Wheelbuilding

Peka said:

Any wheelbuilders here??

I've built a few.

Quoted message said:

I have an old dunger mtb at home, so I thought I'd have a go at
rebuilding the wheels, just to see how hard it is. Started with the
front since it's easier. I've read a bunch of url's about
wheelbuilding, printed out Sheldon Brown's intructions and followed
them while I did it. I checked the lacing before I dismantled the wheel
and it's the same as on the other wheels in the garage (3X 36spoke).

On my 1st attempt, it was like either the spokes had stretched or the
rim had shrunk. I figured I just got the lacing wrong so I started
again. This time only about 1/4 of the spokes look like they've
stretched. (note: they haven't actually stretched, but when the wheel
is trued and the spokes have some tension, the thread sticks out past
the nipple on the tube side). I've double and triple checked and I'm
sure I've got the lacing right.

The wheel is old, I have no idea how old. The bike is an Apollo Alpine
MTB, early 90's vintage I think.

Could the rim have gone way out of shape when it was dismantled?

No.

Quoted message said:

I
gradually loosened the spokes before removing them to try and avoid
this.

We cut them out with a big pair of shears 🙂

Quoted message said:

Have I just got the lacing wrong (again) ?

Yes, or the spokes are the wrong length.

On 23/10/05 at 22:57:03 Peka somehow managed to type:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Have I just got the lacing wrong (again) ?

Perhaps, perhaps not...:-)

It's a bit hard to check now what with all the spokes 'n stuff but is
the rim flat and round ? If it sits "flatly" on a flat floor and is
round then it should build up OK. Have you got a digicam and somewhere
to stick a couple of pics ? ...:-)

--
Humbug

Peka said:

Have I just got the lacing wrong (again) ?

Maybe.
Also check that your wheel is offset (rear) or centred (front) correctly.

I don't know what it is like now, but buying spokes the correct length
is/was a MAJOR PITA. Too many times, they were just not available
(length), and if they were, then you ran into thickness variations.

Quite a few times, I've done the calc, purchased the rim and spokes,
laced the wheels and gone bugger, far too long. Wander off to chase
spokes slightly shorter, delay, delay delay.

I am not too clean on snipping and filing a whole wheel of spokes.

Now, I probably have a few hundred spokes floating around home from
various past projects,

If you just want to learn/improve technique, pick up a street reject,
strip down and rebuild.

Terry Collins said:

If you just want to learn/improve technique, pick up a street reject, strip down and rebuild.

Yeah that's basically what I'm doing. Old dunger at home just sitting there....

BTW - I'm reusing the spokes that were already on it, so they are the correct length.

I'm using the bike as my truing stand, flipped it upside down, took some measurements and used cable ties on the forks as indicators for where the rim should be. It was centred before I took it apart and is reasonably good after I rebuild it (considering it was my first attempt!).

I'll have another go at it tonight....

Peka said:

I'll have another go at it tonight....

Woohoo! A successful wheel build under my belt. It must have been a 4X apparently.

For my next trick I'll try the rear wheel, if I can get the freewheel off it. Not real keen to buy a tool for it that will never get used again.....

Terry Collins said:

I am not too clean on snipping and filing a whole wheel of spokes.

In the olden days (before I knew 'anything' about wheel-building*) I used to just fire up the bench grinder and grind off protruding spoke ends. Think of it as free weight saving if you take half the nipple off too.. 🙂

*I still know next to nothing.

hippy

hippy said:

Terry Collins said:

I am not too clean on snipping and filing a whole wheel of spokes.

In the olden days (before I knew 'anything' about wheel-building*) I
used to just fire up the bench grinder and grind off protruding spoke
ends. Think of it as free weight saving if you take half the nipple off
too.. 🙂

chuckle. the only problem is taking gouges out of the rim at the same
time. It was certainly no fun filling all those spokes by hand.