Dishing without a dish tool

[Rich]

Is there a way to do that? I was building a wheel last night for the first time away from a shop and
realized that I didn't have a dish tool. My truing stand isn't the most accurate device so I
couldn't trust it's center mark.

The method I used was to set the feeler thingies on both sides to touch the rim, flip the wheel over
and true twords the side that had a gap, flip and repeat, flip and repeat. I did that until a flip
fit perfectly back between the feelers.

Does that make sense? It looked fine in the frame when I was done. I was going to run it by a shop
later to check it.

Is there a better shade tree method.

 

[Tw406]

Flip the wheel back and forth in the stand as you bring it up to true.

<<Dishing without a dish tool

Is there a way to do that?

 

[S. Delaire \"Ro]

A good "home brew method" : place a couple of tall glasses of the same height on a dinner table,
place the rim on the glasses, measure from the table to the axle lock nut, use anything ( books work
) as the measuring gage, flip wheel and measure again. This method is very accurate. Speedy

Rich wrote:

> Is there a way to do that? I was building a wheel last night for the first time away from a shop
> and realized that I didn't have a dish tool. My truing stand isn't the most accurate device so I
> couldn't trust it's center mark.
>
> The method I used was to set the feeler thingies on both sides to touch the rim, flip the wheel
> over and true twords the side that had a gap, flip and repeat, flip and repeat. I did that until a
> flip fit perfectly back between the feelers.
>
> Does that make sense? It looked fine in the frame when I was done. I was going to run it by a shop
> later to check it.
>
> Is there a better shade tree method.

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[Mark Hickey]

Rich <[email protected]> wrote:

>Is there a way to do that? I was building a wheel last night for the first time away from a shop
>and realized that I didn't have a dish tool. My truing stand isn't the most accurate device so I
>couldn't trust it's center mark.
>
>The method I used was to set the feeler thingies on both sides to touch the rim, flip the wheel
>over and true twords the side that had a gap, flip and repeat, flip and repeat. I did that until a
>flip fit perfectly back between the feelers.
>
>Does that make sense? It looked fine in the frame when I was done. I was going to run it by a shop
>later to check it.
>
>Is there a better shade tree method.

Lay the wheel on the floor without the skewer or tire, with one side of the rim touching the wall.
Mark where the rim touches the wall. Flip it over in exactly the same place and compare where the
rim touches to the mark you made. Half the difference is the dishing error.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[Harris]

"Rich" wrote:

> The method I used was to set the feeler thingies on both sides to touch the rim, flip the wheel
> over and true twords the side that had a gap, flip and repeat, flip and repeat. I did that until a
> flip fit perfectly back between the feelers.

When flipping the wheel results in no difference, you've got it right. Leave the tall glasses in the
cupboard. ;->

Art Harris

 

[David L. Johnso]

On Fri, 20 Jun 2003 15:28:14 +0000, Mark Hickey wrote:

> Rich <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Is there a way to do that? I was building a wheel last night for the first time away from a shop
>>and realized that I didn't have a dish tool. My truing stand isn't the most accurate device so I
>>couldn't trust it's center mark.
>>
>>The method I used was to set the feeler thingies on both sides to touch the rim, flip the wheel
>>over and true twords the side that had a gap, flip and repeat, flip and repeat. I did that until a
>>flip fit perfectly back between the feelers.

That wouldn't work for me, since my truing stand is not that predictable. I personally don't like
the idea of using even a good truing stand to set the dish.

I made my own dishing tool. It is simple to do. Get a piece of angle iron, or aluminum stock --
basically anything straight and easy to work. It has to be longer than the diameter of a wheel.
Drill holes in either end spaced even with the flats of a rim. Drill a hole in the middle.

Attach carriage bolts about 2.5" long or so by passing them through the holes on the ends and
tightening a nut to hold them. You can be fancier and actually thread the holes if you have a tap. I
use a flat-head bolt on the center hole, headed the other way and held with a pair of wing-nuts.
Adjust the center bolt so that the top of the head just touches the locknut on one side of the hub,
with the ends of the other two bolts on the rim. Don't measure against the end of the axle, since it
may not be centered with respect to the locknuts. Flip wheel over and compare.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | I don't believe you, you've got the whole damn thing all wrong. _`\(,_ | He's not the kind
you have to wind-up on Sundays. --Ian (_)/ (_) | Anderson

 

[Rich]

S. Delaire "Rotatorrecumbent" wrote:

> A good "home brew method" : place a couple of tall glasses of the same height on a dinner table,
> place the rim on the glasses, measure from the table to the axle lock nut, use anything ( books
> work ) as the measuring gage, flip wheel and measure again. This method is very accurate. Speedy

I assume that the glasses should be weighed down with beer to prevent shifting?

 

[Donald Gillies]

Rich <[email protected]> writes:

>Is there a way to do that? I was building a wheel last night for the first time away from a shop
>and realized that I didn't have a dish tool. My truing stand isn't the most accurate device so I
>couldn't trust it's center mark.

Well, brings back thoughts of when I was in high school: center your centerpull brakes, and then
tighten your centerpull brake bolts to turn your bike into a dishing stand, and then true the wheel
while its upside-down on the bike. This is by far the most affordable technique, since not only is a
dishing tool not required, but a trueing stand is also not required. Warning: your out-of-round-ness
may vary ...

