Spoke Nipple Shuffler

Loose spoke nipples sit in the bag pointing every which way. Before you lace a rim, each one needs to sit the same way so a spring-loaded insertion tool can pick it up. 1761 is the laser-cut tool-steel tray Unior publishes for that step.

Pour a batch onto the grid and give the tray a light rock. Official Unior copy is short: the nipples organize themselves, ready for pickup with the Nipple Insertion Tool 1751/2T. This is not a spoke wrench and not a driver. It does not tension spokes or seat nipples through a double-wall rim. It only orients the stock.

The official compatibility line is most spoke nipples whose body width is 3.8 mm to 5.5 mm. The grid itself is adjustable. The instruction sheet shows the slotted plate (pos. 1) fastened to the base (pos. 2) with four M3x6 screws, four M3 nuts, and four washers. The published table lists a slot Dmax of 5.5 mm and a Dmin of 4.4 mm; those are the drawing callouts, not a second compatibility range.

Compatibility

• Most spoke nipples with a body width from 3.8 mm to 5.5 mm.
• Pickup companion: Nipple Insertion Tool 1751/2T, named on the official 1761 catalogue page.
• Adjustable grid positioning.
• Not a spoke wrench, nipple driver, or tension meter.

Specs

• Article 1761, code 629543
• Laser-cut tool steel
• Length (L) 120.5 mm
• Width (B) 104 mm
• Height (H) 38 mm
• Official table: maximum diameter 5.5 mm, minimum diameter 4.4 mm
• Weight 155 g
• Two plates, fastened with 4x M3x6 screws, M3 nuts, and washers
• Official page carries Unior's trivalent-chrome profile badge

All listed dimensions are in millimetres and may vary in tolerance. Weight is in grams.

Built in Zreče, Slovenia

Unior has been forging hand tools in Zreče since 1919, and sponsors professional road and mountain-bike race teams. The 1761 tray is the small plate that exists because wheelbuilding still starts with a bag of unsorted nipples.

Pro tip from our mechanics

Rock the tray slowly. Official Unior copy says a gentle shake; a hard slap can undo a pass that was already clean. Check the slots, rock again if a few are still sideways, then pick with the 1751/2T. The rest of the wheel job is in How to true a bike wheel →

FAQ

What does the Spoke Nipple Shuffler do? It is Unior's tray for lining up loose spoke nipples before you lace a wheel. Official copy: dump the nipples in, give a gentle shake, and they organize for pickup with the Nipple Insertion Tool. It does not tension spokes.

What nipple sizes does article 1761 take? Unior's feature text is most spoke nipples with a body width from 3.8 mm to 5.5 mm. The official table also prints a grid Dmax of 5.5 mm and a Dmin of 4.4 mm. Those two numbers are the drawing callouts, not a second size list.

Is the 1761 a nipple driver or spoke wrench? No. Official copy describes only organizing and pickup. A spoke wrench turns the nipple to set tension. A driver or the 1751/2T insertion tool is a different article. 1761 is the sorting tray.

Do I need the Nipple Insertion Tool 1751/2T with it? The official 1761 catalogue page names that insertion tool as the pickup companion after the shake. 1751/2T is the spring-loaded tip that grips a nipple and feeds it through a double-wall rim. It is a separate article, not part of 1761.