Cool way to store spokes!
07-11-20, 05:29 PM
#1
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Cool way to store spokes!
This came from a recent cleanout I did, the old guy had several boxes like this set up for storing spokes he stripped out of old wheels.
I hadn't even noticed what the boxes were they were so covered in dust and cobwebs. I pulled this one out looking for an odd spoke or two to fix a wheel for someone the other day and wiped it down before dragging it up onto the bench. There's 7 or 8 of these all full of used spokes, each bundle of spokes is held together with an inner tube rubber band with a piece of paper saying what rim/hub combo and bike they came from.
The old guy must have broken down hundreds of wheels over the years. Some of the spokes are really long, more than double the length of a normal 27" wheel.
I hadn't even noticed what the boxes were they were so covered in dust and cobwebs. I pulled this one out looking for an odd spoke or two to fix a wheel for someone the other day and wiped it down before dragging it up onto the bench. There's 7 or 8 of these all full of used spokes, each bundle of spokes is held together with an inner tube rubber band with a piece of paper saying what rim/hub combo and bike they came from.
The old guy must have broken down hundreds of wheels over the years. Some of the spokes are really long, more than double the length of a normal 27" wheel.
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07-11-20, 09:34 PM
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Peters Victor Crate is probably worth more than the spokes
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07-11-20, 10:34 PM
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I just looked it up on Ebay and dedhed you're right $189 for the old ammo box.
07-11-20, 10:55 PM
#6
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The old guy had these all over the place, some were under the workbench down in his basement, others were in the garage under that workbench, others were on top of shelves, a few were just sitting in the corner on the floor. He also had a few of these boxes filled with old hubs, old derailleurs, and old cranks. Some boxes are from shotgun shells, some are from dynamite, others say just black powder. The boxes are likely collectible themselves.
The old guy saved everything, I'm even finding bags of used broken ball bearings, he cleaned them, put them in bags and boxed them up. I found a dozen or so metal coffee cans full of beat up used spoke nipples too. The problem is some of the boxes of junk are mixed in with the good items as well. I found a full barrel of Weinmann Centerpull calipers, another full of "Schwinn Approved" side pull calipers, another full of just brake levers. I found a 5 gallon bucket full of used, worn down brake pads, right next to a 5 gallon bucket full of brand new 1/4" ball bearings. I'll be the next couple years still going through boxes and barrels of things from that place.
A number of years ago I'd have just tossed all the old spokes but lately with the cost of spokes and how hard its been to get good spokes I'll likely keep those sizes that I use the most for individual replacements. I don't think I'd ever build a whole wheel using used spokes though unless it was just for display.
The old guy saved everything, I'm even finding bags of used broken ball bearings, he cleaned them, put them in bags and boxed them up. I found a dozen or so metal coffee cans full of beat up used spoke nipples too. The problem is some of the boxes of junk are mixed in with the good items as well. I found a full barrel of Weinmann Centerpull calipers, another full of "Schwinn Approved" side pull calipers, another full of just brake levers. I found a 5 gallon bucket full of used, worn down brake pads, right next to a 5 gallon bucket full of brand new 1/4" ball bearings. I'll be the next couple years still going through boxes and barrels of things from that place.
A number of years ago I'd have just tossed all the old spokes but lately with the cost of spokes and how hard its been to get good spokes I'll likely keep those sizes that I use the most for individual replacements. I don't think I'd ever build a whole wheel using used spokes though unless it was just for display.
07-12-20, 05:43 AM
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07-12-20, 10:53 AM
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This sparked an odd memory: when I was a kid I had a pair of "Ajax Dynamite" crates that were my toy chests, Dad added hinges to the tops and handles on the sides. They were very sturdy with tight "finger joints" on all four edges, even I couldn't break them (but sure did not baby them). I was quite surprised to visit friends and neighbors and realizing that everybody did not have the same boxes for storing their own toys, I just assumed! Apparently these were really easy to find (free I'm sure) in parts of California where mining was done by blowing up mountains.
