Or more correctly, considering one as a present. But which one? I’m not planning on doing it professionally, and haven’t got a workshop for permanent installation.

Park TS7M looks good, better than the TS8, but I’m not a fanboi, so owt else I should look at? Thanks.

Roger musson MDF home built

Thanks Barry, but I can’t see my mother in law breaking out the Jigsaw to knock one of those up for me.

I’ve got one of these, bought S/H for £40. They’re about £80 new.
Feedback sports truing stand
Very effective.

Feedback sports one poor , only does qr and really needs a dishing jig

The park you like really needs a heavy wooden base made for it

Mines a cheapo tacx one – ive used alsorts ( used to build many wheels a week – some would say professionally)

A good jig makes it easier but the only thing id swap my tacx for is the 300 quid park one. Anything else just dosnt give any added benifits

I got a Park TS8 recently and it works just fine for truing, dishing and tensioning. Nice and heavy, so it doesn’t need fixed to anything. It was on offer at Merlin for 70 quid, but they seem to be out of stock just now. I’d recommend it.

We’re due to have a clearout at work…& I’ve spotted a load of that modular alloy section that’s going to be chucked.
Need to get modelling on the CAD.

It doesn’t matter what wheel jig you START with. Eventually you’ll end up with a Park Tool TS 2.2, a full set of Park Tool spoke keys and a Park Tool WAG5 dishing tool
Oh
And Park Tool have just released a nipple driver too. You’ll need one of those.

Or you could just cut out the interim expense and get the Park Tool kit from the off. Up to you. 🙂

dont bother wasting your money on the park crap

http://www.pklie.de/

Sorry, missed the present bit
Still think she should – Personal touch to the present and all!

Whos nipple driver have park painted blue this time then ? And park spoke keys are crap, amateur job at best.

Their TS jig is the best though

Fair play Barry. I’ll pop some blades round for her tomorrow. 😆

What PeterPoddy said…True words them 🙂

this is what we use (professionally) in the last 7 bike workshop I’ve operated

this wheel jig

this spoke key

this tension meter

Yeah, I’ve got the tension meter too…

And park spoke keys are crap, amateur job at best.

Err no. They survive workshop use just fine. The Spokey (Yellow one above) type ones have a very small interface with the spoke and can a) deform or move in the plastic or b) round nipples off easier. I used to use them until I switched to Park. Which of course have a lifetime warranty.

dont bother wasting your money on the park crap

http://www.pklie.de/

Well that is indeed lovely, but it’s overkill. Not necessary. 🙂

Yeah the one above is also crap

The spokey pro is the one you want.

Ergonomics is key. Building the odd wheel now and then the parks are ok. Build many a day and the park will drive you up the wall.

I use this stand:

Not sure it’s available any more…

Ben, no, you can’t get those any more. I’ve used that one with the dial gauges on it. And it’s pretty much faultless, yes.

Park keys are okay, but only really if I’ve lost my P&K, Sturmey Archer and DT keys. The only Park one I really use is the one for 13g spokes, and then I need to be careful not to round the nipples. Spokeys drive me mad – the metal insert pulls out or rotates.

Peter – yes, I’ve got gauges on mine, it can adjust from Brompton wheel to Fatbike wheel in seconds, fantastic engineering…

http://www.vartools.com/en/professional-wheel-truing-stand-var-p142.php

Build many a day and the park will drive you up the wall.

Serious question, why’s that? I’ve never built more than a pair in a sitting and I just find the Park ones more solid and easier to locate on the spoke.

That Var one doesn’t look like it adjusts both ‘dropouts’ as you tighten it down, so it can’t be used for dishing a wheel I imagine…….

Problem with the Park is it only grips two sides of a relatively soft and deformable nipple. So to help prevent rounding, the “correct” size is a tight push fit, which is a pain. Can go a slightly loose size, but then run the risk of rounding.

Sturmey Archer made the best spoke keys ever, but no longer available. The P&KLie ones are the best available at the moment.

Get one of these

Ben
Are you still building wheels by hand?

Aye, I’ve seen those machines working at trade shows – great fun to watch 😉 Not really suitable unless you’re making hundreds of identical wheels, which isn’t really me.

I’m seriously thinking of making a spoke-making machine though…

http://www.shuztung.com/new/web_c/html/02_products/en/bicycle_list_5.html

I was thinking more a Morizumi copy – those machines are bigger than my whole workshop 😉

Some years ago after I’d taught my boss to build wheels he was all up for getting a ts1
But only to find they were discontinued.

But can’t fault the ts2 just a little over the top for home use lol
Just don’t get a single sided one

I use the Park TS3 as pictured above by Ben with Dial gauges. Excellent tool.

I’m told the one outlined in this book is faultless.

http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php

Hi Ben

Park do 4-sided spoke keys as well now, check out the SW-20 and SW-22 master spoke wrenchs, rather lovely they are.

They also do the loop style ones (SW-40 & SW-42) in 4-sided, but I can’t see a connoisseur such as your self opting for those.

Ah, interesting – might get a few to try out.

4 sided are the way to go, ive been using one of these since my training course many years ago Webbline

Well this has moved on a little since I last checked! Suspect most of the above will be somewhat overkill for my needs, but I’m glad to see my exisiting P&KLie spoke key meets approval.

Have my first ‘commission’. Neices 20″ wheel spokes are all snapped, not worth the price of a new set of wheels but spokes should be cheap enough. Low risk way to practice as well, (well low risk for me anyway. 😀 )

I built, trued and dished loads of wheels using a TS2 while working in the trade and never had a problem and our main wheel builder who built between 1500 and 2000 wheels a year was also a fan.

I have an old DT spoke key that really engages nicely, it’s superb on even the most stubborn nipples.

I no longer have a stand so just lace them up then true and dish them in the frame, £200 is far too much to spend for occasional use.