Wheel building stand

[Spoked Wheels]

....all I used was the spoke calculator that I linked, and the free video tutorial over on Atomic Zombie (no special/expensive tools). Brad does an excellent, plain talking demo, in stages, and it really is simple to follow. I still reckon grabbing an old wheel and rebuilding it is the best way to go to get all the hands on experience you need, or even just redish it rather than rebuild, then do a full rebuild as your confidence grows.

One thing is certain, you can't learn to ride a bike just from reading a book. You have to jump on it and fall off a few times until you get the idea, but a few scars are a small price to pay for so much fun........

I could only find one tutorial on wheel building on the website Atomic Zombie, and that wheel has all 36 spokes of the same length. A different matter is with the spokes on two different lengths.

BTW there are much better tutorials out there.

If you think you can build a standard rear wheel or disc front wheel by using a spoke length calculator and a wheel building tutorial (no expensive tools) then you know something I don't know and I think I also speak for the many professional wheel builders out there with many years of experience. Unless, of course, you build yourself a cheap dishing tool

Although, I learnt and practiced wheel building with an old wheel, I'd be careful advising people to use an old wheel and I'll explain why I once was asked to see what this new builder was doing that was finding so difficult.... the poor guy had followed somebody's advise and picked up an old steel wheel and once he removed the spokes the thing was not longer a straight rim..... rebuilding that thing would make anyone cry . I had to rebuilt one like that for a friend once and it was the hardest wheel to build ever. ... the spokes were more like metal shoe laces .

A new rim with new spokes and nipples is the easiest way, but it can be done with used wheels too.... just make sure you don't pick a wheel like the one I mentioned above

 

[FrankCrank]

....the 3 wheels I built were all non-dished, as I prefer hub gears or single speed for my builds. I've also undished 2 wheels in the past, again to convert to single speed, and seemed a very easy thing to do. I haven't yet had to build a dished wheel from scratch, but can't see it being vastly more difficult, guess I'll cross that bridge if/when I come to it....

 

[Spoked Wheels]

....the 3 wheels I built were all non-dished, as I prefer hub gears or single speed for my builds. I've also undished 2 wheels in the past, again to convert to single speed, and seemed a very easy thing to do. I haven't yet had to build a dished wheel from scratch, but can't see it being vastly more difficult, guess I'll cross that bridge if/when I come to it....

In that case I think you needed to say, on your firsr post, that your experience was with non dished wheels and for that you don't need a dishing tool.

The trick with a dished wheel is to achieve the dishing and at the same time making sure the the spokes on the non drive side aren't under tensioned.

 

[FrankCrank]

...I stand by everything I've said in this thread so far, and you should't feel that I am just picking on the 'art' of wheel building. I'll extend that feeling and say that there is much deception and guile in every aspect of cycling. Some are taken in by it, but not all..........

 

[Spoked Wheels]

...I stand by everything I've said in this thread so far, and you should't feel that I am just picking on the 'art' of wheel building. I'll extend that feeling and say that there is much deception and guile in every aspect of cycling. Some are taken in by it, but not all..........

I don't feel you are picking on the "Art" of wheel building, your words
I was simply pointing out that your advise IMO was at best incomplete. I will try to explain why I thought so

The OP said in his opening post "Been using zip ties and bits of tape stuck to forks and chainstays but would like to try build with a decent stand".
and in the next post he said "Would i be right in assuming, You don't need a dishing tool with one of these.
I wonder also is a "spoke tension meter" a must ?."

You replied with "Tools required - spoke key. Upturned bike makes a very good truing stand. Dishing is achieved by spoke length and measurement"

and in the next post "....all I used was the spoke calculator that I linked, and the free video tutorial over on Atomic Zombie (no special/expensive tools)."

The whole point of this thread is that the OP is looking to move on from using forks and chainstays to a wheel stand but your advise was to use an upturned bike. You also explained how dishing was achieved when it's obvious the OP knows what a dishing tool is, further confusion is added when you say you don't use any special/expensive tools. The confusion becomes clear when you admit you have not actually built a dished wheel.

I explained why one needs to be careful in advising people to start with a used wheel but you still stand by everything you said.

Let's put and end to this conversation by agreeing to disagree on how we both advise people on the subject of wheel building.

 

[loveandpeace1]

Thanks guys. I have read and watched loads of stuff. The reason i want i stand is to get the wheels 100%. I find on the bike, Anything under a mm is really hard to see.
All the best

 

[FrankCrank]

....this might help.....

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/p-k-lie-special250-wheel-truing-stand-46047/