SS spokes

[portagepan]

Howdy folks!
Well, what is the right media to use on SS spokes to make them look like cad? I have plastic, Alum. oxide, and the black silcone carbide. I would like to use the carbide at medium pressure. Your knowledge on this will be appreciated. On the '38 Indian four, are the nipples cad too? How about on the '65 Harley FLH?

[AdminGuy]

What no one?

[exeric]

I think I would use a tumbler with glass beads. I believe you would get a more even finish and it sure would be a lot less boring than blasting individual spokes.

[Matthew N. Olse]

We bead blasted the ones on my dads 39. The beads took the shine off and dulled them down, but they looked nasty and dirty compared to cad plated spokes. I don't know of any way to make them look right. Look at the photo of the maroon and cream 39 on our website to see what the end result looks like.
www.carlscyclesupply.com

[Chopperdave]

the ones on my knuck were polished stainless then lightly bead blasted, they look only kinda like cad, i was happy with the finish, but not if i wanted them to look just like cad...

[portagepan]

Thanks for the feedback so far. But I know I read somewhere about blasting them and it looked so good, it was judged alright for stock. Maybe it was a dream?

[Kojack]

Your plater would probably think you're nuts but you ought to be able to get those stainless spokes cad plated. It should last forever on stainless. Personally, I don't worry about originality that much.

[inrustwetrust]

I had the same idea Kojack thought of about fifteen years ago. DON'T CAD PLATE STAINLESS SPOKES.
Cad plating stainless spokes creates a condition called hydrogen embrittlement. I would never trust the baking process, which is used to relieve brittleness, as you all know that your plater does to your high stress parts because you told them to do it.
I would highly reccommend taking good photos of your front teeth and the bike too, so you can remember what they looked like, if you plan on cad plating stainless steel spokes and riding the bike, which is unlikely, as the spokes will start to break before you even finish tightening them.

[AdminGuy]

I made a peg board. Drilled holes 2x4 for spoke thread depth. Bead blasted. Looks good. Did nipples also- loose. Wash with detail and whipe all treads carefully. Pre-test all nipples may help before assebly. Any grit feel is bad. Must use correct lube for no galling.

Grease (white lith or soap) the outer portion of nipple on assemb also. Helps turn under tension against powder coat. BOUNCE that rim on the carpet like a gorilla when done. You'll hear it settle in. Push on hub from each side also. Then recheck.

I learned a painful lesson with a CAD plated return spring. Yes, very brittle. Broke twice. Now have pain steel. Grease it up so as not to bind.

[Erdos]

Hey portage I know a good cad plater here in Cleveland. He is also cheap. Maybe if you set me up with your body guy I can set you up with my cad guy.

[Johnny]

I have also heard rubbing the spokes with a powdered cleanser like Ajax or Bon Ami works well to take the shine off.
Aluminum oxide and silcone carbide both seem a little too abrasive. Glass beads should work better.

[portagepan]

Hey everybody, thanks. I am not sure which method I will use, but now I know my options. I hate to sound stupid, but can I use glass beads in a regular medium sizes blast cabinet, with 5 horse compressor? Are they larger? Do they take a special nozzle, or gun? I don't know about cad plating the stainless. Sounds like one step forward, two back. I did find out that both the nipples and spokes were cad plated even into the 90's. I had some cylinders tumbled a while back at an auto place. I didn't see until later that one fin was broken and one liner was chipped at the bottom. Not good! You've got to be real careful with who you deal with. I don't know about others, but I just have bad luck at car places. Hmmm............ And Erdos, what kind of body work did you need?

[Kojack]

No special equipment needed for glass beads. It comes in different grades but it's finer than sand. I'd use the glass beads or just use the spokes as they are. I never gave the hydrogen embrittlement issue much thought since all steel spokes are cad plated. Many grades of stainless steel aren't even susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement but that's something that needs researched if you'd want to try it. I don't doubt that the spokes broke though. I've seen a few broken non-plated stainless spokes. Stainless is susceptible to work hardening and that can cause it. I don't know what the answer to that problem is.