[FASTFAT]

Lets see some test rigs.

 

[acedeuce802]

I need to find the picture of mine. Drilled and countersunk a big aluminum plate, put plate in garage rafters. Hang second aluminum plate with a spoke/nipple. Hang from the plate with a weight vest and a few weights set on my legs while the girl measures spoke tension.

 

[FASTFAT]

threw this together . out of parts i had just to try..got a thicker bar coming tuesday. other than that it works great even with the bar bending a bit..new bar will be 1x2x20 with holes down the middle

 

[FASTFAT]

it's pretty weird to see 1/2 x2 aluminum bar bed thinking that 36 x that pull power is on one rim

 

[coastkid71]

I just read this and have to ask WTF are you on about? 🤣🤣🤣
I read more and more posts on this Forum that go way beyond normal thinking and folk are making too much complicated thinking into what is a simple thing - a bicycle... ok a Fat tyre bicycle... But I don't know what I am missing here on this but folk are missing the basic things that make a bicycle ...

 

[.WestCoastHucker.]

....way beyond normal thinking and folk are making too much complicated thinking into what is a simple thing...

deep down inside, it's just a reason for another excuse to have on deck.

dude, one of my spokes didn't have the proper tension and kept making me foot dab on the switchbacks...

 

[FASTFAT]

MUCH BETTER...400 LBS PULL

 

[bme107]

So what is to say that scale is accurate?
The rabbit hole continues

 

[FASTFAT]

So what is to say that scale is accurate?
The rabbit hole continues

the 100lb certified brass weight.

 

[dir-T]

Sorry for my ignorance but what in the world are you all using these things for? Are fat bikes somehow more prone to wheel problems requiring super precise spoke tension?

My wife just got a fat bike so I'm trying to get up to speed since I'll be maintaining it, when I'm not snowboarding.

 

[.WestCoastHucker.]

Sorry for my ignorance but what in the world are you all using these things for?

nerding out...

seriously though, what is the purpose of testing tensile strength of spokes and what does it have to do with a built wheel?

 

[dkselw]

 

[mikesee]

It's a good thread, it's just in the wrong forum.

 

[dir-T]

I just spin my wheel and let the spokes hit my pinky fingernail. I can hear which are tight or lose relative to each other - then ignore them all appropriately.

 

[FASTFAT]

It's a good thread, it's just in the wrong forum.

i have come in the fat bike door since i joined i forgot there was more.lol

 

[mtnbkrmike]

On a positive note, although somewhat bespoke, at least it’s not raising the same issue for the 15th time in the last 3 months.

 

[FlaMtnBkr]

For those that don't understand, it's to calibrate a spoke tensionometer (sp?). The tensionometer is placed on a spoke and a spring applies a force perpendicular to the spoke and it equates the spoke deflection over a set distance to a tensile force that is pulling on the spoke. So if you know what that force is, you can make sure the device is accurate. Most have a screw that changes the spring force to adjust it so it reads the correct deflection for the amount of tensile force.

Also, the type of spoke will cause the amount of deflection to change. So you can also calibrate it for a specific spoke. They also come with a chart that equates spoke type to a reading for a certain force and these charts can get lost so they can also be recreated for the spokes you use.

Many rims have a max or a recommended range of force and this gauge helps to build a wheel following these recommendations. It also helps to verify that spokes are evenly tensioned. And building a calibration rig like above let's one know that the guage is accurate and meaningful.

It might not be needed but it's a quick verification. And if your business is wheels, why not? Or if you're building a fancy wheel with an expensive carbon rim, I'm sure many people would like to know it is correctly tensioned when built.

 

[BrianU]

These are really not practical for someone that does not or rarely builds a set of wheels, but for those of us that "it is just a bicycle wheel" is laughable and the thought of doing something just "good enough" makes your left eye twitch, this is a great post. I have been wanting to build some type of jig for checking my gauge.

 

[FASTFAT]

btw. this guy works great. wayyyyyyy better that park's tool.

 

[WHALENARD]

btw. this guy works great. wayyyyyyy better that park's tool. View attachment 1956055

Hmm... that's mighty tempting. A DT Swiss clone. Didn't realize they were out there but makes sense.

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