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lacing wheels

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My experience has been interlacing the last cross makes the wheel a little less prone to going out-of-true with use on most paved roads. It's not a large difference. Most vintage wheels were not interlaced, and they function just fine when subjected to normal riding conditions. It is not mandatory if the wheel is otherwise built up correctly. More important are correct spoke length, reasonable spoke tension, condition of the rims, and use of proper spokes/spoke washers/etc. Don't sweat the interlace or not question if you can otherwise build up a wheel competently.

The beauty of cross-4 tangential spoking is that it reduces the effects of variations in hub flange diameter on spoke length. It makes it somewhat easier to get an accurate spoke length measurement. But that is a convenience thing more than a strength thing.
 
well i'll tell you what the best I can do is take detailed pictures not missing a step then each picture i'll describe what is involved in each step. now there is a website about spoking wheels but last time I tried using that site I got all messed up. But the guy I learned from had the fasted time in spoking a wheel from schwinn and he has the certificate to show for it, of course that was in the 50's but it was like in under 5 minuites. This guy is good i just stumbled upon him at an antique shop in town. So now I have some s2 rims i can finally finish and make them look real good. It's easier than I think, I just need to practice on them otherwise Im gonna forget. really I need to write it down. but I prob wont lol and have to call him up again. we'll see. I'll post pics soon maybe tomorrow since I have some time to spoke the front wheel.
I have lots of NOS spokes if you need any.

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Well, the online and book lacing tutorials no longer make sense to my 77 year old brain when it comes to lacing a rim that has the first hole to the right of the stem up. I just laced and trued this one with the up hole. 7 different tutorials and non drive side later spoking failures and I invented my own method.
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I call it the hit and miss until it’s right method. The non drive side took three tries. I put in the spoke next to the valve hole, spoke about a quarter way and do a few crosses. It’s apparent right away if it’s wrong. Then, do it different until it’s right. I have no problem if the first right of the valve is down. I never had problems when I was younger. I’m now getting confused and my concentration is shot. I’m rebuilding 120 year old hubs and rims and they have the dreaded up hole. More head scratching.
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I’m too lazy to make a truing stand that requires any drilling, welding or any heavy thinking. I took an old fork and spread it with a furniture clamp so that front and rear wheels fit. It’s fast and easy this way.
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I use vice grips as guides. It works better if the grips are flipped so the adjustment bolt is against the rim.
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Here is how I lace simple rims/hubs. Single speed, 3 cross, no off set rims or free hub/cassette.
Measure hub dimensions with an electronic caliper. Determine ERD.
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For this photo essay I’m using a wood rim and a steel clad wood rim. The hubs are both vintage armless coaster brakes. Consistency to help see the difference when lacing different drill patterns. The rim drill patterns are spoke hole up on the first hole to the right of the valve stem (the dark rim) and spoke hole down on the first hole to the right of the valve hole.

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The third pattern has the spoke holes drilled in the center of the rim, no up or down holes. To lace a rim like this follow the instructions fit the up or down spoking patter. As long as you follow the steps for one of the other drill pattern it will work.
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Put a heads out spoke in any drive side hub hole.
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Put this spoke next to the valve hole as shown. Note it’s different for each type of rim drilling. It’s in an up hole. All spokes from the up side of the hub go into rim up holes. Starting the pattern like this places them all on this side of the wheel in up holes. Put a tape flag down near the hub on the first spoke. If your spoking a front wheel, just pretend that the first side you lace is the drive side. Regardless, always tape flag the first spoke you put in next to the valve hole. This is an up hole. Count 5 spoke holes clockwise with the valve hole opposite you. Skip a hub hole clockwise and put a heads out spoke in that hub hole and place the spoke in the fifth rim hole. Tighten the nipple 4 turns, pull on the nipple to make sure it’s thread.

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I give up on this blog, photos disappear, text goes in the wrong place, photos get shuffled. You cant post a sequence it’s fcuk Ed up.
 
