1st time wheel builder (kind of)
 

I had an irreparable wheel laying around in my basement (hoop was bent) so I decided to take it apart today & re-lace it tonight.

It went pretty well, the only frustration was losing nipples in the hoop but I managed to shake them out and figured out that you can thread them onto an extra spoke and lower them into the spoke hole.

No way for me to check it for true or tension, I dont have the tools to do either and the hoop is bent anyway. Just wanted to see if I could do it. It was fun, something to do while listening to mindless TV. I could see myself doing it again & either investing in a truing stand (not like I wont ever need it...) or just lacing the wheels and bringing them to the LBS for final tension and true.

It's a skill that takes some practice, but once you know how to do it, it is something you will use the rest of your life. Keep working at it, and you'll get better!