Bluing spokes?

RandyS
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RandyS
I might be setting myself up to look like a huge dumbass(or more of one depending on your outlook) but here goes. I'm getting ready to put new rims on my YZ next week and I was looking up any DIY finishes I could do to the stock spokes. All of the good blacks required chemicals not available under the sink so I thought about bluing with heat. Would a one time shot at 400-500 in the oven do any structural damage to the stainless? Or does it take repeated heating and cooling over many cycles before the metal loses elasticity. Thank you in advance for your knowledgeable answers and/or smartass remarks.
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MR. X
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MR. X 1/2/2017 4:47pm
1/2/2017 4:47pm
Any idea what grade of stainless the spokes are?
trailrider
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trailrider 1/2/2017 4:49pm
1/2/2017 4:49pm Edited Date/Time 1/2/2017 4:50pm
Takes 1900F for 1 hour to soften SS
Blu them
JWACK
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JWACK 1/2/2017 4:51pm
1/2/2017 4:51pm
I heard if you wrap them in vintage replica t shirts they turn blue.
kkawboy14
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kkawboy14 1/2/2017 4:53pm
1/2/2017 4:53pm
Man it seems like spokes last forever now, seems like just something to do.

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RandyS
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RandyS 1/2/2017 4:53pm
1/2/2017 4:53pm
MR. X wrote:
Any idea what grade of stainless the spokes are?
They're 2003 Yamaha grade, no idea and Yamaha probably doesn't either.
RandyS
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RandyS 1/2/2017 4:54pm
1/2/2017 4:54pm
JWACK wrote:
I heard if you wrap them in vintage replica t shirts they turn blue.
I issued a blanket "thank you" above, you'll get no additional. But well played.
JWACK
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JWACK 1/2/2017 4:56pm
1/2/2017 4:56pm
JWACK wrote:
I heard if you wrap them in vintage replica t shirts they turn blue.
RandyS wrote:
I issued a blanket "thank you" above, you'll get no additional. But well played.
Tongue
RandyS
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RandyS 1/2/2017 5:10pm
1/2/2017 5:10pm
Huge dumbass it is, the temp chart I was looking at was from the UK, 500f in the oven isn't going to do a thing and my oven doesn't do 900. maybe I'll see what the wood stove can do.
jeffro503
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jeffro503 1/2/2017 6:55pm
1/2/2017 6:55pm
RandyS wrote:
Huge dumbass it is, the temp chart I was looking at was from the UK, 500f in the oven isn't going to do a thing and...
Huge dumbass it is, the temp chart I was looking at was from the UK, 500f in the oven isn't going to do a thing and my oven doesn't do 900. maybe I'll see what the wood stove can do.
Propane torch , one at a time brother! Might work.
RandyS
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RandyS 1/2/2017 7:09pm
1/2/2017 7:09pm
RandyS wrote:
Huge dumbass it is, the temp chart I was looking at was from the UK, 500f in the oven isn't going to do a thing and...
Huge dumbass it is, the temp chart I was looking at was from the UK, 500f in the oven isn't going to do a thing and my oven doesn't do 900. maybe I'll see what the wood stove can do.
jeffro503 wrote:
Propane torch , one at a time brother! Might work.
That sounds like too much work but I might try an old spoke just to see what happens.
FGR01
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FGR01 1/2/2017 8:02pm
1/2/2017 8:02pm
On a related note that may prove useful, Yamaha only sells the spokes as a complete set for the wheel and the going rate on line is upwards of $100.
Dtat720
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Dtat720 1/2/2017 8:06pm
1/2/2017 8:06pm
Torch wont do anything. Stainless needs to reach atleast 800F to change color. Yellow/gold is the first color. Blue/purple comes above 1100F.
RandyS
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RandyS 1/2/2017 8:07pm
1/2/2017 8:07pm
FGR01 wrote:
On a related note that may prove useful, Yamaha only sells the spokes as a complete set for the wheel and the going rate on line...
On a related note that may prove useful, Yamaha only sells the spokes as a complete set for the wheel and the going rate on line is upwards of $100.
I've got a complete set extra of spokes from an 03 450 that I put Buchanan's on when my play budget was much larger. But I was messing around with old spokes off who knows, I have a box of assorted old spokes.
Turbojez
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Turbojez 1/3/2017 3:53am
1/3/2017 3:53am
RandyS wrote:
I might be setting myself up to look like a huge dumbass(or more of one depending on your outlook) but here goes. I'm getting ready to...
I might be setting myself up to look like a huge dumbass(or more of one depending on your outlook) but here goes. I'm getting ready to put new rims on my YZ next week and I was looking up any DIY finishes I could do to the stock spokes. All of the good blacks required chemicals not available under the sink so I thought about bluing with heat. Would a one time shot at 400-500 in the oven do any structural damage to the stainless? Or does it take repeated heating and cooling over many cycles before the metal loses elasticity. Thank you in advance for your knowledgeable answers and/or smartass remarks.
If you change your mind about the black, black zinc plating is cheap, durable and looks good. Just make sure you'll have the threads masked. Nipples won't turn on black zinced threads and it's a bitch to remove (acid use required). Don't ask me how I know Smile
IWreckALot
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IWreckALot 1/3/2017 5:16am
1/3/2017 5:16am Edited Date/Time 1/3/2017 5:17am
Dtat720 wrote:
Torch wont do anything. Stainless needs to reach atleast 800F to change color. Yellow/gold is the first color. Blue/purple comes above 1100F.
This is what I was thinking. 500 doesn't seem very hot when it comes to metal.

