yes there are many arguments on the Locktite issue,
you probably want to use blue locktite,
where do you use it?
some mechanics put grease on the spoke threads and locktite where the nipple hits the rim face,
or you can wash the spokes with solvent and put blue locktite on the threads,
Wheelsmith sells a compound for the spokes which may be a bit less aggressive,
i know someone who mixes the locktite with another chemical, but he will not tell me what it is,
if you use locktite, you will want to use a pair of small vice grips to hold the spoke while using a spoke wrench that has the fourth face on it, these are usually used to tighten alloy nipples,
oil on spoke nipples will eventually get diluted with rain water, you can see this as a light brown residue that will eventually work it's way outside the nipple, (that sounds weird, don't it?
)
anyway, Spence Wolfe was the best wheel builder in the world as far as i know it, anybody who was lucky enough to own a set of his wheels has sworn by them, twenty to thirty years of riding and they are as straight as an arrow, nobody knows exactly how he did it, but they do know that Locktite was involved, so i use locktite, he had rim holes drilled differently, possibly in a straight line, or maybe with more offset, i do not know what the mojo was on that, he also used to measure Campy hubs with calipers to make sure the spoke holes were drilled perfectly, spacing and diameter had to be exact, maybe touch up the countersinking,
"Spence’s Shop
Cupertino Bike Shop started as a project in Spence Wolf’s garage. After failing to find a local shop that carried tubular tires in the late 1940’s, Spence began to manufacture them himself, setting up shop in the garage next to the home he shared with his wife, Lillian. Word of Spence’s considerable prowess as a wheel builder and mechanic soon spread, and before long there were riders lining up on his front lawn every Saturday morning. By 1953, Spence and Lillian officially went into business, and Cupertino Bike Shop opened its doors.
“He built the shop on his attention to detail. He was extremely meticulous and methodical. Everything had to be perfect, it had to be right, and it had to work,” says Vance Sprock, who currently owns the store with his wife, Cynthia.
The first and only shop in the area to perform custom bike builds, as well as bring Cinellis and Singers on to American pavement, its reputation quickly grew. Spence’s ingenuity not only lead to wheels that are still on the road and true thirty years later, but also to such innovations as the “Wolf/Alpine Modification,” a pulley extension arm Spence machined to work with Camagnolo Nuovo Record rear derailleurs, allowing for a wider range of gearing. A set of arms with Campy rollers sold for $17.
Spence’s endless quest to build a better wheel resulted in scores of special orders for 24, 28, 32,40, and 48 hole rims from the French manufacturer Super Champion, as the 36 hole standard of the times did not match his own. In the late 70’s he convinced an unemployed machinist friend named Phil Wood to make a batch of 50 sealed bearing hubs ‘just to see if they’ll sell.’ Undoubtedly, we all know the end of that story.
Among many things that gives this store it’s remarkable staying power is the painstaking attention to detail by the owners, past and present.
“Things need to be done properly,” says Vance. “I’m here six, seven days a week… there’s a lot of dedication.”
“It really is a labor of love,” says Cynthia. The Sprocks have owned Cupertino Bike Shop for the past thirteen years.
The store still carries on the in the original spirit of Spence’s love for the sport by sponsoring Hellyer Velodrome, nurturing it’s own race team, and hosting one of the biggest annual swap meets in the Bay Area."
