each other."

--"English Mechanic," 1894

http://books.google.com/books?id=DIU...utput=textwith
some odd colors:

Black wasn't the only color for spoke enamel:

"Model 40 [safety from Warwick in 1898], the highest grade ladies'
Cleveland, is one of the most notable productions of the year, with
specifications, in part, as follows : 28-inch wheels, with blue
spokes . . ."

--"Outing," 1898
http://books.google.com/books?id=PKz...page#PPA517,M1

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

"Store enamelled" possibly "stove enamelled"

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971