Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
My experience is different. Time and again I have found that spoke lengths and rim spoke seats were variable enough that good technique alone did not produce even tensions. I have had to make in-process tension adjustments with the meter to get back to a desired "starting" point. C'est la vie.
Yes, rims aren't exactly perfect, but they're damm close. Closer than the starting point of attaching the nipples to a set depth, either by thumbnail on 1st thread, by ejector pin on screwdriver, or by eye to bottom of the slot, which will have an error of ± 1/2 turn or so. So along the line, there'll be some need to correct this. But if you keep in mind that you're starting out within a 1/2 turn of matched lengths and do not work individual spokes more than that (except for the rare outlier) you'll come to a true, even tensioned wheel pretty quickly.
Train yourself to think length, not tension and you'll build better faster.