Build a wheel without a truing stand?
 

Has anyone built a wheel on their frame? Does the truing stand make you more productive, or does it build better wheels? With the money I save I could buy a spoke tension measurer.

Guy says he built a wheel wo a truing stand.
http://www.xed.ch/fern/wheelbuilding.html

Park tools suggestions:
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=81

I built lots of wheels before I had a truing stand. It's a bit slower and less convenient, but you can build just as good a wheel that way.

Sheldon "A Poor Workman Blames His Tools" Brown

Yeah, I built my first three or four wheels w/out a stand or tensiometer. Since then, I've been working with a cheap $30 minoura spaghetti truing stand, and wheels come off just fine. I made my own dish tool out of plywood.

I recently got a Park TM-1 tensiometer, and it's a fun little tool. I use it a lot more than I need it, but it's certainly nice to have. Overall, you're probably on the right track... tensiometer > truing stand, but patience and attention to detail will get you further than both.

I still true my friends' wheels in their frames just for convenience (pre-ride: "dude, you're almost rubbing your brakes there").

Make sure you have a printed copy of Sheldon's wheelbuilding page on hand -- it's really handy for getting started with the key spoke so your hub ends up in a nice orientation and you have good valve stem access. Good steps on which set of spokes to insert into the flange when.

Good luck!

I made a truing stand out of an old fork. I set it in a brick with some mortor and then clamp the brick onto my desk if I need some more stability. I took an old spoke and cut it in two and rubber band the two peices onto the fork arms at the hight of the rim for probes.

For doing a back wheel I have to bend it out a bit, which means that the wheel doesn't run exactly down the middle, so I have to do some measuring with a plumb to make sure I don't dish the wheel accidently, but other than that it works great.

I have built, trued, and dished plenty of wheels using my frame or fork as a jig and my brake pads as guides.

Sheldon, what do you make of the Mavic rim failure reported in another recent thread?

John, are you John Eaton of Rensselaer by chance? If so, we have a lot to catch up on!

I also have build fairly round wheels using several technics like in the previous posts. But, if you have the money, just buy a truing stand and forget spoke tension measure tool. The minoura pro truing stand is vary good and at Nashbar you can buy it for 50 bucks.

I'm not Sheldon, but I think something's missing from that story. One spoke definitely pulled right through the rim, but losing one spoke on that type of wheel shouldn't cause the rim to fail. I could be wrong, which is why I didn't offer a reply in the thread.

Oh yeah, and a wheel can be built without a stand, but it makes it a whole lot easier. I am ever so greatful that the guy who taught me to build wheels gave me his Park truing stand.

I use an old fork with a dial indicator attached to it. The dial only cost $10 at a local used tool store. and I find it much easier to use than any stand without a dial. It takes a little time to set up, but if I start with all new stuff I can easily match the accuracy the best commercial wheels, about .4 mm variance. I use a table and a vernier caliper to measure dish. I would buy a tension gauge long before I upgraded to a better truing stand.

em

its done all the time.

main advantage of a truing stand is you can see better, esp when you get down to the final adjustments, which are on the order of 3-5 thousandths of an inch (the thickness of a sheet of light paper). also, stands offer a big advantage in radial tuning IMO.

i can recommend the minoura truing stand for a budget stand. its not fancy, or sturdy, or has any fancy features. you have to flop the wheel around for dish, and the axle holders are sloppy (poor design, should have been a vee cutout) - i use brass shim stock to improve the fit. but it is a nice step up from building em in the frame.

nashbar has these. bide your time, use coupons. i got mine for $17.

Built my wheels for 30 years with a fork, a vise, and a machinist's rule...that being said if you are going to be building any number of wheels get a good stand...I did and wouldn't go back.