Originally Posted by
cxwrench
5 hours to build? You'll never make any money if you're that slow.
Yup. I remember Perry O. making wheels many years back, in the Racine Cyclery. Took him maybe 15 minutes. A VAR spoke screwdriver (kind of like a Yankee screwdriver - the kind with helical grooves) got the each nipple almost all the way on in one push. Quick tighten by hand/feel, then true. Impressive to watch - the man knew his business and there was no moss growing under his feet.
Truthfully, most wheels are machine built. Perhaps hand finished. But the retail markup on hubs, spokes, and rims will kill you unless you buy enough to get a wholesale discount. Otherwise, you have to charge a price that pays the markup twice (what you pay for the parts, and what your customer pays for the wheels).
I think if you start doing this by building a few wheels and putting them on ebay (start really low) you'll see 1) how efficient you can be and 2) what the market will bear. If the starts don't align you're only out $500-1000 for the equipment, tools, and stock.
Seriously though, this reminds me of the joke: Sure, you can make a million dollars building wheels. Just start with two million.