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Here is how I lace simple rims/hubs. Single speed, 3 cross, no off set rims or free hub/cassette.
Measure hub dimensions with an electronic caliper. Determine ERD.View attachment 1758219

View attachment 1758220

View attachment 1758221
For this photo essay I’m using a wood rim and a steel clad wood rim. The hubs are both vintage armless coaster brakes. Consistency to help see the difference when lacing different drill patterns. The rim drill patterns are spoke hole up on the first hole to the right of the valve stem (the dark rim) and spoke hole down on the first hole to the right of the valve hole.

View attachment 1758222
The third pattern has the spoke holes drilled in the center of the rim, no up or down holes. To lace a rim like this follow the instructions fit the up or down spoking patter. As long as you follow the steps for one of the other drill pattern it will work.View attachment 1758223Put a heads out spoke in any drive side hub hole.View attachment 1758224

Put this spoke next to the valve hole as shown. Note it’s different for each type of rim drilling. It’s in an up hole. All spokes from the up side of the hub go into rim up holes. Starting the pattern like this places them all on this side of the wheel in up holes. Put a tape flag down near the hub on the first spoke. If your spoking a front wheel, just pretend that the first side you lace is the drive side. Regardless, always tape flag the first spoke you put in next to the valve hole. This is an up hole. Count 5 spoke holes clockwise with the valve hole opposite you. Skip a hub hole clockwise and put a heads out spoke in that hub hole and place the spoke in the fifth rim hole. Tighten the nipple 4 turns, pull on the nipple to make sure it’s thread.

View attachment 1758227

View attachment 1758228

View attachment 1758225
I give up on this blog, photos disappear, text goes in the wrong place, photos get shuffled. You cant post a sequence it’s fcuk Ed up.

I've had that same f'g problem. To make it simple I organize my pictures in the order I want them posted and then I post all the pictures before doing any of the text. Just add at least one space between each of the pictures when loading. Then you can come back and add the text when all the pictures are uploaded.
 
I've had that same f'g problem. To make it simple I organize my pictures in the order I want them posted and then I post all the pictures before doing any of the text. Just add at least one space between each of the pictures when loading. Then you can come back and add the text when all the pictures are uploaded.
Not worth the effort. As usual the geeks only figure out how to do something halfway. They always leave a software update broken. I’m not dealing with incompetence. I posted my photo essay for my easy method for determining how to start the first spoke on the non drive side, for both the up or down rim drilling patterns, on other bike blogs without any problems. The lacing is different for each drilling pattern, especially the non drive side. My method makes figuring out the difference easy.
 
Have faith in your building plan and stick to it. After you do your measuring and get the correct length spokes, re-check everything in the calculator or the length chart, dive into the building and stick to your plan. I was helping a guy with a wheel a couple of years ago and even though we both measured and checked the chart and verified with the calc, he kept saying it seemed like everything was wrong and too short during the first half of the build. I guess he felt he was forcing them to reach more than he should have been. He kept saying "they aren't going to be long enough".

I told him to just keep building and stick to his plan. It was when the final set of 9 spokes went in that it all meshed together and the length was spot-on.

It helps to have a plan of how to measure, get the components, and build. And stick to that plan. It helps prevent errors or panicking and thinking you have the wrong spokes.
 
Have faith in your building plan and stick to it. After you do your measuring and get the correct length spokes, re-check everything in the calculator or the length chart, dive into the building and stick to your plan. I was helping a guy with a wheel a couple of years ago and even though we both measured and checked the chart and verified with the calc, he kept saying it seemed like everything was wrong and too short during the first half of the build. I guess he felt he was forcing them to reach more than he should have been. He kept saying "they aren't going to be long enough".

I told him to just keep building and stick to his plan. It was when the final set of 9 spokes went in that it all meshed together and the length was spot-on.

It helps to have a plan of how to measure, get the components, and build. And stick to that plan. It helps prevent errors or panicking and thinking you have the wrong spokes.
I have no problem determining spokes length or lacing. Here are some I’ve built this month. I’ve built more this month but their in our garage. I can’t show my easy foolproof method on this blog because it won’t post consecutive photos.
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