This technique is potentially much more accurate than the mark-your-wall method, the dining room
glasses method, the flip-it truing stand method, and even the shop dishing-tool method, because your
bike's alignment is the final judge of whether your wheel is dished properly or not.

And after all, what serious rider hasn't crashed their bike lately?

- Don Gillies San Diego, CA

 

[S. Delaire \"Ro]

Clever... The least amount of tools You win Speedy

Mark Hickey wrote:

> Rich <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Is there a way to do that? I was building a wheel last night for the first time away from a shop
> >and realized that I didn't have a dish tool. My truing stand isn't the most accurate device so I
> >couldn't trust it's center mark.
> >
> >The method I used was to set the feeler thingies on both sides to touch the rim, flip the wheel
> >over and true twords the side that had a gap, flip and repeat, flip and repeat. I did that until
> >a flip fit perfectly back between the feelers.
> >
> >Does that make sense? It looked fine in the frame when I was done. I was going to run it by a
> >shop later to check it.
> >
> >Is there a better shade tree method.
>
> Lay the wheel on the floor without the skewer or tire, with one side of the rim touching the wall.
> Mark where the rim touches the wall. Flip it over in exactly the same place and compare where the
> rim touches to the mark you made. Half the difference is the dishing error.
>
> Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame

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[Andymorris]

S. Delaire "Rotatorrecumbent" wrote:
> Clever... The least amount of tools You win

Don't you hate it when rednecks are right.

Good one Mark

--
Andy Morris

AndyAtJinkasDotFreeserve.Co.UK

Love this: Put an end to Outlook Express's messy quotes
http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/

 

[Tbgibb]

In article <[email protected]>, Rich <[email protected]> writes:

>Is there a way to do that? I was building a wheel last night for the first time away from a shop
>and realized that I didn't have a dish tool. My truing stand isn't the most accurate device so I
>couldn't trust it's center mark.

A piece of plywood with a straight edge can be made into a dishing tool easily. Just cut out enough
from the middle so it will bridge over the axle and then use a C-clamp to attach a pointer. I use,
as Mr. Johnson said, the lock nut rather than the axle end.

Tom Gibb <[email protected]

 

[Alex Rodriguez]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>Is there a way to do that? I was building a wheel last night for the first time away from a shop
>and realized that I didn't have a dish tool. My truing stand isn't the most accurate device so I
>couldn't trust it's center mark. The method I used was to set the feeler thingies on both sides to
>touch the rim, flip the wheel over and true twords the side that had a gap, flip and repeat, flip
>and repeat. I did that until a flip fit perfectly back between the feelers. Does that make sense?
>It looked fine in the frame when I was done. I was going to run it by a shop later to check it. Is
>there a better shade tree method.

Makes sense, and it works. That's what I use to do before I got a dishing tool.
-----------------
Alex __O _-\<,_ (_)/ (_)

 

[Anthony Campbel]

In article <[email protected]>, Alex Rodriguez wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>>Is there a way to do that? I was building a wheel last night for the first time away from a shop
>>and realized that I didn't have a dish tool. My truing stand isn't the most accurate device so I
>>couldn't trust it's center mark. The method I used was to set the feeler thingies on both sides to
>>touch the rim, flip the wheel over and true twords the side that had a gap, flip and repeat, flip
>>and repeat. I did that until a flip fit perfectly back between the feelers. Does that make sense?
>>It looked fine in the frame when I was done. I was going to run it by a shop later to check it. Is
>>there a better shade tree method.
>
> Makes sense, and it works. That's what I use to do before I got a dishing tool.
> -----------------
> Alex __O _-\<,_ (_)/ (_)
>
>

This works, but you can make your own dishing tool for practically nothing. Instructions and
pictures on my website cycling page.

http://www.acampbell.org.uk/cycling/

AC

--
<<|
| http://www.acampbell.org.uk/cycling/
_________ ,___o / \ __________ _\ <;_ / \ OCD Cycloclimbing ___________ (_)/ (_) / \
http://www.ocd.org.uk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[John Everett]

On Fri, 20 Jun 2003 09:43:19 -0500, Rich <[email protected]> wrote:

>Is there a way to do that? I was building a wheel last night for the first time away from a shop
>and realized that I didn't have a dish tool. My truing stand isn't the most accurate device so I
>couldn't trust it's center mark.
>
>The method I used was to set the feeler thingies on both sides to touch the rim, flip the wheel
>over and true twords the side that had a gap, flip and repeat, flip and repeat. I did that until a
>flip fit perfectly back between the feelers.
>
>Does that make sense? It looked fine in the frame when I was done. I was going to run it by a shop
>later to check it.
>
>Is there a better shade tree method.

The method you used works fine. I don't even have a truing stand (I build my wheels in either a rear
triangle or an old front fork mounted by the steerer in my repair stand) so I dish a litttle
differently.

I use a flat surface (kitchen counter) and a machinist's square. With the tire and skewer removed
lay the wheel on the flat surface with one spot on the rim in contact with the surface. With the
square measure the height of the rim edge 180 degrees opposite the surface contact (easy to find
using either opposing spokes or the stem hole and rim joint). Flip the wheel over and measure again.
On a properly dished wheel th measurement will be the same. If not, adjust and measure again.

Only caveat, make sure the axle ends extend from the locknuts the same distance on both sides. If
not, adjust above measurement appropriately.

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3