Luxe Wheelworks Tech Journal no.2

Here are the materials for my next wheel build. 

I keep these razors safely magnetized to this magnetic dish. They make opening small parts boxes and plastic bags very easy. 

These are some essential tools. I try to keep organized. 

I regret having used this bench for a spray paint project. I will be more careful in the future.

I set the skewers aside when I am in the process of building. 

I keep the parts on a shop cloth so they don't move around. 

I will carefully place grease at the nipple-rim interface.

I don't use much grease. Here is how much I think works. 

I align the logo with the valve hole and begin lacing the spokes. 

Here is the early pattern.

This tool helps me thread each nipple onto the its spoke.

Now for the back side. (Edit 2020 : I lace more initial tangent now. This was a good start though. I never used the put all the spokes in the hub then apply the rim method and I'm glad I knew enough back then not to. )

Here is the initial pattern.

This is a picture of me putting the first spoke in on the opposite side of the wheel. You need to start at an exact point here; it's not random. 

I use the valve hole as the reference point.

This wheel has 32 spokes and thats a "3 cross" lacing pattern.

Here I am setting the spokes. (2020 edit: I don't do this anymore either. I allow the spokes natural tension do the work for me. This also keep the steel spokes aligned better once tensioned. )

Now the wheel is ready to be tensioned.

I count the threads and place them evenly around the whole wheel.

I then tension the wheel to specification. 

I now clean all residue from the wheel.

The last step is checking the wheel's dish.

I like how it looks.

I inspect each spoke for proper tension as I build the wheel. Here you can tell the spokes don't yet have much tension on them. 

I stress relive the spokes repeatedly throughout the process of the wheel build as I bring it up to tension. 

Once the wheel is at tension, I set the spoke heads. (2020 edit: This is unnecessary and I no longer do it.) 

Outside.

Inside.

This is truing to round or on the "Y" axis. 

This is checking the dish or "Z" axis. 

This is checking the true, or "X" axis. 

Wheelbuilding is rewarding work. I think it's really neat because you are building a structure that moves. 

I apply grease to the threads of the quick releases.

After my career as a bike racer, I went to school for Industrial Design. These Eames chairs are an iconic design and surprisingly comfortable. Hanging above them is an official Tour de France medal my team won in 1999. 

 Justin Spinelli

www.luxewheelworks.com