Homemade wheel jig

[stinkwheel]

I'm quite pleased with how well this works so I thought I'd pass it on.

This isn't a new idea, others have done it too but in slightly different ways.

Essentially, I bought a mountain bike from my local car boot sale for a tenner and chopped the back end off it. Mounting this in my workstand gives me the basic frame to clamp a newly laced back wheel into.
https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/CIMG1632_zps338d14c1.jpg

I was careful to look out for one which has as many frame lugs attached as possible. This one has mounts for catilever brakes as well as calliper mounts, mudguard bosses and deralieur hangers. That gives me a lot of options for attaching guages and pointers for different wheel sizes and positions.

If one makes the rash assumption that the dropouts on the frame I've got land the hub square in the centre of the bike then dish adjustment is simply a case of using a ruler.
https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/CIMG1635_zps1f52e485.jpg

The bottom mudguard mount makes a perfect point to attach a simple tool for checking vertical runout.
https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/CIMG1634_zps3915cea1.jpg

As it turns out, the cantilever braked frame was the perfect one to go for. The brake pads on these have a pin built into the back of them that attaches to the brake arm. I drilled the hole usually used for mounting the pad a little larger and the stand for my dial guage slotted into it nicely. I locked the brake arm itself in place on the frame by putting a large washer under the bolt it would usually pivot around.
https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/CIMG1633_zpsdbd224f9.jpg

I'll do something similar with the front fork for doing front wheels when I get round to it. Cheap and simple.

I reckon you'd even get a 700c rim in there as long as the tyre was off. The one that's in there in the pictures is a 650b I'm making for Mrs stinkwheel.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[bamt]

Very nice I've seen it done with an old pair of forks before, but not half a bike!

For someone copying the idea, if you don't have a gauge you can tie a cable tie to one of the seat or chain stays with the end pointing towards the rim. Cut it so that it is a cm or so too long to be able to fit straight out towards the rim. It can then rotate around the stay towards the rim; start with it quite far out, then as the wheel pulls into true move it closer and closer. This'll let you see precisely where any variations are and tweak it to under a mm.

Building and truing wheels is dead easy, quite calming and therapeutic. Every serious cyclist should do it at least once.

[delsol]

Neat

[stinkwheel]

[Pete.]

You can do better than that if you don't have a dial gauge. Solder a washer to a spoke about 2" from one end so it can be fixed to the brake pivot (or drill a hole though a plastic bobbin or similar and poke the spoke through that). Now bend the short end so it touches the wheel rim and glue a plastic protector on the end so you don't scrape your rim up. Use the original spring off the brake to hold the contact end against the wheel rim.

When you spin the wheel the runout will be amplified at the tip of the long end of the spoke. Make a simple scale from card if you want a measurement.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Bunny Lingus]

Love it shedhead innovation rocks. I thought using half a rusty C90 as an engine stand was cool but this is in another league...
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Bunny Lingus & The Flipside Faggots

[stinkwheel]

So. Anyone got any ideas for an improvised spoke tensiometer? I'm currently working by ear.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Bunny Lingus]

[Frost]

Apparently some of the best people at doing wheels don't worry about spoke tension and just focus on getting things straight.

I still do mine by spinning the wheel and pressing the brake until it starts to rub on the same spot each rotation.