So I am ready to quit my job and get started in a glamorous, fast paced, big dollar, exciting and fulfilling career in wheel building! All I need are the proper tools.
I know I don't really need fancy stuff. Wheels can be built with nothing more than a Swiss Army knife and some large BBQ tongs(thanks Mike T).
But lets just say I have the chance (I do) to get any and whatever tools I could possibly need or use. Are these good choices and what else should I get? Thanks.
So far on the list is;
Park TS 2.2 truing stand
Park TM-1 tensionmeter
Park WAG-4 dishing tool
Park nipple wrench
Nipple driver
And, how about the Park TS-2Di Dial indicator. Is measuring runnout somthing I should be thinking about?
Thanks Mike, but we are only talking about 400 bucks or so. Won't be taking out a loan or anything.
And actually, I'm doing some work for the owner of the LBS so we are doing a trade. I just want to get what I can now while I have the chance.
Tool to hold bladed spokes Alchemy L-Shaped Bladed spoke tool (CX-Ray/PST X-TRA) - Holds close to nipple to eliminate spoke twist.
Gloves to grab and pull spokes to relieve tension.
Instead of a dishing tool I place three water glasses on my granite counter top and then the rim on the glasses to check wheel dish.
I have a Park stand and the dial indicator would be nice but you can totally do without it. In fact the dial indicator might drive me crazy trying to true to last thousandth of an inch.
A long metric ruler for measuring spoke length and rim ERD.
Rubber mallet if you like banging your spokes into place (some people do and others not)
This book:
A case of good beer to lube the wheel builder's throat.
Only a case? I'll run out before I start on the second wheel.
I'll add spoke wrench to the list. The other stuff I'll get at the hardware store.
Thanks.
You will also need a pair of spokes cut down to size and with the nipples attached to measure the rim ERD. If you plan on using Spokecalc and Musson's instructions on how to build the wheels you may be better served if you make your own nipple driver and adjust the tip length to where he shows.
What else do you plan on doing for income? I'm not being facetious.
Mike T. really lays out a lot of information you should go through. Everyone has a method. I like the repeatability of a very sturdy stand (Park TS-3) with dial indicators that have roller tips. It's also easier on the finish of the rim. You have to consider this if you are working on someone else's wheels if they have a finished surface instead of a machined brake track.
The Park tensiometer is great for occasional work, but I don't know any pros that continue to use it after they get more experience. I use the FSA which gives me more consistent results. I started with the Park so I'd go that route to get your feet wet.
I use heavy leather gloves for stressing the wheels as mentioned above and I have an old drum stick to help set the spokes one a straighter path from the rim to the hub.
I still insist that threads should be treated with anti-seize compound rather than any from of thread locker. If the build is not only done well, but suited for the task you won't have any loss of tension. Grease the point of contact between the nipple and rim. This allows for easier turning at tension.
Measuring ERD is a must. I never rely on published numbers.
This goes beyond what tools you need, but it's important advice for anyone building wheels for someone else.
Get to know Jeremy @ Alchemy Bicycle Works for spokes. He doesn't have any minimum spoke count for orders and will sell spoke at 1mm increments instead of only even mm lengths. At spoke machine is a worthy investment in the long run, but it takes a while to recoup. You also need to be at the level of getting spokes at OEM for it to even be considered.
Take your time. Never rush a build as that will be the one build that gets away from you and will end up servicing the wheel again anyway. The internet is forever and you don't want a reputation for substandard work for the sake of getting more builds out the door.
Under promise and over deliver. It's something we all work on. There are always delays. don't promise a deadline that you absolutely can't make. Nothing worse than a frustrated customer because you promised them a certain timeframe when you are still waiting for stock to come in on a given component. Once you have started the process with a customer, keep the communication lines open. It's hard to keep up with all of the emails and phone calls, but it's necessary. I'd say I spend almost as much time answering messages, ordering and tracking parts, and all the other work as I do actually building the wheels.
Indeed great advice. I don't think the OP is planning on going commercial on the wheel building thing yet. He just has been bitten by the wheel building bug like all of us have for various reasons at some point in time. He likes tools and he has a few extra bucks to put on buying the better tools for the job. I totally understand because I went through the same exact scenario myself and got the same tools to start with as well.
I only build wheels for my personal use. I also help good friends by showing them how to do it while they are using my equipment and while we drink the beer they brought. The point of this is I never charge a penny for it; you cant pay me enough to build wheels for people I don't know, the pay is dismal at best and the potential of dealing with unpleasant situations that may follow is a reality. Kudos to the likes of ergott, rruff, zen etc who have the energy, stamina and perseverance to do it.
Indeed great advice. I don't think the OP is planning on going commercial on the wheel building thing yet. He just has been bitten by the wheel building bug like all of us have for various reasons at some point in time. He likes tools and he has a few extra bucks to put on buying the better tools for the job. I totally understand because I went through the same exact scenario myself and got the same tools to start with as well.
I only build wheels for my personal use. I also help good friends by showing them how to do it while they are using my equipment and while we drink the beer they brought. The point of this is I never charge a penny for it; you cant pay me enough to build wheels for people I don't know, the pay is dismal at best and the potential of dealing with unpleasant situations that may follow is a reality. Kudos to the likes of ergott, rruff, zen etc who have the energy, stamina and perseverance to do it.
Oh my sentiments exactly! I've been building wheels for 50 years and have built lots for family, friends and acquaintances but I would not do it for pay. That, for me anyway, would take all the fun out of it and create a whole other level of pressure. I did custom leatherwork for decades (2.5) for pay and I much preferred doing it for free for family, friends and people to whom I owed a favor - to the point where I quit doing it for pay six years ago. But hats off totally to those who do wheelbuilding for pay and keep people happy (including themselves).
Thanks guys! This is all great stuff. I don't know when I have been this eager to start somthing new. I am a one man crew general building contractor and that barely pays the bills. Won't be quiting my day job too soon.
I told the wife the other day, this may sound crazy because I've never done either. If I could I'd like to build wheels and be a sushi chef. I guess I could just eat sushi and drink Sapporo while I build wheels.
one tool you may need if you are going to start building commercially is a lawyer... I assume there is some bit of liability there. Additionally, I would start building and acquire new tools as you go. I started building wheels in a homemade truing stand, with a homemade dish tool, and a keen ear to tune.
My experience with the FSA (Wheels Fanatyk) is that it doesn't put as much sideload on the spoke so it's more accurate. You also don't need a chart for different gauge spokes. All I do is zero the gauge and release the plunger. The results are very consistent unlike the Park.
As far a flagging spokes, I use a Sharpie instead. It goes on quicker and comes off easily with some solvent. It's essential to insure there is no residual twist in the spokes when you done.
So what do the more expensive tension meters (FSA, DT Swiss) do that the cheaper park doesn't? Just Googled the FSA, looks pretty handy.
They offer highly repeatable measurements and to a much higher degree of accuracy. The Park is fine when used with the limitations of the tool in mind. It's best used to establish relative tension between spokes rather than absolute tension. This works fine since uniformly equal tension is what you are after anyway. After a while you will get the feel of it and you will know when to stop tensioning.
You can check the calibration of the Park by comparing it to a properly calibrated DT (at your LBS?). Note though, that the DT comes calibrated for DT spokes, if you use Sapim, Wheelsmith or anybody else's the tension scale may be off because of the small differences in tolerance between the spoke manufactures, DT will calibrate their meter for the spokes used. I know, a bit anal, but if you pay $450 for a meter you want it to meter.
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Originally Posted by dcgriz
