Bicycle Mechanics - how do you actually count spoke threads

I know, you look at them.

But what I'm really asking is this. People have varied amounts of threads that should be showing when you first begin to tension the wheel. One says tighten until you don't see the threads, one says tighten until five are showing, one suggests tightening until two show.

When I tightened up to the last thread, the wheel started out too tight according to my tensiometer.

Leaving five seems like a lot of extra work, so I'd like to try two.

But how can you really tell that only two threads are exposed? For me, it's very hard to see. Is there some trick to it? Or do I need reading glasses and that's my problem!? Or am I being too literal expecting to actually get them that close?

Instead of a thread count, try a distance... two or three mm's would be a good starting point. For me the distance is easier to judge than counting threads.

Oh, that's good. I never thought of that. And I just tried it and got a lot closer to true than I was a minute ago.

You can also just turn until the threads disappear and then back off one rev per thread to show.

I don't count the threads, I simply run the nipples in untill I have the same torque all around then proceed from there.

seen too many 'identical' spokes that had slight variations in them to worry about the visible threads, and you're going to be turning them all various amounts anyway.

I have a small 'torque' driver that I made for starting out, vary tension on it by a small set screw and snug the nipples from the tire side, when it slips the nipples have the same tension. normally gets everything in proper alignment so all I have to do is some minor tweaking to get it perfect.

Ken.

I have a small 'torque' driver that I made for starting out, vary tension on it by a small set screw and snug the nipples from the tire side, when it slips the nipples have the same tension. normally gets everything in proper alignment so all I have to do is some minor tweaking to get it perfect.

Ken.

Do you have a picture of this or instructions on how you made it? Sounds interesting.

I don't count the threads, I simply run the nipples in untill I have the same torque all around then proceed from there.

seen too many 'identical' spokes that had slight variations in them to worry about the visible threads, and you're going to be turning them all various amounts anyway.

I have a small 'torque' driver that I made for starting out, vary tension on it by a small set screw and snug the nipples from the tire side, when it slips the nipples have the same tension. normally gets everything in proper alignment so all I have to do is some minor tweaking to get it perfect.

Ken.

The OP was referred to "...when you first begin to tension the wheel." The spokes interact with each other as a unit so it is not possible to tension each one to the same tension when first starting. Until you are at least somewhat close to final tension one has to go around the entire wheel turning each spoke the same amount, so as to keep the wheel round and in approximately equal in tension.

Do you have a picture of this or instructions on how you made it? Sounds interesting.

Like this:

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=625222710376&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Wheel-and-Rim&tc=Nipple-Drivers&item_id=VR-266

Like this:

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=625222710376&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Wheel-and-Rim&tc=Nipple-Drivers&item_id=VR-266

Note that the adjustment controls not tension directly but rather how far into the nipple the spoke is allowed to travel before it pushes on the tool's pin and thus moves the screwdriver bit off the nipple flats. Great for speeding up builds for someone who does it often but (in my opinion) not worth $30.00 to save a few minutes on one or two builds. You still have to know about how far you want the spokes to be into the nipples before starting serious tensioning, and it's more complicated when you have to take dish into consideration.