So I made a wheel: Now what?

[Andy in Germany]

I finally psyched myself up to calibrate the wheel jig today, and take an oldish wheel to bits and put it back together again.

So far things are okay, once I found where I'd laced it incorrectly and made it right. I've now got a wheel that is +/- about 1mm horizontally, after looking like something used by Blackpool Pleasure Beach earlier in the afternoon.

It is still slightly irregular vertically though, there's a noticeable difference of 2-3mm which I'm not sure how to get rid of, not least because I don't know which bit of the wheel to use as datum, or how to correct it without taking the wheel out of shape horizontally again.

 

[PpPete]

First check the dish, got that approximately right?
Now, how even are your spoke tensions?
Assuming it's an undished (ie front rim brake wheel) and all your tensions are even...

Are you getting close to the maximum tensions allowed by the rim manufacturer?

Yes ?
Slack off and start over.

Still a way to go on tensions?
Tighten the spokes (both sides eqally) around the high spots, half a turn at a time, until you've got the high spots down to around 0.5mm (which you'll never notice through the tyre.)

Recheck the lateral trueness, and tweak as necessary
Recheck the even-ness of the spoke tensions
Increase the tensions half a turn at a time, keep checking dish, lateral trueness, even-ness of spoke tensions.
Stress-relieve the spokes.
Repeat until you get close to the desired tension, last stages it's only a quarter turn.

Then- get out & ride.
If it's a rear wheel - the spoke tensions should be similar on all the drive-side spokes, and quite a bit higher, than the NDS (which should all be similar to each other.

 

[FrankCrank]

Personally I don't get too carried away, it would have to be really bad to notice whilst riding. Horizontal to within 1mm is OK, even with V-brakes. Some use micrometers for truing, but a fitted tyre will not run at anything like that level of precision, but each to their own I guess.
Anyways, a valuable skill to be learned, and not feared

 

[Andy in Germany]

Thanks for the suggestions, I am practising by dismantling and rebuilding an oldish but barely used wheel that is in good condition, so unfortunately I haven't a clue who made it, let alone what the specifications are.

My feeling is that when I originally put the spokes in, I didn't tighten everything the same so I probably started badly. I'm not sure how to avoid this except by practising and getting a feel for it. That said, I see the point that if it' within 1mm then it probably isn't too bad.

Next step is to replace the hub on my commuter bike front wheel and see how I go there...

 

[I like Skol]

You're well on your way now. By the time you do the 3rd or 4th set you will sto worrying about it. It probably helps if you can get into a relaxed state while tensioning, less likely to rush and make a mistake.

 

[DaveReading]

It probably helps if you can get into a relaxed state while tensioning, less likely to rush and make a mistake.

Yes, there's nothing worse than uptight tensioning. 😄

 

[PpPete]

If you don't have a tensiometer you can always do it by ear.
http://www.bikexprt.com/bicycle/tension.htm
Having completely cloth ears I had to recruit Mrs P to help when I built my first wheels.

 

[I like Skol]

If you don't have a tensiometer you can always do it by ear.
http://www.bikexprt.com/bicycle/tension.htm
Having completely cloth ears I had to recruit Mrs P to help when I built my first wheels.

Or just squeeze them in pairs and you can feel if they are tensioned evenly.

 

[neil_merseyside]

I've dabbled a bit with re-rimming many wheels, even built a front from scratch, and have replaced the odd spoke here and there.
What I did/do was check the spoke lengths to see if threads started in the same place and then tightened up nipples to just hide the threads, then tightened further in 1/2 - 1/4 - whatever turns from then on, also when it's all getting tighter I put sellotape flags on the spoke to ensure I actually got the desired turn rather than a deflection, if spoke is just deflecting then I overtighten then release tension back to desired point (last few tweaks).

 

[Vantage]

It is still slightly irregular vertically though, there's a noticeable difference of 2-3mm which I'm not sure how to get rid of, not least because I don't know which bit of the wheel to use as datum, or how to correct it without taking the wheel out of shape horizontally again.

Please excuse my crude diagram Andy, but regarding the vertical movement, set the wheel in the jig and loosen the low spots and tighten the high spots.
Only do a quarter/half turn at a time.
Don't aim for perfection. A mm ish is OK for up/down movement but I wouldn't accept any worse than that.
All your spokes should have a similar twing or twang when plucked. If memory serves, an A note is about middle ground for the right tension but the notes vary depending on spoke count/wheel circumference etc. Sheldon Brown's site gives the individual notes. A guitar tuner app for the phone works well here I found.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Attempt two today: after reading the posts here, I loosened everything and went around being much more careful to tighten slowly. The wheel is now within 0.5mm horizontally, and about 1.5mm vertically. Elder Son was impressed but said the spokes are generally too loose, so I'll loosen again tomorrow and make a full turn per spoke before I adjust them.

I've dug out the dynamo hub that @Vantage kindly sold me and it's smaller than the one I'm replacing. I looked up the methods for how to measure and calculate spoke sizes and this website came up, which is largely incomprehensible and unnervingly mathematical. I'm not sure how on earth you get those measurements, but I'll have a go in the morning, and probably come back with more questions.

I'm just glad I'm still using rim brakes and thus have a symmetrical front wheel...

 

[Nigelnightmare]

Thanks for the suggestions, I am practising by dismantling and rebuilding an oldish but barely used wheel that is in good condition, so unfortunately I haven't a clue who made it, let alone what the specifications are.

My feeling is that when I originally put the spokes in, I didn't tighten everything the same so I probably started badly. I'm not sure how to avoid this except by practising and getting a feel for it. That said, I see the point that if it' within 1mm then it probably isn't too bad.

Next step is to replace the hub on my commuter bike front wheel and see how I go there...

When lacing up (putting the spokes in) turn each nipple 3 to 4 turns.
Once all spokes are fitted tighten each one so that you can only just see the thread as it enters the nipple.
Always start and finish at the valve hole.
Then start tightening them by the same amount (I do 2 turns until all slack is removed).
You should find that it is fairly round and the spokes tension is fairly even.
Continue tightening till you get to the right tension
*Then move on to truing, dishing & stress relieving.
*repeat ass required.

Relax and enjoy yourself, if you find your getting frustrated take a break.
HTH