Wheelbuilding

Wheelbuilding is a very useful skill when customizing bicycles. I have a Raleigh Sport from 1970, normally equipped with a 3 speed Sturmey Archer hub and a set of cantilever breaks, which I want to convert to a single speed bike equiped with a Bendix coaster brake:


First I gather a 36 H coaster hub, a rim, 36 spokes and nipples, a tire and a tube (all of which are recycled materials). I'll use a small flat head screwdriver and a spoke wrench to loosen and tighten the spokes:


I take apart the hub so that I have access to the lips on its edges, through which the spokes will go.


Install the key spoke, from the right of the hub to the right of the valve hole, and which runs inside the lip of the hub, and therefore is introduced from the outside. Grease its thread before screwing the nipple on it. The hub here presents its cog side (or freewheel):


Repeat the procedure leaving a hole between each spoke at the hub, and three holes between each spoke at the rim:


This is what the wheel looks like after the first set of 9 trailing spokes have been installed:



Flip the wheel. Now the key spoke is at the left of the valve hole. At the hub, find the hole that is slightly to the left of the one through which the key spoke runs on the other side. Run a spoke through it, all the way to the hole on the rim that is to the left of the one through which the key spoke is affixed:


That's after the two sets of trailing spokes have been installed:


Flip the wheel back. Now to the leading spokes, which run outside the lip of the hub, cross three trailing spokes: two over and the last one under. The first set of leading spokes will reach the holes to the right of the trailing spokes already attached.


Here is the view from the top after the first set of 9 leading spokes are attached:


Second set of leading spokes on the other side:


Notice that the valve hole is easily accessible with spokes running parallel on each side:


Tighten the nipples with a screwdriver...


... and a spoke wrench:


Rebuild the coaster hub:


True the wheel either with a truing stand, or like me, on the frame using your eyes:


Remount the tube and tire, et voilà:


Now I just need to find a chain...
For more info on how to build a wheel check out Sheldon Brown's wheel building tutorial. That's where I learned how to do it.