Chris,
I made a set of stainless steel spokes for my TC in 1968 along with another
TC owner, Jack Nadeau. This was a 'back-yard" project with hack-saw and
hammer.
I paid for metallurgical analsys on an original TC spoke to see what we had
to start with.
We used 3/16 diameter "17-4 PH", purchased from a local steel supply
company. The stainless was recommended by a metallurgist. It has some
nickel for chrome like luster, corrosion resistant, tough etc.
It arrived in 12 ft (or 20ft) lengths and had to be cut to short and long spoke
size. Jack made a heading die and I made a bending fixture adjustable for
short and long spokes. Heading required heating the end red-hot.
Next we hand-threaded 240 spokes each TC, that was a job.
Because we had to heat the end, and smash it, adding stresses, it was
recommended the spokes be heat-treated to relieve the stress created in
heading to prevent breakage there. It was recommended we head the
spokes cold, but our die was not up to that much force.
The heat treating company said if the heat-treat was fully done, the spokes
would warp, so they did a " partial " heat-treat. They came back very black,
requiring hours and hours of hand sanding.
It took six months of evenings to finish the job. In service, they do break at
the head occasionally.
Stainless becomes stronger as it is stretched, to a point, and will return to
it's original length if the yeald is not exceeded. But stainless will
eventually
deteriorate from inside out....I am told.
My TC is still standing or hanging, on those spokes after 40 years.
Bill Traill
J2 3343
TC5221
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