ummm...
as an afterthought, i dont have time to explain why to use this, that or the other, or why i do it this way. i have been building wheels for 7 years or so and have had excellent results and customer approval. too many semantics and opinions. i learned from the best in the industry
do this => Wheelsmith DB13 spokes, 32 hole, 3 cross, wheelsmith spoke prep and have a professional built it.
on a 4 cross wheel the crossing spoke actually only crosses over (touches)one spoke, just like a 3 cross wheel: it crosses over one, over another, and under the last spoke, where the spoke gives the wheel strength. the spokes dont weave through each other like over, under, over, under. on a 4 cross wheel you would have over, over, over, under. i wish i could draw a frigging picture. get "the bicycle wheel" book by jobst brand or something.
4 cross is heavier (longer spokes to make the 4 cross) and only slightly laterally stiffer than a 3 cross. you wont notice a difference. lots of people who do bicycle touring and heavy load riding use a 4 cross out of tradition, but they are wierdos like recumbent riders. I used to work at the Wheelsmith shop in Palo Alto, CA and Phil Wood so dont f-ing flame me with your opinions.
as for spokes. Wheelsmith makes a DH13 spoke. 13 gauge at the head and elbow, and 14 gauge the rest of the spoke. lightweight and strong. have you ever seen a spoke break in the middle or at the thread? spokes break at the elbow because of the 90 deg bend they make, and when bad derailier adjustments are made and the chan drops on the spokes and damages them.
you would have to make sure that a hub is drilled big enough for a 12 gauge spoke, as well as be able to get nipples big enough. you might have to drill out the spoke holes larger on the hub and rim and thats just stupid.
good luck, maybe instead you could get a spinergy, an old spin, a mag wheel, or a solid aluminum wheel. that would be blingin.
