This.

Got the truing stand (Feedback Sports, I like it) and went to finish the wheel.

Note to self and all others: NEVER FORGET TO PROPERLY LUBRICATE YOUR NIPPLES!!!

Argh...I forgot and as I started to get some real tension into the wheel I rounded off some nipples...1) because I forgot the lube and they got to a certain point and nearly locked and 2) I wasn't being real careful about being sure the spoke wrench was well and properly seated on the nipple. My bad. I rounded three off and so, I figured why not simulate a broken spoke so I cut and replaced one. Wow, amazing how out of true a wheel goes with one spoke missing!

Started truing up again and got to the point where my sticking point was the two adjacent spokes I rounded the nipples off on. Ok, so, since this a learning experience I decided to true the wheel around these two spokes by loosening and tightening around them. Well, God help me, I got the lateral true within fraction of a mm (damned near perfect), vertical fractions of a mm but a bit more than the lateral (centered around the two "locked" spokes), dish good to about .5mm. All in all I'm REALLY pleased how it turned out. Now, I don't have a tension meter but dinging each spoke in approximately the same place with a screwdriver I get pretty much the same sound out of everything...no real klunks or high pitched twangs. I should replace those two rounded nipples but given this is a front wheel I think I'll let it slide and see how the wheel does after some miles. If anything, the replacement of the two will be another learning experience down the road. Working around those two spokes really showed me how to move the rim around by tightening, loosening, or a combination. I got to the point on the lateral true where I was doing 1/8 turn increments and really dialing it in.

The Feedback Sports truing stand:



worked out really well. I got it at the LBS (decided to pay a little more than I needed to to throw them some business for a change) but you can get it for less than $70 a lot of places. It did everything I needed it to...I'd recommend it. Maybe not if you build wheels for a living but for occasional building and truing it seems to be just fine.

Next is the rear wheel. As God is my witness I WILL NOT FORGET TO LUBE THE NIPPLES!!!! That's enough self-loathing.