aerodynamic

Specifically I'm thinking of doing a 3-pushing/3-pulling pattern for my next wheelset, but none of the places I've checked online have anything to offer. In fact, I can barely find any information at all on the subject.

So...ummm....help? Anybody?

Airburst

Well, to start with, 3x3 uses the same length spokes as a conventional 3-cross wheel, so any spoke calculator should be able to do that.

As for resources, have a look at this, it's the only information I've ever found online about exotic lacing. You may already have seen it, but it does show how to interlace the spokes on a 3x3 wheel. It also explains how the guy who wrote it works out the spoke lengths for his wheels.

The first wheel I ever built was 3x3, so my advice is just do it and pay attention to the over/under lacing, I didn't the first time, and as a result I ended up having to remove and re-insert a load of spokes.

As I recall, it can be a bit difficult to put the spokes into one flange once the other side is laced, particularly the ones with the heads on the outside. As such, I'd suggest putting all the spokes (or at least the ones with the heads outside) into the hub before you do any lacing, and be careful not to "trap" any of them in the gaps between all the spokes in each 3x3 group as you lace the first side.

That may well seem like a load of gibberish now, but it's the best explanation I can manage. Once you start building the wheels, it will hopefully make more sense.

mrrabbit 

3-push / 3-pulling uses 3 cross lacing as calculated in a spoke length calculator.

https://www.mrrabbit.net/wheelsbyflemingapplications.php

Grab the exe and spreadsheet.

Also grab SpokeCalc at https://www.sheldonbrown.com if you'd like another to play with...

=8-)

Strongly suggest you use DT Swiss 14g or 13/14g spokes, and have the wheel built by a wheel builder who knows how to achieve adequate tension and properly stress relieves the wheel. You do not want a spoke to break because spoke replacement entails in most cases a complete de-tensionsing of the wheel. It's almost a complete rebuild of the wheel when the wrong spoke breaks.

=8-)

mrrabbit 

As airburst hinted indirectly, the easy lacing method of lacing the wheel one-side-at-a-time will not work. You'll have to use the traditional lacing method...in which spokes going one direction through flanges are done first before doing spokes that go through the flanges the other direction.

=8-)

benbrangwyn

As usual, Sheldon has the beans - https://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html#spoke_patterns

AEO

this type of wheel is easier to build if you use 2.0/1.8mm single or double butted or just 1.8mm straight gauge spokes.

3-leading-3-trailing is only possible with 48h or 36h wheels. (dividable by 6 and ends up with an even number) (24h is impossible due to exit angles involved)
If you use a 32h or 24h wheel, then you can use 2-leading-2-trailing. (dividable by 4 and ends up with an even number)
It's impossible on 20h and 28h. (dividable by 4, but ends up with odd number)

The cross number used, is whatever is suitable for the wheel in the first place. For 26" and 700c, typically 48h w/ 4x, 36h w/ 3x, 32h w/ 3x and 24h w/ 2x.

for a 20" ISO451 wheel, I've used 36h w/ 2x.