I've always found straight pull non-bladed a pain. Latest bikes for wifey and I have them :/
Lacing up a New Wheel
- Thread starter Carraig042
- Start date
That was my assumption but The Internet constantly mentioned it as an issue when I was looking up instructions on lacing straight-pull wheels.
Cheap Tool for holing the bladed spokes.
its actually reall bad ass to be able to see the spoke windup, and to be able to hold them, my spoke holder is a piece of aluminum with a widened hacksaw slot, but the dt swiss one has a long piece that holds the spoke closer to the nipple, which is more ideal
late to the thread, but yes, all of this. I built my first and current wheelset with carbon rims, double butted spokes, brass nips, anti-sieze, q tips, and a lot of time. I used the spoke wrench to test the evenness of tension, but I didn't have a tensiononmeter. Seems to have worked ok!
i still have yet to lace a set of carbon rims myself. although one of my carbon wheels does need some spokes replaced.
IMO It was nicer for an amateur/untalented builder because the rims are so rigid and true from the factory. It did not take much effort to get it true as a wheel. It was just a matter of flattening out low spots and dishing it, neither of which were a challenge. Then I just tensioned it until I felt like it, and checked the sound of each spoke to make sure it was even.
It really was a pretty zen experience and I suggest any home mechanic to do it. Doing it with a newborn was perfect because that was my "out"
Since you guys are here...
Wheel I am thinking of building, 32h, calls for
Front left 288.1
Front right 286.6
Rear left 289
Rear right 288.4
I couldn't get away with just 287 or 288 for all positions, could I? Figuring I could use 286 front right and 288 everywhere else.
Anyone wanna pitch a fave spoke source? (I had been looking at some ebay custom lengths so could get odd sizes if I wanted, such as 287...)
Wheel I am thinking of building, 32h, calls for
Front left 288.1
Front right 286.6
Rear left 289
Rear right 288.4
I couldn't get away with just 287 or 288 for all positions, could I? Figuring I could use 286 front right and 288 everywhere else.
Anyone wanna pitch a fave spoke source? (I had been looking at some ebay custom lengths so could get odd sizes if I wanted, such as 287...)
Recently found some hard to find spokes at BikeHubstore.com.
If in between sizes I would think the spoke should be considered in sizing. Some long triple butted spokes will have significantly more stretch than spokes for a straight gage 26" wheel.
You could also size up and use Sapim double square nipples which I believe can take up to a 2mm longer spoke.
Nipple washers could do the same thing and help build a better wheel IMO.
If in between sizes I would think the spoke should be considered in sizing. Some long triple butted spokes will have significantly more stretch than spokes for a straight gage 26" wheel.
You could also size up and use Sapim double square nipples which I believe can take up to a 2mm longer spoke.
Nipple washers could do the same thing and help build a better wheel IMO.
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Well, at least I ordered the rims and hubs. The Funns and the Bitex. Super-budget/value package, I hope.
I have wondered in the past if washers would keep me from rounding out nipples so easily. They always seem to freeze in place at some point, even if I grease or anti-seize them, and I thought the washers might keep another layer of protection/cleanliness going... Maybe I could use alloy vice brass if I tried the washers, too, but that makes me nervous. I am too much of a hack for alloy.
Planning on basic double-butted spokes, nothing fancy.
I have wondered in the past if washers would keep me from rounding out nipples so easily. They always seem to freeze in place at some point, even if I grease or anti-seize them, and I thought the washers might keep another layer of protection/cleanliness going... Maybe I could use alloy vice brass if I tried the washers, too, but that makes me nervous. I am too much of a hack for alloy.
Planning on basic double-butted spokes, nothing fancy.
Hm. I always used copper paste between nipple and spoke, and some grease between nipple and rim.
(Ed: actually, nickel-based antiseize for most of my older builds...copped for my last one because I had it on hand.)
(Ed: actually, nickel-based antiseize for most of my older builds...copped for my last one because I had it on hand.)
