Wheelbuilding / Wheel Building / Wheel build help

So who all uses spoke tension meters when building and what one have you got?

Finally stopped fannying about and ordered the Wheel Fanatyk meter with data cable. Will have a TM-1 for sale soon, hopefully.

Please tell me you've added one of these to your order.

https://www.wheelfanatyk.com/store/1993-lance-poster/

Weirdly, I didn't, no.

Might be interested.

Was hoping to buy a load of tools (inc a TM1) from @Chak but he’s either not been on the forum in the last couple days or has me on ignore! :(

Where does people gets Chinese spokes? Need to do some rebuilds with non standard spokes.

Will let you know.

Chak can be a bit slow to respond sometimes, but he's a good seller and gets there eventually. I bought some Brompton tools from him, and it all went well in the end.

No reason it would be less safe than 18h hub on 18h rim or anything like that? Would the extra holes basically be aero weight gainz?

Means you can't do a conventional crossing pattern though, hence the crow's foot lacing in the picture above.

This shop in germany has a selection of CN spokes

spokesheaven.com
also on ebay

494 ~ DT swiss new aero
424 ~ cx ray/aerolite
418 ~ aero comp

says he really just used it to compare one spoke to another

This is what I do. Never calculated what the exact spoke tension should be. I go by the TBNTT rule

Park anti seize all round, it's greasy enough for nipple rim interface.

Yep, did this. Lesson learned: more = betterer. First time I just barely coated the threads and they started to bind / windup when partially tensioned. Unthreaded, added a big goop of lube to every spoke and wound it back in. Much better after that.

Anyway, first wheel build. DT xr331 28/32h on Novatec with Sapim Laser spokes to make things difficult. Also used the alloy squorx nipples & washers that came with the rims. Used a cheap stand and a knockoff tension meter which I don't entirely trust except as a relative tension indicator. I assume it's off by 10 or 20% in absolute terms.

Going to ride them with tubes for a while in case (who am I kidding, definitely when) I need to make adjustments. 42c tires mounted tubeless won't fit in my stand.

1 Attachment

Sapim Laser

That's why they were winding up, piddly little things.

Yup, piano wire. Next build will have bladed spokes.

Means you can't do a conventional crossing pattern though...

???

Surely the spokes holes you are using are as evenly spaced around the hub and rim as would be the holes on purpose built 18h hub and rim?

I go by the TBNTT rule

TBNTT?

Tight but not too tight?

Surely the spokes holes you are using are as evenly spaced around the hub and rim as would be the holes on purpose built 18h hub and rim?

The holes will be out of phase by 10° from one flange to the other. You can lace it like an 18H hub, but you will need two different spoke lengths per side.

This

I knew it’d be obvious!

Any recommended wheelbuilders in Walthamstow?

Stayer is Walthamstow-ish, I suppose

Is there any reason not to buy these to have them laced to Hope XC hubs. I have the hubs already and I’m trying to build a budget and versatile Wheelset (in the sense that they can be used with rim or disc brakes) for an upcoming commuter build.

I won’t be doing the building myself, and will likely leave the spoke decisions to whoever builds them.

Two data points:
Mavic Ksyrium rear wheel, 20-spoke drive side straight pull flat spoke snaps.
(Yet to source a previously discussed replacement spoke).
Shimano 6700 rear wheel, 20-spoke drive side straight pull flat spoke snaps.
(Local wheelbuilder claims rim won't pull true without over-tensioning the replaced spoke).
Both wheels were 2nd hand, and were used on my daily Boardman,
i'm +/-88kgs.
Rucksack shopping can 6/7/8kgs to that.
Lots of miles over poor quality to potholed outer north west London roads,with a few trips to Chilterns.
Anybody (truly) West who could source spoke and re-true?

Am I better off, long term, getting some hand-built wheels with more spokes?

So many numbers with this tensionmeter.

Using the chart to convert millimeters to Newtons is fine but then you have to convert Newtons to Kgf because that's what Mavic supply their max tension in.

Almost makes me wish I'd been sober in school.

you have to convert Newtons to Kgf

Remove a zero. It's not quite accurate, but it's close enough. Within the accuracy levels of any consumer tensiometer. Unless you're on a planet other than Earth. 9.8m/s2 gravitational force baby.

You think I might have noticed this.

That's what I get for wheelbuilding repairing the fucking mess of a wheel I bought from ebay this late at night.