Wheel dishing question

I have already built a couple of wheels using my track frame and a keen eye to sort out the dishing, with great success.

Now I'm building a new set to go on a Raleigh road frame, so I though I'd just use that rather than take my wheels off the track frame. Got the rim sitting nice and true in the frame at the rear, took it off, flipped it round, put it back in and it was about 5-10 mil off to the left. So I'm guessing that this means my frame (which has been used for fixed before, having been purchased off a relible member of this forum) is slightly curved.

The question is, should I dish the wheel so the rim is central to the hub, or would it be better to dish it so that the rim is central to the frame? I realise theat if I do the latter, then I won't be able to flip it, but then I don't intend to.

Your wise and learned input would be much appreciated.

If you are going to run a rear brake then you'll need to centre the rim in the frame. Otherwise it's pretty much aesthetics as far as I understand. (It'll look much nicer centred to the frame rather than the hub)

Balance, aerodynamics, etc, too if dished to the frame (however minutely)?

it'll be stronger centered to the hub mind.

I thought that, but as long as the spokes are tight and not at the end of the threads, any difference in strength should be negligible, shouldn't it?

Your pic reminds me of DJ Scotch Egg, are you related, or do you just share the same gameboy fetish?

It sounds like your frame can be fixed. Small bends in the rear triangle on a steel frame can be fixed quite easily by cold forming (read bending). Sheldon brown has a good tutorial on his site.

Use a piece of string like he instructs, tied around the head tube and going through the drop outs.

You can align the dropouts with some homemade tools. when the drops are parallel, and the distance to the string at the seat tube on both sides is equal your rear triangle will be aligned and you can dish your wheel to be centered on the hub AND the frame.

Good luck, and go slowly!

How do you know the wheel is dished correctly? The way to test it is to turn it around... I would have thought. Are you lining it to the brake hole? Dishing tools don't cost much..

You can make a dishing tool out of thick corrugated cardboard. Just measure the distance on one side of the wheel then put the cardboard on the other side and see the difference in the distance.

Make it look like this, where the hashes are a ruler, the sides of the tool sit on the machined part of the rim:

Edit: ASCII art did not come out :(

I made this dishing tool.

Example below

My nut to nut measurement was 135 mm and my rim width 20 mm so my measurement was (135-20)/2=57.5 mm we shall call it x

My nut to nut measurement was 135 mm and my rim width 20 mm

Cheers for the help guys, think I'll give the Sheldon frame fixing method a go once my elbow has recovered from a mild surfing accident.

I was using a combination of the brake hole, some tape and a good eye. Then I slap it on my bike and pray to pretty much all the gods (except Zeus, he never gets back to me).

Tommy, is that a steel ruler you've used?

No a bit of alu angle from B&Q, two bolts, four nuts and three holes drilled in the correct place

yo can make a dishing tool out of courageted cardboard I have seen it If i find the link I will post.
You use a simple pointer device in the centre to measure the distance to the axle to compare with none dished side.

You can make a dishing tool out of thick corrugated cardboard. Just measure the distance on one side of the wheel then put the cardboard on the other side and see the difference in the distance.

Make it look like this, where the hashes are a ruler, the sides of the tool sit on the machined part of the rim:

Edit: ASCII art did not come out :(

yo can make a dishing tool out of courageted cardboard I have seen it If i find the link I will post.
You use a simple pointer device in the centre to measure the distance to the axle to compare with none dished side.

Thread reading fail...

I thought that, but as long as the spokes are tight and not at the end of the threads, any difference in strength should be negligible, shouldn't it?

Your pic reminds me of DJ Scotch Egg, are you related, or do you just share the same gameboy fetish?

haha!
dj scotch egg is amazing!
didn't realize there was a breakcore contingent on the forum... ;)

Is Scotchegg still around? Last time I spoke to him - a while back actually - he was worried about his visa?

yeah, and apparently DJ Ginsters & MC Melton Mowbary has been stealing a lot of his gigs..