Should i be using spoke head washers?
 

The wheel i want to build will have 15 guage spokes and the hole on the hub has a diameter of 2.4mm. So thats .6mm of play, should i be using spoke head washers here

What kind of hub is it?

well i dont have it yet but its on order. Hugi 240

I would not use washers if it were my wheel.

why?

The spoke hole diameter is normal. The hub is good quality. 15g is a pretty standard application for a quality wheel. I always chose 15 straight guage spokes for high quality wheels(not beater wheels or fix gear rear wheels), and I know that if the wheel is correctly built and tensioned, it will perform well.

but there wouldnbt be any harm at all though? I suppose it would increase the durability of the spokes, welll at leaset according to gerd schraners book

No, I don't think it will do harm, but in my opinion, it's not necessary.

Yea your probably right, the hugi hubs are nice so i doubt any harm will be done. thanks

I am going to dissent just because I do see straight 15g spokes break more often because they fit more loosely in the hole and the interface between spoke hook and hub hole is less than with a 14g hook. The washers will help "fill" that void. It would cost nothing(or fifty cents at most) and only add two minutes to the build time.

Well i am using DT revolution spokes. The thing that was steering me away from the washers is their availability. I see them only sold in bags of 1000. I only need 64. I really dont want 900+ around the house, the cat might choke on them or something. Do you know of any source where i can get these individually? Or even if i have 100 thats fine, i wouldnt mind having 25 extras anyways.

Just use them on the drive side of the rear wheel, because those spokes see the highest loads

Local shops don't have them? PM with your adress and I will send you some.

You can buy a bag of 100 for $2.50:

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi

search on "spoke washers"

They don't fill the hole, but they are made of soft brass so they shape to compensate for any irregularities in the head of the spoke or the chamfering of the spoke hole, which cause the spoke to crank more and break earlier. The spoke doesn't have to fit tightly in the hole, just sit squarely in the chamfered hole without torquing around. The problem with spoke head washers in many hubs is that the hub is already thicker than the elbow of the spoke and DT a couple years ago reduced the elbow length a bit. I generally like to use them, partly because if they prevent an irregularity on a spoke from digging into the spoke hole, they reduce the likelihood of breaking a hub flange.