DIY wheel building

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
It's been a while since I've tried to build a wheel, at least 15 years. My first try resulted in a woobly and oval mess. But I'd like to try it again, I only have an older cheapo truing stand and lots of nipple keys. Are they any other must haves, such at a dishing tool or tension meters? I don't is intend to build many more wheels after this so would rather not invest more than necessary. Plan is to do a 26r wheel I've been planning to build for years as a prototype then move on to a set of 29rs.

If anyone can point me to some good websites and videos it would be greatly appreciated. I'm not the handiest guy around nor the most patient so this will take some time to figure out.
 

Paul H

Fearless OOS Poser
I say buy everything and let me know when you have them. I'll send you some rims, spokes and hubs and you can start building my wheels :)
 

Magic

Formerly 1sh0t1b33r
Team MTBNJ Halter's
This is the video I used when I built my Major Tom's. Dip spoke threads in linseed oil and go to town. I just used a truing stand as my dishing tool because I put a flip flop surly SS hub in there so it was smack dab in the middle. Tension was my only concern, but I just used all of my other wheels as a guide with a squish test. It was my first time building wheels and I can't say I really had issues, they're pretty true, and I haven't demolished them yet after one singletrack ride and all of the cross races this year. The main thing is just go slow and a little at a time. Once you lace everything with just a few threads of the nipples engaged, start at the valve hole as a reference and keep going around and doing a few turns each until there is a decent amount of tension to straighten the spokes. Once everything was pretty tight, I left it in the shed for a day and trued it the next.
 

SSmtbr

Well-Known Member
I'm began my amateur wheel building this year and built 3 up for myself and used a combination of @1sh0t1b33r 's link and advice and this video: .

Work in small incremental turns! After my 2nd build I got a little too cocky and rushed with building up tension and it ramped up really quickly to the point where the wheel was unworkable and I had to start over. I invested in a tensiometer from Park Tool since I have a tendency to hamfist everything so it helped a ton having a gauge tell me where I'm at with every spoke and adjust accordingly to balance everything out. The Park tension app is a neat web tool to give you a visual representation of the tension of each spoke. I know most seasoned wheelbuilders don't recommend or use a tensiometer themselves but it's helped me build up some solid wheels with minimal truing needed over a hard year of riding. For a one-time wheel build maybe try borrowing one or just do the pluck and squeeze test to give you a rough estimate and build it up as good as you can and then have a LBS check over your work for long-term reliability.
 

RetroGrouch

Active Member
I bought the Jobst Brandt book and a Park truing stand many years ago because my high dollar, lightweight, straight pull spoke rear hub exploded for the second time. About a decade and a dozen wheels later, my wheels are good enough for my clyde self and a couple friends.
 

Mr.Moto

Well-Known Member
When I first started building wheels I went through the Sheldon Brown site for information on how to build. It was helpful but I found the lacing method a little confusing. One day I ran across the video that @1sh0t1b33r linked and it seemed to click for me and I really found it helpful visually.

As long as your truing stand will build a straight wheel go ahead and use it. I had an old cheap truing stand that built wheels pretty much as straight as the Park one I have. If your building plus or fat wheels, then you might need a different stand.

The only other thing I would recommend is a tensiometer. For me, I am terrible at determining even tension through sound or feel, so this tool is helpful. I do not build enough wheels to develop the right technique so I end up relying on the meter. Even tension is key to a strong wheel build.

A dish tool is handy, but you can get pretty close without one.
 

Dingo

Well-Known Member
I've tried building my own... Have the tools and know how. Results are better if a Pro does them, or maybe I have better expectations.

It's like basket weaving.......Heck just tying a tie is beyond my skills.
 

Karate Monkey

Well-Known Member
Couple of things:

Boiled linseed oil (with a few exceptions) is no longer the genuine product. Like hide glue in a bottle, it uses solvents to keep it flowing, which flash off, allowing it to set up. A better solution, if you need it, is low-strength purple loctite dripped between the spoke and nipple after assembly. But here's the kicker: you probably don't need thread locker of any sort, unless you are building a rear road wheel (low tension on the LH side/a radial spoked wheel, which suffer from all sorts of issues.

You can make a "dish stick" from a few stacks of quarters and a table (think about how a dish stick works), or you can simply measure from a chainstay after flipping the wheel in the dropouts.

Final thought: it's more important to oil/grease the spoke threads/nipples/nipple seat for a high-level build than it is to use thread locker. You can roll the threads of the spokes through melted beeswax, which will set up more than stuff enough to prevent unintentional unwinding of a properly tensioned wheel, if you happen to have some. If you are in the area, I've got a block I can cut some off of--you don't need much (far less than 1oz). I've also got a couple of nipple holders for the initial lacing made from spoke cut offs that you are welcome to. Simple friction fit, just to get the nipples started on the spoke, then turned down using a driver (which you can also have [old ground screwdriver]).

Between Sheldon Brown's website Jobst Brandt's book, you'd be hard pressed to find a better "how to".
 

mattybfat

The Opinion Police
Team MTBNJ Halter's
2nds to @Delish

Best money spent and is always there. Also has plans for homebuilt stand and dish tools for the eccentrics in the crowd.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
Decided to spring for these instead of the saints. After I nail down the right rim width, going to get nexties or light bike rims. I'll ask about spokes when I get closer to the final build. For now, just what's cheap for practice
10655390_858056804258470_676690963311175246_o.jpg
 

soundz

The Hat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Nice hub choice
Spokes=Sapim race from bikehubstore

I tried to order some spare Sapim Super Spoke and got:

"Hello. I apologize for the delay in contacting you on this order. The 288 SS silver round are just not available in the US at this time, and there is no ETA. I apologize for the inconvenience."

So I think I have to order them from Euro. Or maybe he just can't get the length.
 

Magic

Formerly 1sh0t1b33r
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I tried to order some spare Sapim Super Spoke and got:

"Hello. I apologize for the delay in contacting you on this order. The 288 SS silver round are just not available in the US at this time, and there is no ETA. I apologize for the inconvenience."

So I think I have to order them from Euro. Or maybe he just can't get the length.
This is because nobody wants silver.
 

Karate Monkey

Well-Known Member
I tried to order some spare Sapim Super Spoke and got:

"Hello. I apologize for the delay in contacting you on this order. The 288 SS silver round are just not available in the US at this time, and there is no ETA. I apologize for the inconvenience."

So I think I have to order them from Euro. Or maybe he just can't get the length.
This is because nobody wants silver.

Buy them from DansComp. They cut them on a Phil to order. Most of the time, you can shorten a standard length by 10mm at least.
 

serviceguy

Well-Known Member
I learnt from this guy:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

for all else wheel-related it's @jimvreeland

This, I found the explanation very clear and easy to follow. I've ordered all of my spokes (DT Swiss Competition double butted 2.0/1.8) from yojimbos_garage on e-bay, I guess it would be cheaper to buy in bulk and cut them to measure, but so far I've got a very good product and very fast from this guy. Not that I've built that many wheel sets anyway...like 3 so far and one about to start.
 

SmooveP

Well-Known Member
A tensiometer is a good thing to have, especially for carbon rims. Have an existing wheel to look at for reference. Take your time. That's the one advantage that you have over the pros. If it takes you 3 hours to build a wheel, so what?Eyeball the amount of threads you can see in the beginning and try to keep that consistent. Tighten each spoke the same number of turns until you get the wheel feeling solid, then bust out the tensiometer. I learned from the Sheldon Brown webpage, too. I found it easier to print the pages out, so I could mark them up.
 
Top Bottom