Classic & Vintage - Got a sturmey-archer SAB hub,wanna build a wheel

I gave this DUI guy a bike last summer when he lost his driving rights for awhile.Today he stops by and gives me a sack full of SA hubs.Several AW used items and an NOS drum brake SAB 3-speed job.He said his brother used to have a shop and these had been laying aroud his Mother's garage.This thing will make a dandy wheel,but I'm a novice wheelwhright and have no idea how to calculate the length of spokes I'll need. This hub has radically different flange sizes.I have laced a few wheels,but have ,until now, had the old spokes to go by for length regarding the new ones.Can anyone point me in the right direction? I'm probably looking to use this wheel on a 26in.english lightweight style frame.

I have been having my LBS do the calculations of late. I bring in the hub and rim (unless I'm buying one or the other there) and let them measure. They have a PW spoke-cutting machine, so I pick up my new spokes the next day.

There are numerous online spoke calculators, though.

So you're saying your shop can cut/thread your spoke to the proper length?About what do they charge for this service?I'm not aware of anyone doing this type of thing around here but I haven't ever asked either.

most shops will have a inventory of different sizes usually 2mm intervals. They will plug your data into a spoke calc program and give you whatever spokes are the closest match.

No, sorry. They are new spokes from the shop. But they cut them on their handy machine.

That shop of yours must have a Phil Wood spoke cutting/rolling machine.

I have a Raleigh Industries chart here with the various spoke lengths required for different combinations of Raleigh rims and spokes. Funny thing though - I remember printing it from the internet, but I can't locate it again.

I'll probably have to scan my copy for you. Might take a bit, for I'm nursing a cold here, and I don't know if I have the energy to go rooting through my archives of Raleigh junk.

Take care,

-Kurt

Sounds like a trip to the Lbs is in order.Gotta do some tinkering with this hub first.This thing has a 14 tooth sprocket that is threaded on.If it's geared like most other sa hubs I'm gonna want about a 20 or 21.the sprocket is marked suntour and the date code is 7/81.anybody know if a guy can buy a cog somewhere? It's also missing the shift chain and the barrel adjuster for the brake.

Harris Cyclery, among other places, should sell all those parts.

Incidentally, my Sturmey Archer hub sprockets are not screwed on.

Screwed on? Sounds like a very early hub there (or a frankenhub, for that matter).

-Kurt

Screwed on? Sounds like a very early hub there (or a frankenhub, for that matter).

-Kurt

Yep, early SA hubs had threaded drivers. It makes it a b**ch to get the cog off if you need to. I believe the technique is to clamp an old clutch in a vice, put the driver with the cog on it on the clutch, and use a chain whip. Best thing IMO is to lose the threaded driver and replace it with a snap-ring type.