Spoke Tension Meter That Is Easy On The Hands?

On 9/22/2016 1:40 AM, Dennis Davis wrote:
In article ,
Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/21/2016 3:33 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
I've got a very basic WheelSmith tensiometer, but when I do an
entire wheel my hands get sore.

viz: http://tinyurl.com/jyzvl2f

Can anybody suggest something more hand-friendly that doesn't
cost over $200?

I'm curious about exactly how your hands get sore. Is it muscular
or joint fatigue from having to squeeze the thing so often? Or
is it pain from the relatively thin edges digging into your hand?
If the latter, might it be solved by padding the edges or using
gloves?

I sense a marketing opportunity here. Get some traditional cycling
gloves -- the ones with the crocheted back. Split the pairs and
sell them individually as left-handed or right-handed wheel building
gloves for use with tensiometers. Sell them each at four times the
price of the pairs. You'll have a lot of the left-handed ones
remaining but, even so, you'll turn a tidy profit :-)


+1
And then a more expensive Wannabee Professional Model with
this formula printed on the back:

http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...t/SPOKFORM.JPG

(real professionals use tattoo ink)
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Per Benderthe.evilrobot:
When I was a kid, someone demonstrated pinging the spokes with a tea spoon
and listening to the pitch.

That would seem to work for relative tension - but not of actual
tension.

Rohloff suggests that spokes be tensioned to about 1000N (with tire
inflated):
https://www.rohloff.de/en/technology...ity/index.html

My problem is getting spokes to that number.


--
Pete Cresswell

Per Frank Krygowski:
I'm curious about exactly how your hands get sore. Is it muscular or
joint fatigue from having to squeeze the thing so often? Or is it pain
from the relatively thin edges digging into your hand?

The last one: point loading by those hard edges on
squeeze-after-squeeze.

Good thought about softening the edges.... I've got some electrician's
mastic somewhere and I'll give that a try.

But I am also suspicious of my current device's accuracy.

Rohloff wants me to put 94 kgs of tension on my spokes, but when I get
up to what the meter says is a little over half of that threads start
squeaking and one spoke has already broken at the threads.
--
Pete Cresswell

On 9/22/2016 8:53 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Frank Krygowski:
I'm curious about exactly how your hands get sore. Is it muscular or
joint fatigue from having to squeeze the thing so often? Or is it pain
from the relatively thin edges digging into your hand?

The last one: point loading by those hard edges on
squeeze-after-squeeze.

Good thought about softening the edges.... I've got some electrician's
mastic somewhere and I'll give that a try.

But I am also suspicious of my current device's accuracy.

Rohloff wants me to put 94 kgs of tension on my spokes, but when I get
up to what the meter says is a little over half of that threads start
squeaking and one spoke has already broken at the threads.


As with any threaded fastener you can get more tension with
less torque on a lubricated thread. We like linseed oil
although just about any oil will do. Oil the threads
sloppily as to wet the nipple-rim interface as well.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On 9/22/2016 9:53 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Frank Krygowski:
I'm curious about exactly how your hands get sore. Is it muscular or
joint fatigue from having to squeeze the thing so often? Or is it pain
from the relatively thin edges digging into your hand?

The last one: point loading by those hard edges on
squeeze-after-squeeze.

Good thought about softening the edges.... I've got some electrician's
mastic somewhere and I'll give that a try.

I was envisioning something like 1/2" wide "handles" that slip over the
hard edges. Perhaps hardwood dowels with a slit for the edges of the
tensiometer.

But it may be easier to start with vinyl tubing, slit to fit over the
tool's edges. Use two or three layers in nesting diameters to build up
padding.


--
- Frank Krygowski

On 9/22/2016 9:48 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Benderthe.evilrobot:
When I was a kid, someone demonstrated pinging the spokes with a tea spoon
and listening to the pitch.

That would seem to work for relative tension - but not of actual
tension.

It should work for actual tension as well, if you've got enough data.
See http://www.bikexprt.com/bicycle/pitcheqn.htm#undrload

and http://www.ihpva.org/HParchive/PDF/hp53-2002.pdf


--
- Frank Krygowski

On 9/22/2016 6:53 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Frank Krygowski:
I'm curious about exactly how your hands get sore. Is it muscular or
joint fatigue from having to squeeze the thing so often? Or is it pain
from the relatively thin edges digging into your hand?

The last one: point loading by those hard edges on
squeeze-after-squeeze.

Good thought about softening the edges.... I've got some electrician's
mastic somewhere and I'll give that a try.

But I am also suspicious of my current device's accuracy.

Rohloff wants me to put 94 kgs of tension on my spokes, but when I get
up to what the meter says is a little over half of that threads start
squeaking and one spoke has already broken at the threads.


My Park has thick plastic "grips" that keep the tool edge from digging
into one's hands. A bit of plastic, tape, or epoxy could give you the
same, just so long as it doesn't interfere with the free motion of the
tool at its pivot.

Also, second what Andy Muzi said about lubricating your spokes. For new
wheels, I also lubricate the rim/nipple interface with a cotton swap
dipped in grease. Makes building so much easier.

Mark J.

"Frank Krygowski" wrote in message
...
On 9/22/2016 9:48 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Benderthe.evilrobot:
When I was a kid, someone demonstrated pinging the spokes with a tea
spoon
and listening to the pitch.

That would seem to work for relative tension - but not of actual
tension.

If you can tune a guitar - you can tune a wheel...................

I have to use a little electronic doodad with a LCD readout.

Come to think of it..........................most come with a coupler for
acoustic guitars, so all you need to know is what pitch is the right
tension.

On 22/09/16 15:48, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Benderthe.evilrobot:
When I was a kid, someone demonstrated pinging the spokes with a tea spoon
and listening to the pitch.

That would seem to work for relative tension - but not of actual
tension.

Rohloff suggests that spokes be tensioned to about 1000N (with tire
inflated):
https://www.rohloff.de/en/technology...ity/index.html

My problem is getting spokes to that number.

That can't be that hard? It's surely about 100kg, depending on the
rider I tension mine from about 90-110, depending on rider.

On Thursday, September 22, 2016 at 6:48:45 AM UTC-7, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Benderthe.evilrobot:
When I was a kid, someone demonstrated pinging the spokes with a tea spoon
and listening to the pitch.

That would seem to work for relative tension - but not of actual
tension.

So, use the tensiometer on one spoke, and your ear to match the rest to that.

-dkl