"PILLAR SPOKES"

On 16 Oct, 00:26, Jobst Brandt wrote:
Trevor Jeffrey wrote:
I just stumbled onto a web site for PILLAR spokes. *I
wondered what they cost, & where they might be found.
What I found was absolutely nothing. *Do they exist
outside of this particular web site? *Has any one @ RBT
heard of them? *Has anyone used them? *They, PILLAR,
seemed to list Jenson USA as a dealer. * When I searched
Jenson, nothing with the name "PILLAR" was found. * Are
they just vapor ware?
Seems to be a spoke manufacturer in Taiwan ROC.* Never
heard of them before. * Which has no real meaning, I just
don't know them. *We have NJS certified bright stainless
Hoshi Japanese spokes with DT Swiss hard brass nipples $30
per wheel all lengths.
How about:

*http://www.pillarspoke.com/default.asp

Not a convincing web page!
Are the abrupt butts at the medial end of the J bend on the
triple butted spokes a problem?

*http://www.pillarspoke.com/product.a...3&thisValue=2&...



That was left over from the days when only the ends of spokes
were thick in an effort to make lighter wheels. *Therefore
there was no long transition as we see on DT spokes today. *I
have not seen one of those fail at the transition that has a
reasonable radius from thin-to-thick.
Jobst, I didn't quite follow you on this. *I think you are
saying that a shorter transition are not reasonable? *But I'm
not quite sure.
They don't fail but are harder to make. *The effort was
directed at a non issue of how long the thick ends should
be. *This design was common about 50 years ago. *As you see, DT
doesn't do that and their spokes are among the best.
The long butt may make double tying difficult on some
patterns. *Jobst is ignorant of tying and soldering spokes
because it does not fit his hypotheses. *Stainless spokes can
never be the best if it is physical performance which is judged.
DT only offer stainless spokes, therefore they cannot be among
the best. *On the well respected 36 x4 pattern on a Small
flange, the butt of a DT spoke interferes with the tying and
kinking required for the optimal spoke line. *DT's choice of
butt length is faulty for it prevents their choice when building
the most substantial wheel. *Their straight 15gauge are fine for
this.
I'm almost afraid to ask... what is "double tying?"
I used to tie and solder a lot (until I gave it up for felting
with clothes dryer lint and recycling Scotch tape), and I never
had issues with the butts. *They were like on another planet in
terms of where I was doing my work.
Tying at two crossing points of the spokes, nearest the rim and
second closest. *The closer crossing to the hub pulls the spokes
together (the spokes are NOT woven) preventing failure of the
spoke elbow of the inner spoke and creating a wheel which may be
constructed softer with great lateral stability. *The second outer
binding is probably of comparitively little importance.
Finished with beeswax, shellac or hand tie-dyed ribbons?
Beeswax and shellac are useful if there is an immediate requirement
for a quality wheel, either can be used to prevent loose nipples.
Both can also be applied after assembly.

What is the advantage of bee's wax over other waxes? *

It's good to eat, will knead to a softness and is a good base for
bulling up dress shoes.

I hope you are
aware that unless spokes go slack, spoke nipples cannot unscrew... but

Spoke nipples always require securing to build a good wheel
appropriate to the expected loadings. Vibration will upset a spoke
length adjustment otherwise. If the wheel remains true without using
any sort of nipple securement then it will be overly hard and may be
liable to buckle and the rim to fail around the nipple holes.

then folklore requires throwing salt over the shoulder as well.

Oh, Br'er Rabbit, where art thou. *Tar Baby is at work again.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_baby

Jobst Brandt