Try this maybe? It's cheap at academy. I've used it on bolts for a certain project and worked out pretty well. Didn't seem to scratch off very easy.

Dtat720
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Dtat720 1/3/2017 5:55am
1/3/2017 5:55am
I dont know if i would want to put any heat to something as critical as a spoke. 500 would anneal and already heat treated part, softening it. Spokes are a lot thinner than gun parts. I'd leave them alone or try and find spokes already blue'd
HD1200
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HD1200 1/3/2017 6:19am
1/3/2017 6:19am
Try to find a ceramic craft shop that has a kiln and have them fire them for you. Should be very cheap to do as well. My wife has a kiln at home.
ToolMaker
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ToolMaker 1/3/2017 6:21am
1/3/2017 6:21am
I don't know if spokes are heat treated. If you're going to try it, take them to a local stained glass
shop. They are probably also doing fusion glass and have kilns the will reach thousands of degrees.
they can set to whatever temp you want and probably charge you like $20-$30 to heat them.
TM
In the alternative, how about dykem or paint?

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Dtat720
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Dtat720 1/3/2017 6:39am
1/3/2017 6:39am
Take in to consideration.... if spokes are a 300 series stainless, you cannot heat treat it. 400 series and super alloys like 17-4 can be heat treated. 300 series will turn to pasta
RandyS
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RandyS 1/3/2017 7:31am
1/3/2017 7:31am
I'm not going to put 1000F to spokes and then get on a bike with them. I can find multiple pages that say 540F is blue, the rest of them say 540C. 500F ish sounded too easy to be true. But it was on the internet? Could it be possible that not everything you read on the internet is true?
Dtat720
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Dtat720 1/3/2017 7:44am
1/3/2017 7:44am Edited Date/Time 1/3/2017 7:45am
RandyS wrote:
I'm not going to put 1000F to spokes and then get on a bike with them. I can find multiple pages that say 540F is blue...
I'm not going to put 1000F to spokes and then get on a bike with them. I can find multiple pages that say 540F is blue, the rest of them say 540C. 500F ish sounded too easy to be true. But it was on the internet? Could it be possible that not everything you read on the internet is true?
It depends on what grade stainless. Any 300 series will soften with heat and they will be useless. This is why you see headers blue and become brittle and eventually crack.
Tim507
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Tim507 1/3/2017 8:42am
1/3/2017 8:42am
Heck - why worry about heat issues.....pick a colorSilly





WhistlingCool
RandyS
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RandyS 1/3/2017 8:47am
1/3/2017 8:47am
Tim507 wrote:
Heck - why worry about heat issues.....pick a color:silly: [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/01/03/166940/s1200_Spokes.jpg[/img] :whistle: B)
Heck - why worry about heat issues.....pick a colorSilly





WhistlingCool
I would come on here and mock myself if I did that. I decided to hit them with the buffing wheel instead.
TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 1/3/2017 10:08am
1/3/2017 10:08am
RandyS wrote:
I'm not going to put 1000F to spokes and then get on a bike with them. I can find multiple pages that say 540F is blue...
I'm not going to put 1000F to spokes and then get on a bike with them. I can find multiple pages that say 540F is blue, the rest of them say 540C. 500F ish sounded too easy to be true. But it was on the internet? Could it be possible that not everything you read on the internet is true?
I wouldn't take my spokes near a heat source until:

1. I knew EXACTLY what Alloy they are.

2. I spoke to a Metallurgist.

But, hey, that's just me.
disbanded
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disbanded 1/3/2017 10:10am
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Try peeing on them for a nice yellow color

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