Binning old wheelsets.

[Illaveago]

I've never rebuilt a wheel although I am tempted to give it a go myself. I suppose the cost of someone who knows what they're doing rebuilding them would probably be prohibitive

I used a wheel which was being thrown out to practice on, as it was going to be binned I couldn't make things much worse. I used a good wheel as a guide to follow and after a couple of failed attempts managed to successfully make a wheel.
As you are going to replace the wheels you might as well have a play and see how you get on. You've nothing to lose.

 

[Globalti]

I've done the Yellow Saddle rim replacement several times and can confirm that it works well. You've nothing to lose and everything to gain.

 

[Mugshot]

Instead of binning old wheels use them to fill in holes in the garden fence, to stop foxes getting in, or dogs getting out. I sometimes pass a house that has a whole gate made out of old bicycle wheels .

I'd really rather not bin them even if I can't use them, it'd be such a waste, I'm sure somebody could make use of them for something even if I can't. Perhaps I could make one of these;

 

[MichaelW2]

I'd really rather not bin them even if I can't use them, it'd be such a waste, I'm sure somebody could make use of them for something even if I can't. Perhaps I could make one of these;

A child trap, I like your thinking!

 

[NickNick]

Don't you need a jig or a rig or whatever it's called to do the tensioning and truing? Or is that done with the wheel in a bike ... on a stand.

In an ideal world yes, but it can be done without. I've taken front fork off bike and used that and the brake blocks as a makeshift jig which worked sufficiently well for me.