I will try to describe the procedure for lacing a 36 spoke wheel in the 1960s, tangent crossed 3 times. Stand up to drop the spokes in, sit down for tightening and truing.
The rim spoke holes are normally staggered, often angled.
For right handed, take hub in left hand, and at least 9 spokes between thumb and forefinger all with threads pointing away from arm and fan them out.
Drop 9 spokes downwards through the upper flange alternate holes , and working from the valve hole feed each spoke through every 4th hole, fitting the spoke nipple about 2 or 3 turns.
Turn the wheel over, pick up and fan out at least 18 spokes, drop them down through the first now lower flange, then drop 9 downwards through the upper flange. It is usual to leave largest space at the valve hole, so you can see which hole to start with by turning the hub so that the first 9 spokes are in their final direction, and you can see which spoke hole to start with. Bear in mind the spokes from the inside of the flange will face opposite directions.
When you have these 18 spokes attached to the rim turn over and fit the last 9.
When fitting the second set of 9 twist the hub so that the first spokes are facing the right direction, then gather up the inside spokes from the second flange in a bunch and get them outside the rim so that you don't knit them in.
It takes far longer to explain this than doing it, and the direction of fitting the spokes into the rim is obvious when you do it so that you do not trap spokes.
This is the method I always used, and happens to be the same as large manufacturers used. You will see if you have an old Raleigh, Hercules or BSA with original wheels the spokes from the inside of the flanges are always in opposite directions.
Tools: To get the spoke nipples started I used a cranked screwdriver made from a bit of 1/8 inch mudguard stay one end hammered flat and shaped like a screwdriver with a little point in the middle of the blade this was cranked about half inch and a rotatable handle was fitted made from a rod brake component. The preferred spoke key was Cyclo type with 4 slots and shaped like old hub bearing cups. The curved shape was easy to spin round and didn't wear the fingers.
On the truing stand I normally used fingers rather than any guides to tension and true partly because are rims were not always very accurate varying both in width and roundness, quite often lumpy at the join.
My left thumb still has a slight lump at the knuckle.
Thats about the best I can do for now.
Keith