You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Decided it would be good for me to add some wheel truing/building tools to my tool kit as I'd like to learn how to build and true wheels myself.
Any recommendations for jigs, stands, reading material, ebay specials etc?
Thanks, Naffa
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F202322926289
I've bought one of these. Great little bit of kit and just fits to your bike
I just use a whiteboard dry-wipe pen and a rag. Plus a steel rule and decent spoke key.
£1 plastic verniers from Wilkos
elastic band or two for attachment to frame or fork
Spoke key from Halfords, but most are of similar or better quality.
I've built plenty of wheels like this.
If it's truing with a tyre fitted, then I just use an allen key secured to frame or fork with elastic band.
Sometimes when building a wheel from scratch I'll borrow a wheel stand from a friend, but mostly I'll just do it in the frame or fork with cable ties.
Spokey Pro spoke key. Get the correct size for your nipples.
APF
Zip tie around fork leg or seat stay cut off and end placed at distance required.
Hav ebuilt many wheels like that so if you are only thinking about truing a wheel now and again teh only tool you really NEED is a spoke key.
Building a whel over an upside-down bike is not comfortable, I did it for 30 years!
Then £50 on a P-X Park type stand, much better.
Nice spoke keys are nice too - I use DT.
Decent spoke key first, I like the DT Swiss one, Spokey are ok, cheap ones are nasty.
A lot of tools make it easier/faster, so it depends how much you want to spend.
To build a J bend standard nipple normal wheel I use;
Digital calipers
DT Swiss ERD tools
Spoke calculator
Cyclus spoke cutter/roller
Nipple shuffler
Unior nipple assembly tool
Park truing stand
Problem Solvers Holy driver
DT Swiss spoke key
DT Swiss Tensio
Park dial indicators
Dishing tool
Plus oil, grease, spokefreeze etc as the build requires
Probably a bit excessive for normal use though!
A nipple assembly tools really speeds up lacing up. You can make a nipple driver from a screwdriver or screwdriver bit so it stops at a preset engagement, google picture below, the centre prong will hit the spoke and disengage the tool from the nipple, again speeds up the build by getting everything almost the same very quickly
More specific tools you can buy as you need them, eg specific nipple drivers, spoke holders etc