I'd like to learn to build wheels.....

[Manonabike]

What would you advise someone that wants to build his own wheels?

I don't really have any specific needs at the moment other than "I want to be able to build my own wheels if I have to" For some reason I have a feeling that is something I could use to relax and take my mind off other things. ( in the past I learnt to play guitar as it was the only way I found to switch off from work )

Should I buy a wheel truing stand or use my bike's fork to begin with?

Is it better to get a professional wheel stand like Park Tools TS2 or the Park Tools TS8 Home Mechanic would be quite sufficient to build wheels once in a while? .....Is there a market for building wheels for other people? If so then that would indicate that investing in a professional wheel stand would make sense.


Thanks in advance.

 

[amaferanga]

Get a wheel truing stand. I have a Minoura one.

As for making money from it - no. Not unless you're an experienced wheel builder with at least dozens of wheels under your belt. Even then it's likely to only be for your mates.

 

[Manonabike]

Get a wheel truing stand. I have a Minoura one.

As for making money from it - no. Not unless you're an experienced wheel builder with at least dozens of wheels under your belt. Even then it's likely to only be for your mates.

Thanks for the link, that is very interesting. The stand looks better than the Park Tools Home Mechanic. Being portable and all, is there any issues with the accuracy?

I'm not really thinking about making wheels for a living but if friends star asking for wheels then I should probably have a better wheel truing stand.

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

This book is comprehensive, easy to understand and includes plans for building your own truing stand.

 

[Manonabike]

This book is comprehensive, easy to understand and includes plans for building your own truing stand.

Thanks for that. It looks like a must get - Very much appreciated.

There are some good videos in youtube too.

 

[fossyant]

Might be worth learning first be re-rimming a wheel. Did two this summer and it went very well, even did it in the bike (i.e. in situ)

A stand would be best, especially if building from scratch.

 

[accountantpete]

It takes a lot of practise to build a wheel spot on and unless you are doing it for a living you simply don't do it often enough to become expert. The most important bit is to get the correct spoke tension (assuming that the wheel is true!) for the rim, hub and spokes - under tension the spokes and you will be tightening them up every revolution as the flex is taken up, over tension them and you bust the spokes or rim.

IMHO the desire to build wheels stems from the heart - the head says don't do it.

 

[Manonabike]

Really useful information..... much appreciated.

As it happens I have two wheels that could do with new spokes..... that would be a good starting point I think. There would be no rush as they would only be spare wheels. Ideal time to have a go at calculating spokes length, in the knowledge that I can tell if I'm getting right by comparing with the current spokes.

I would also like to build 2 wheels for my SS and rebuild the wheels that are currently on the SS.

Building stronger, 36 spokes wheels for my road bike, is another job that I'd like to do.

Replacing spokes and truing wheels has been my only experience on the subject so far.

 

[Manonabike]

I've been watching some videos on youtube about wheel building and in order to check I'm understanding the wheel lacing correctly I removed some spokes from an old wheel that came from a Carrera Subway 2. The odd thing here is that this is a front wheel and yet the spokes on the drive side are 2mm longer than on the left side. The only explanation I can think of is that the hub supports a disc brake.

Calculating spoke length for another front wheel, with front disc, also gives me two spoke length so I'm guessing this is normal...... am I right?

Any views on what I just said?

 

[Manonabike]

Any ideas on my comment in my previous post?

Today I started building my first wheel!!!! Nothing too exited as this is just a training exercise and I will not use this wheel, not now at least

Using an old wheel I re-laced it with the same old spokes. I think I have the lacing technique under control. The hardest part, I think, is next.

Most of the videos I've watched, the wheel builders use a nipple driver. The guy from wheelpro suggest one can build his own nipple driver so off I went in search of a suitable screwdriver but on the way I stopped at my LBS to enquiry about a nipple driver I was told that they are just posh screwdrivers and they don't use them nor sell them.

Armed with a home made nipple driver I found out why people recommend to use one. It enables you to screw the nipples down an equal amount quickly. I guess that will save me a great deal of time for the next stage.

My plan is to complete the rebuilding and perhaps repeat the exercise before attempting a new wheel.

I think I will use the fork of my bike as a wheel truing stand for now but I'm very tempted to buy the Park Tool professional stand, it's not cheap but I think it's worthy. I saw in a video a stand made to the guy from wheelpro specifications and it looks great but I don't have the tools to make it.

 

[the snail]

I've been watching some videos on youtube about wheel building and in order to check I'm understanding the wheel lacing correctly I removed some spokes from an old wheel that came from a Carrera Subway 2. The odd thing here is that this is a front wheel and yet the spokes on the drive side are 2mm longer than on the left side. The only explanation I can think of is that the hub supports a disc brake.

Calculating spoke length for another front wheel, with front disc, also gives me two spoke length so I'm guessing this is normal...... am I right?

Any views on what I just said?

Presumably because the wheel is dished like a back wheel to allow for the disc.

 

[Manonabike]

Presumably because the wheel is dished like a back wheel to allow for the disc.

I read some information about it and it does confirm that a hub that takes a disk will have at least 1mm difference in the spoke length between the disc side and the right side.

Looking deeper into it I found that the centre to right flange is not the same as the centre to left flange distance of a front hub. I presume the distance would be equal for a non disc hub. When one uses the different centre to right and centre to left distances on a spoke length calculator one gets the different spoke length, with the disc side spokes being 1mm shorter.

 

[accountantpete]

The Park will last a life time and, after you get to know how it works, is indispensable when starting on new builds.

If you are just going to be maintaining existing wheels it's a bit of a luxury - but should you ever get rid there's a big demand for them and you should get a large slice of your money back.

 

[Manonabike]

The Park will last a life time and, after you get to know how it works, is indispensable when starting on new builds.

If you are just going to be maintaining existing wheels it's a bit of a luxury - but should you ever get rid there's a big demand for them and you should get a large slice of your money back.

Yes, that's how I see it.

Spending £100 on a stand that might leave me wishing I bought something better is not what I want.

 

[TheDoctor]

I read some information about it and it does confirm that a hub that takes a disk will have at least 1mm difference in the spoke length between the disc side and the right side.

Looking deeper into it I found that the centre to right flange is not the same as the centre to left flange distance of a front hub. I presume the distance would be equal for a non disc hub. When one uses the different centre to right and centre to left distances on a spoke length calculator one gets the different spoke length, with the disc side spokes being 1mm shorter.

Any wheel where the rim doesn't end up centred between the flanges will have some dish (by definition!!) and hence a different spoke length from one side to the other.
Front wheels aren't dished, unless they're disk braked, as you say, and rear wheels are dished if they have derailiers. SS, fixed and hub geared wheels aren't generally dished.