Lonesome rider

I have spare Shimano Exage HB RM-50 36h hubset and very low-profile 700c noname tubular rims that I've rescued from the thrash bin accidentaly some time ago. The profile of the rim is 11 mm. I'm trying to build the wheel with 295 mm spokes in 3 cross but stuck at the last 9 spokes. One side is finished but on another it seems like the spoke length is not enough. They even don't reach the thread of the nipples. By my measurement, the length must be 305 mm to reach. Those spokes were detached from another damaged low-profile (13 mm) box-section rim, they must be matching but they're not. I can finish another side in 2 cross but isn't this nonesene to have one side laced in 3 cross pattern and another one in 2? I'm building the wheel for the first time, so it's clear that I'm doing something wrong. Share some knowledge, please.

Pass 3 holes, place the spoke in 4th — repeat 8 times. Pass 9 holes, place the spoke in 10th — repeat 8 times. — I followed this recommendation. It worked just for one side. How to make the second one in the same way?

Reynolds 

Low profile (box) tubular rims should use 305mm spokes with those hubs IMO.

cny-bikeman

Most likely error is that you put the initial spokes in the wrong holes on the 2nd flange, but having problems with the last 8 spokes does not make sense - should be 9. (36/4). However, you could have the wrong spoke length as well. I would suggest you start over and refer to Sheldon's excellent guidance: Wheelbuilding

prathmann

I'd strongly suggest you use spokes of the correct length - especially if this is your first wheel build. But there's nothing fundamentally wrong with having a different cross pattern on the two sides (rear wheels are sometimes built with radial spoking on one side and crossed on the other). If you do decide to use that method to deal with the spoke lengths you have, at least make sure that all the spokes on a given side are the same length. Otherwise it'll be much more difficult to get the wheel properly round in the radial direction.

Gresp15C

I've had similar problems when I just put a spoke in the wrong hole at one of the steps... ended up scratching my head, consulting the instructions, looking at another wheel, starting over.

Lonesome rider

cny-bikeman, yeah, my bad, mistyped. Should be 9. I've corrected starting post.

I didn't replace spokes, by the way, they were sticking from flanges while I was disassembling damaged rim. Spoke's heads for either side closest to the valve hole are looking in the same direction — is that right or wrong?

nfmisso

++++

nfmisso

me too; happened on my second build, the first one went perfectly, I gained too much confidence, and made a mistake about halfway through which was not detected until the final group of spokes.....

hueyhoolihan

when starting out, it appears there are more wrong ways to lace a wheel than you can shake a stick at, IME anyway.

of course, it helps to start with the correct spoke lengths. otherwise, it's like "playing solitare 'til dawn with a pack of fifty-one." - Statler Brothers

https://youtu.be/zpzbMLDliyI i'd like to somehow reference my favorite line from the tune, "Smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo", but i don't think it relates to wheel building in any way. so i won't.

Retro Grouch 

That's what I think too. It's a common problem. Here's my question: "Have the spokes formed a 2 too long and 2 too short pattern around the rim?" If so, that's it.

Lonesome rider

For the first time, yes, some spokes were poking through the holes too far. I've noticed the mistake (started with wrong spoke), for the second time, those spokes were sitting just okay. 9 last were still too short to reach. I'll try to rebuild everything from the scratch tomorrow.