living in Arizona seems to take the moister out of my spokes and makes the spokes loose...any thoughts on a good mixture to soak them in? any suggestions would be appreciated.
I wonder if PEG, the wood stabilizer used in woodworking would cause them to expand and stay put. Any one tried this? I think its polyethelyne glycol.
PEG replaces the air and moisture in the wood with the poly glycol permanently and the wood will not change after that. I don't know about swelling the wood to tighten the spokes. I have heard of people tightening spokes by boiling them in linseed oil.
Remove the paint on them and soak ( I paint it on) in linseed oil. Remove the excess and let them dry and then paint. Dan.
Well one answer it to find a watering hole deep enough to park the car in up to the half of the wheel and soak them and then move the car to soak the other half, that might work. Of course in Arizona it it so dry that the rabbits take jug of water along with them when going across the state, and they don't share it with any others.
thank you all...will try the linseed oil
I saw a post on here recently that said to use a 50/50 mix of Pure gum turpentine and boiled linseed oil. Haven't tried it yet...
Mark,
Don't try the linseed oil. You'll never get paint to attach to the spokes. Instead, use a 50/50 mix of commercially available and already boiled linseed oil with denatured alcohol.
Are they original spokes? I am no spoke expert, but if new, it sounds like they were not properly dried and sized to begin with.
If they are original or old, then I would seriously think about respoking the offenders. Yea easy for me to say, I don't have to pay for it. But I've heard of too many accidents caused by wheels flying apart.
The problem is not that they are dried out, it's that they are worn out. Whether you try soaking them in linseed oil or snake oil, you'll end up with the same result..
Go with Dan's good advice.
Linseed oil will evaporate in a week or so in the Arizona heat. It works fine to make furniture look shiny. Useless on wood spoke wheels.
But understand that linseed oil and boiled linseed oil are two entirely different products. I'm no chemist but I believe the boiling process causes a change in the liquid and enables it to soak into and liven up wood while also allowing paint to adhere. However, I concur with Eric - if they're not 'full figured' in diameter and length, replace all 12.
The good news is that, if you have steel felloe wheels, rebuilding them is easy with the Regan spoke press. It takes a lot of work (priming, sanding, painting), but it's not hard.
I used to be an advocate of trying to salvage old wood parts and was convinced about 10 years ago by just about every T expert on the Forum at that time that it is not wise to try and fix loose or wornout spokes by any other method than replacement.
Since they support the entire weight of the car and are exposed to tremendous stresses especially while turning, spokes are such an integral part to the safety of the car, that to rely on repaired dried out, dry rotted, or loose spokes is just asking for trouble.
Please replace the spokes with new ones. I did it and it is not difficult at all. As a matter of fact, it's fun and very rewarding in that you know you are going to wind up with a safer car for you, your family and your fellow drivers sharing the road. Jim Patrick
PS. Here is a thread on my experience in January of 2011. Jim Patrick www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/183733.html?1296181301
Spokes and radiators have a lot in common. They eventually have to be replaced.
If you want to use and drive your Model T these are the 2 items that age and and the elements take their toll.
If you can find NOS radiators and spokes you are a very lucky person.
Most people dont and eventually have to make the choice of spending the money or living with the consequences.