Spoke key

[thelarkbox]

spoke spanners (mine at least) share the same gauge as the spoke that the nipples they fit screw onto.

 

[Wayners]

Ok. I didn't understand the numbers however. I've tried this key and 12 fits. So that means I need a 12g key?

I also have this key but too small.



It's not very clear or I have strange keys

 

[thelarkbox]

Im gonna guess the 2nd tool is perhaps for measuring automotive/motorcycle spokes as google tells me bike spokes are generally smaller...

edit-- or its just an odd tool and the numbers are the nipple square/nut dimensions????

The diameter of a bicycle spoke is usually measured in millimeters (mm) or gauge.

Diameter by gauge

• 15 gauge: 1.8 mm
• 14 gauge: 2.0 mm
• 13 gauge: 2.3 mm
• 12 gauge: 2.6 mm
• 11 gauge: 2.9 mm
• 10 gauge: 3.2 mm

How to measure
To measure the diameter of a spoke, measure the round section below the thread.

 

[Bikes4two]

................I'd like to hear how you get on with that truing stand. I decided against it because I'd need to make spacers for 74mm, and because it looks rickety. .............

Having bought the above stand back in Nov'24, I finally put it to proper use last week to re-lace a silver front hub motor from a silver rim and spoked wheel to a black rim/spokes (to better match the rear wheel on my road bike ).

Prior to using this stand I've built maybe half a dozen wheels at a rate of one per year or so, so I'm no expert for sure but I've toured on those wheels without issue. The truing stand and tools I'd used previously were DIY jobs as described in the excellent eBook written by Roger Musson (link). The stand, made of wood had got damaged hence having a crack at the cheapo from Amazon.

Well, as you perceived, it isn't the most robust of stands and is really only useful for hubs of OLN 100m and 135/140mm. I didn't like the attachment for checking lateral and radial trueness, preferring instead to use the tools from the Roger Musson book, including a wheel dishing tool as the Amazon stand didn't have a means of measuring wheel dish (getting wheel rim central to the hub over lock nuts (OLN)).

However, in the absence of alternative tools, the 'as suplied' arrangement does work albeit it's a bit fiddly.

Using this stand but the Roger Musson dishing/truing tools, I got the wheel to lateral and radial trueness to withing 1/4 mm and the dishing to within 1 mm (as measured by a dial guage).

I do have a spoke tension guage but only use it to estimate the final tension on a couple of spokes but then use the 'pinging the spokes with a finger nail' method for tensioning the remaining spokes.

So it's a cheap tool which is better than nothing and it worked well enough for me for maybe the one wheel build a year and the odd truing up on my other bikes but in summary I'm glad I only paid £21 for this stand (which does pack away neatly and works well enough with patience) - any more would have been too much for this grade of tool.

 

[Wayners]

Do I need a spoke nipple tool. One that's like a screwdriver which will work along with the spoke key? Just looking now and don't know what I need. Maybe buy a set?

 

[thelarkbox]

Not in my opinion.. an old spoke with the original thread sanded down a bit makes the best tool to inset nipples into deep rims imho, a gentle 'cone' lets you shove the nipple onto the tool and go,,

that a spoke spanner and perhaps a pair of pliers to hold the nipple if the tool is shoved in too well should see you sorted.