Help out a budding wheel builder...
 

Is this considered 3 cross lacing even though the first cross is right at the hub? These are 32H rims/hubs:

http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/im...ara/lacing.jpg

I am going to give rebuilding these wheels a try. Found a guy on eBay who does a good deal on 14G SS spokes. 75 spokes, custom cut, any combination of lengths, $29 shipped:

"ABOUT ME.......... As most of you know, I own a couple of Phil Wood spoke machines, and I have supplied all types of spokes in the bike industry since 1998. Even Titanium spokes (I still supply them). I do not deal with crappy Taiwan, or China made spokes. Only quality spokes are rethreaded on my machines. All you have to do is supply me with the length you are needing. It can be a mutiple amount of sizes, as most wheel sets can require up to 4 different lengths (depending on the lacing pattern).

DESCRIPTION......... You are purchasing a total of 75 custom cut and rethreaded 14g Silver stainless steel spokes. Cut and rethreaded to any length you need from 305mm down to 75mm in length. Again, just let me know what sizes you need when making your payment. You are receiving spokes only. I also supply high quality colored alloy nipples that are sold in separate listings. Please check them out so you can have a truly beautiful wheelset. "

No affiliation, just found the guy...

So, is this actually 3 cross and not 2 cross as I first thought?

My plan is to disassemble the front wheel, get the spoke length. Remove one DS and NDS spoke from the rear (so I can refer back to the rear) and get the lengths. Order up the spokes and give lacing them up a shot. If that goes good I'll try to true them. If I can't get it done I'll lace the rear and take them both to the LBS. After polishing the hub and rims of course. :D

Nipples should cost me about $12 or so, so for around $40 I'll give 'er a shot. Heck, a month ago I didn't know how to disassemble a bottom bracket and headset...amazing what research can do :)

Yes

The three cross pattern is just fine and, as you can see, the spoke crossed over the first two and under the third. This is called weaving(so what).

Do not purchase alloy nipples! Ensure that you get brass ones. They are far stronger. Also, have you checked out the price of spokes at your local bike shop? Where I live I can get a complete set(72 spokes and nipples - always get extra nipples thrown in since nipple quality control is not what is should be) for under thirty five dollars. Just a thought.

Check your LBS. I can get spokes w/ nipples for $.50/ea and I think that is a bargain. I had never built a wheel until a year ago. I have built 6 or so now. It's not that difficult if you are patient. I took the wheel I was building down to the LBS and they let me use their dishing tool. That is an important part of the process. Very cool people at the LBS and taking a 12 pack of quality suds to them is key!!!

There are a bunch of threads on this subject with a lot of good info and plenty of videos on you tube. Just google it. I like this one... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrGkH...eature=related

Also, you don't mention a spoke wrench or tension meter. I've built over 30 wheels and the thing I have the post trouble with still is rounding the nipples
at high tension. Pedro's wrench has the four sided and three sided wrench. Costs a bit more, but I've been glad to have it. The tension meter you can
live without, but it means you are a bit in the dark.

http://ypsilanticycle.com/images/lib...50m/TL0567.jpg

And get this right size. It turns out the green one is the least common version. DT uses the black one.

And 1+ on the aluminium nipples. I've successfully built one wheel with them, but they really aren't worth the trouble. Brass nipples are hard enough.

Any opinions on the Park TS-8 stand? And no, don't worry, AL nipples were never in the equation. Something about screwing hard stainless into soft alloy that doesn't seem kosher on the surface...unless you're talking about hard core race wheels were every gram counts and you don't care how long the wheels last.

you guys are getting spokes for .50$ wow! my bike shop makes it seem like they are giving me a real deal by charging $1.10 instead of 2.00. which since I have not bought many spokes in recent years was normal as spokes were .50 back in the early '90s. perhaps I should go back to doing it myself

PS not only does your look bent the paint is peeling LOL

Yes, you'll be needing a hazmat suit. Whatever that bike's got, if it's contagious, you're SOL.

Remember, I'm the guy who has shops that charge $6 for brake and der cables. I hold out little hope of getting spokes reasonably.

Yeah...it looks like it's peeling...hahaha. Here's a better pic of it now that it's in my possession:

http://home.comcast.net/%7Ekhatfull/...a/tiara100.jpg

Been playing around with some color combos...how's this?

http://home.comcast.net/%7Ekhatfull/...tiarawhite.jpg

And actually, I'm leaning towards black hoods to balance the black in the white/black tires:

http://home.comcast.net/%7Ekhatfull/...tiarablack.jpg

Stem is going too...not original and has no place on this bike...

I get spokes and nipples to build a wheel for $25.00. You really need to forsake the land of cheap gasoline and come home. :D

Amen brother...

Got a Link to that ebay seller with the Spokes please?


The Park TS-8 stand is better than the Minoura True-Pro, IMO (garbage).


If you wanna get fancy, get brass washers for the spoke heads are cheap and look cool.

As requested:

http://cgi.ebay.com/75-CUSTOM-CUT-SI...item414e3d1786

The Park truing stand looks OK but not terrific. I've been through a few truing stands and haven't been satisfied with any of them. I now have a TS-2, the professional one. I could have saved a lot of money if I had bought it in the first place. Perhaps the TS-8 is heavy and stable. That is good. But it has a caliper on only one side. I much prefer two caliper arms.

Someone recently posted an e-book on how to build your own truing stand very cheaply. It was a beautiful stand. Let me see if I can dig it up.

much appreciated. :)


Straight Gauge but still a good price.

I'm interested!

I have a fork from a trashed bike clamped between two blocks of wood. I bend it to fit the wheel I'm working on. It works, and the price was right, but I wouldn't mind something a little better.

Yup, I've dealt with that guy before. He's cool. If anyone wants his email address, PM me.

I posted a question about what brand(s) he sells. It looks like a good deal, and he claims he doesn't deal crap, but it's not possible to tell if they're top notch stuff on a par with DT or Wheelsmith. But the vibe from his post feels good.

Aha, here is the pointer to the e-book. It is copyrighted, and he wants £9 for it. I bought a copy and was able to download it quickly and easily.

He came on here and posted pictures. Since he did that, I'll post it, assuming he won't mind at all.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...9&d=1269879985

Jeez, ya hardly need an eBook to show how to make it...that Pic tells ya all you need to know really.

nice truing stand. lets see I need a radial arm saw, band saw, sander, drill press hhhmmmm maybe I am better off just geting the pro stand.

khatfull I love that bike, I actually bid on it but dropped out at like $30 *he he*, but those white tores have to go! get some nice skinnwall (TAN) tires.

The book is on building wheels, and only a section of it is on the truing stand. True, khatfull may not need the entire book, or any of it, for that matter.

+ That's a nice stand. I'm impressed how much work he put into the finish; it pushes the boundary between a utilitarian object and a work of sculpture.

I'm not sure I see the point in doing such a nice job for an amateur's needs like mine. Home-made tools &c typically end up as either family heirlooms or trash. If you made one, you'd have a hard time selling it if you ever wanted to get rid of it. I'm better off with a piece of scrap metal that I can always toss back into the scrap metal pile.

Fine, but the design can be an inspiration for your cheaper one.

The guy on ebay replied and said he uses Sapim spokes. They're very good, right? I haven't used them.