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Washers reduce friction and prevent modern eyelet-less rims from digging into the nipple reducing strength.
After only ever having issues with alloy nipples corroding on my front wheels I think my tendency to pour sweat from my head was partially to blame. Started rinsing my bike off after each ride even if clean and haven't had problems since.
After only ever having issues with alloy nipples corroding on my front wheels I think my tendency to pour sweat from my head was partially to blame. Started rinsing my bike off after each ride even if clean and haven't had problems since.
Rims received. Damned nice-looking. Measured ERD with the two-spokes-and-a-vernier method and it was dead nuts on the quoted 594mm, very round. Now time to order spokes. Thinking Pillar triple-butted because why the hell not, standard brass 12mm nips.
Back to the OP tho... @Carraig042 how is those wheels going?
Back to the OP tho... @Carraig042 how is those wheels going?
Pretty good so far. I think I under tensioned them at first due to my Chinese spoke tension gauge not being calibrated. I think I will make a calibration jig soon. For now I calibrated it to be close to the front spokes.
Never heard of pillar spokes until now, wich is a confusing name as spokes only work in tension and pillars in compression.
I only found them because you recommended Bikehubstore. It IS a bit ionic.
I prefer a simple Doric spoke.
I just got one of these. I looked at it more as a way to compare relative spoke tension than obtain an absolute measurement. Never used one before.
Tus-Can you just shut up?
I’ll suspend my judgement on that.
Right! My rear wheel spokes are now relative to each other and the front wheel. But... I may still make this device for fun.
I used a shifting spanner on my last build because I lost my piece of wood with a hacksaw cut, I think I used Shellac or something from the woodworking box as nipple lube.
Bitex hubs *finally* received...guy from Israel sells them for like $178 a set on eBay, black only. Shipping time due to forwarding delay on my side. Very plain, seem quite nicely made.
Hope to start lacing this week, but the frame for these wheels won't even be here till mid-May absolute earliest, and more like June I would guess.
Hope to start lacing this week, but the frame for these wheels won't even be here till mid-May absolute earliest, and more like June I would guess.
I’m here thinking this is cool but I don’t know how it is used. I don’t need to know all the details to think it is cool. Nice work!
I think it puts a specified tension on a spoke, to which you then calibrate your tensiometer...
For me, I'm just enjoying the $20 uncalibrated Amazon POS I bought as it helps me get things even all way round, if not to some specific absolute tension.
For me, I'm just enjoying the $20 uncalibrated Amazon POS I bought as it helps me get things even all way round, if not to some specific absolute tension.
Haha! Nice work @Carraig042 !
I bought a similar scale and did the same but with wood 2x4"s. I calibrated my Park TM-1 at 70, 80, 90, 100, 110 and 120kg and made a new park scale chart. I check it every spring when I prep my wheels for the season. Call me OCD I won't mind!
@Westy My friend said the exact same thing, but I figured I already had more luck of getting closer than without a scale. The Park TM-1s are consistent (which is what's most important IMO) but mine was reading around 10-15% more tension than what I got with my wooden calibration device and scale.
I bought a similar scale and did the same but with wood 2x4"s. I calibrated my Park TM-1 at 70, 80, 90, 100, 110 and 120kg and made a new park scale chart. I check it every spring when I prep my wheels for the season. Call me OCD I won't mind!
@Westy My friend said the exact same thing, but I figured I already had more luck of getting closer than without a scale. The Park TM-1s are consistent (which is what's most important IMO) but mine was reading around 10-15% more tension than what I got with my wooden calibration device and scale.
That is exactly what I did for the wheel I built. I found my tension meter was way off, so I used my front wheel for reference.
Great, now I have to make another toolBut is your crane scale calibrated?
NIST traceable or GTFO
Thanks! It was easy to make and pretty cheap using aliexpress for most of the materials. I may be a little OCD too..
What tensiometer are you calibrating
