Originally Posted by
MNBikeguy
You're logic fails. Do you also inflate your tires simply eyeballing the pressure? If you don't get a flat in 500 miles, then proceed to purchase a pump? If you want to build your first wheel, I'd then suggest borrowing a stand before you buy.
I agree the cost is irrelevant.
If you know what you're doing, an inexpensive stand works as well as an expensive one, the process is just not as fast since you usually can only do one side on a cheap one, then need to flip the wheel..
You can use your frame as a stand and a few zip ties to act as feeler gauges. For the rear wheel, wrap a zip tie around each chain stay and leave enough of a tail on each of them to contact the rim. By twisting the zip ties slightly you can move the tails closer to or farther away from the rim.
You can also use a third zip tie on the chain stay and mount it close enough to the bridge to that it barely contacts the top edge of the rim when the wheel is spinning. This can be used to detect flat spots. Of course you can move it closer or farther away from the top of the rim as necessary by sliding it along the chain stay.
For checking wheel dish I put a large socket (from a socket set) on a table and set the wheel on top of it with the axle sticking through the hole in the socket to help keep it in place. Then I measure the distance from the rim to the table at a couple of different spots to make sure I have the wheel level. Then I flip the wheel over and measure again to make sure it's the same distance. Then I know the rim is centered.
Of course this takes much longer than it would with a proper stand and dish tool, but wheel building is probably not something I'd do more often than once every few years.