Originally Posted by sers
What's with the absolute necessity in learning how to true your own wheels? It's not something that has to be done particularly often. It would seem like it would take quite some time to offset the cost of a truing stand by the money you save doing it yourself. People who take their cars to get the oil changed aren't idiots - they just pay for the convenience of not having to do it themselves. While it's not a particularly difficult thing to do, or to learn how to do, they choose to invest their time otherwise. So what?
Don't get me wrong, I plan to learn how to true & build wheels...but I don't think that I'd be an idiot if I didn't.
You don't need a truing stand to true wheels. Sure, it helps, but I keep my wheels straight enough just by using the brake pads as a reference. Definitely makes the build process a lot nicer, though.
I don't change my car's oil because I don't have any place I can work on my car without getting hassled by The Man. Wheels are tiny and easy, and the money you save by not paying someone else to do it for you can go towards beer, tacos, or whatever the hell you may fancy.
There are definitely some 'magic hands' wheelbuilders out there, but for the most part it's a craft, not an art, and definitely not black magic or voodoo.