But here it is, my first...Is it strong? No, Is i strait?...no not really...But i guess it would help if all the spokes fit and i didn't have to take spoke off of a diffrent wheel.
[/IMG]
Using the right length spokes helps. Funny how that works.
How many turns did you initially put on the nipples? It sounds like you either put them on way too far initially, or your spokes are a little on the short side...I used Sheldon Brown, but i really thought it was going to be much easier then it was. Some of the spokes did not reach the nipple even when i tightend the trailing spokes like sheldon brown says, and when i did get them i would tighten it so much that the spokes pulled out the nipples. But these are not quailty spokes im sure there not wheel smith or dt there just some cheep ass brand that i got for $20.
There is no great skill required... Just some common sense. It might take a few tries to figure out proper tension, and how to get the dish right, or those hops out. But nothing about building wheels is rocket science.Funny, how some consider building wheels as simple while others call it an art (as in requiring great skill)
Some people are mechanically and technically inclined, and some are not.I'd rather say it's an art. I considered it as a piece of cake too, right after I built my first set, but after a while came to realize that it's not so simple to build a true (perfectly round and straight) wheel that lasts under heavy conditions. And after all, I know more riders that don't even dare to touch a spoke wrench than riders that build their wheels from scratch.
I agree. experiance is the biggest key I have found . and learning to just take is nice and easy don't try to rush it , and it will come out better and faster then when you try to rush it ( found out the hard way )I've seen some people really eff up wheels using what they thought was common sense. to be build a wheel proper that lasts (stays true and tight) takes practice and experience. totally IMO...
Looks like you got all the crosses right. Better than I can say for my first go at it. Do I spy an Arrow rim?
The first ones I built I did by looking at another completed wheel. It took quite a while, and I'm pretty sure I screwed up the placement of the spokes relative to the valve hole... The wheels held up to a lot of abuse though.So your saying that you knew you all of this the first time, never looked at anything? Way to go, Champ.
Before a wheel is ready for the road it must be stress relieved, because the bend in the spoke has to accommodate itself to the shape of the hub flange and vice versa, and a similar process may go on where the nipple sits in the rim. Some wheelbuilders do this by flexing the whole wheel, others by grabbing the spokes in groups of 4 and squeezing them together. My preferred technique is to use a lever to bend the spokes around each other where they cross. My favorite lever for this is an old left crank