Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Posts: 1,152
Bikes: 1990 Burley Bossa Nova, 1992 Paramount PDG-70, 1993 Specialized Stumpjumper, 2005 Jamis Dakar XC Pro, 2007 Rivendell Bleriot
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Yes.. I did not find it hard at all, and my first wheel was a dished 8-speed rear.
Just do your research first (reading the stuff on SheldonBrown.com is a good start), and set aside a clear space, a comfortable chair, and at least 3-4 hours if it's your first time. It may not take that long, but it pays to go slowly and carefully.
An old hub is fine, but get new good quality spokes (DT or Wheelsmith), brass nipples, and a new rim, and use a 3-cross pattern. Grease the spoke threads before you start. Spokes are surprisingly expensive from most places, but sometimes you can get decent prices on bundles with nipples included from Nashbar or (surprisingly) Rivendell. New spokes and rim just make life more straightforward.
I had no trouble at all, and i've now built three wheels, two rears and one front, all of which are performing beautifully.
I used the pitch method to set tension.. i was too cheap to buy a tensiometer.
-r