Tips on Lacing Mavic Straight Pull wheels, Just did a Cosmos rear PITA

[oberwil]

So I just laced up an old Mavic Cosmos. Took a while because the stupid bladed ends kept falling out of the hub shell. Used another Mavic as a guide.
So here's the questions:
1. Start with Inside slots first?
2. Do one side at a time or alternate
3. Replacing Hex Nipples(Mavic ABS) with standard Nipples or only use ABS?
4. Best tool for reaching Hex Nipples inside rim. My Park 3-Way was a tight fit.

I had a hard time getting even tension, so ended up with more Radial error than I wish.
I guess I would prefer the straight pull hubs where the spoke is threaded through a hole in the hub shell. The Cosmos have heads with a bladed area just below the slides into the slot. So I tried to turn each spoke after installing so that it would not fall out.

Anyone else have experience building Mavic wheels?

[cxwrench]

As you lace the wheel turn each nipple onto each spoke EXACTLY the same number of turns. As you add tension increase it EXACTLY the same amount on each spoke til you're at 50% tension or so. Makes a huge difference in how frustrating or not the build will be.

[Kerry Irons]

As you lace the wheel turn each nipple onto each spoke EXACTLY the same number of turns. As you add tension increase it EXACTLY the same amount on each spoke til you're at 50% tension or so. Makes a huge difference in how frustrating or not the build will be.

^this^ Starting with each spoke threaded the same amount goes a long way to easily achieving equal final tension. Back in the day it was typical to use the same length spokes on both sides of a rear wheel. You first turned each nipple the same amount, and then added 4 turns to each drive side spoke. Gave you pretty close to the correct dish.