Wheelbuilding questions tips and ponderations

[bikeworkshop]

Our VAR one rolls the thread using floating rollers on an adjustable spigot.
It's possible to believe it could do a good job, but incredibly hard to achieve.
... and I've used it quite a lot over the years.

 

[EightBallFlyer]

Hi all,
The spoke rolling tool, an original type, not new, I found on eBay for £50 last year.
I knew nothing, as I thought threads were cut with dies, so found this rolling threads tool a little marvel.
From my my viewpoint, upcycling used spoke and wheel parts, it's ideal. If I needed shorter spokes for my builds, I just snipped them down using heavy duty, fencing type cable side cutters, filed the end smooth to within 1mm, and then rolled the new thread on.
Great little tool. This beats paying about £1 per spoke cut to size.
The purists and professional wheel builders here, and I respect you all, may be horrified, but my wheel builds have worked for me so far. I take my time, a lot of time lol, at least a week to get one wheel complete, but I think it's worth it, and my results seem to just fine.
I'm custom building just for my commuting needs, and I did over 1500 miles last year on my new Trek FX2, but I have plans to re-wheel it later, when it reaches 3000+ miles. This future build is to convert it to an Alfine 8spd inter gear hub and a front dynamo hub set up.
Truly, the hardest part I've found in all my seven previous wheel builds, is the spoke length calculation. That is a pain, and I've only used the one recommended by the Park Tool link so far. But I've got to study the Roger Musson pdf download soon. I'm sure that'll help me improve my next build.

Regards
Alan

 

[EightBallFlyer]

Ive never had a spoke thread rolling machine, how do you get on with it?

Was it expensive?

Lovely little tool.
£50 find on eBay. The real McCoy.
Rolls a perfect 14g thread (2.0mm).
I've used it five times from my seven builds so far, so money well spent I think.
I understand re-using old/used spokes may be a no no to some, but, I dont see any issue for my purposes. And saves a lot of dosh too.

 

[EightBallFlyer]

Spoke rolling always seems a little desperate.
Unless you spend thousands, it's not a patch on factory.
We'd only use ours if there's no other option.

Why do you need to cut more thread?
Larger hubs?
On a 3x wheel, you can increase the flange by 10mm without seriously affecting spoke length.

It's rim depth that's the problem.

As explained here, I thought it was a useful tool and money well spent.
It's the old school way of doing things I guess, as the newer way uses fully automatic cutting and threading machines I believe, that seem to cut and thread a heap of spokes in seconds. Amazing.

 

[EightBallFlyer]

Our VAR one rolls the thread using floating rollers on an adjustable spigot.
It's possible to believe it could do a good job, but incredibly hard to achieve.
... and I've used it quite a lot over the years.

Yes, my one uses the triple roller attachment. Sadly, I broke the alloy handle on the shaft, with so much winding. Gets really warm after 36 spokes! But it was worn very smooth.
I then used the tip of putting the shaft into a cordless drill chuck, and slowly and carefully rolling the thread with that, and it works a treat every time, and has speeded the process up quite a bit. I keep it all well lubed with threadcutting oil. The rollers, and other sizes too, are still sold new online I note.
£50 well spent.

 

[EightBallFlyer]

we had a cast one in the workshop years ago, but it hardly got used. Ive often wondered about the £100 jobbies you see..if they are actually any good? I can't see they can really apply enough pressure to really press a thread....or are they more a die in that form....ie loosing metal to make the thread?

No, it seems to work fine I've found. Every thread I've rolled seems perfectly matched for the nipples. All 14g (2.0mm).
£50 seemed pricey, but it is a proper old, used tool, not a Chinese copy. I've never seen one for sale, so snapped it up last year.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Spoke threads should be rolled not cut, I was always told.

 

[EightBallFlyer]

Spoke threads should be rolled not cut, I was always told.

Spoke threads should be rolled not cut, I was always told.

Yes, I too found this out. I was looking for a die that small at first, and then I saw these rolling attachments for sale.
Out of interest, we're these older type rollers made for stainless spokes?
They've done mine so far, a mix of stainless and old Raleigh galvanised type.

 

[foz]

With tension the most important thing is to have even tension all round - it can be more or less (but not too little or too much obviously), but the actual value is less important than having even tension in all spokes. Large differences in tension are what cause problems.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Yes, I too found this out. I was looking for a die that small at first, and then I saw these rolling attachments for sale.
Out of interest, we're these older type rollers made for stainless spokes?
They've done mine so far, a mix of stainless and old Raleigh galvanised type.

Stainless spokes were generally not used until the late 80s - but these spoke thread rollers are older than that in design.
They seem to work on stainless - I've never rolled a thread on galvanised, but you'd think that was what they were designed for.