THIS is what I like to call some serious, reliable and (as long as the measurements are right) accurate Hillbilly Engineering! Good job, sir! I’m going to make one like that myself
Like honestly what the shop was charging seems pretty reasonable- not negging the idea of DIY I’m just saying that it’s not like you were being shafted there mate ye gotta pay people for labour especially if skilled.
In spite of the kibbitzing, you made a video that focused on one simple challenge (building a stand, not truing a wheel) and you're still at the top of the youtube search for "how to make a bicycle truing stand"! One simple addition would be linking your two arms with a tensioned bolt or all thread below the adjustment screws. This will make the centerline more consistent than just depending on the pivot bolts. When you set the centerline, say with a piece of plywood, you can mark the bolts, or you can just flip your wheel around and set both sides using the valve stem hole as a reliable mark.
I just use the bike itself (as long as the wheel can still turn in the frame). A popsicle stich held in place with a rubber ban works as a feeler, can even use the mounted brake pads on rim brakes
Nice work what I would try and add just to make it easier to tell which spokes need to be adjusted is get two sticks of chalk and screw into the back of them or find a way to attach them to the end of the truing arms. Maybe get a red and blue style chalk to give you a great reference on which side is in and out then just wipe it off after.
Nice stand, good idea adding a dial gauge to it. I’ve got the cheaper Park Tool stand and as this is all steel it works great with a dial gauge. Many people would think it is overkill but I actually find it easier than using a pointer, (failing eyesight and all that) I have used them a lot at work over the years so I find it pretty intuitive. Only drawback is you can get pretty obsessive over how true you want your wheel to be! Someone mentioned dishing, I’ve seen a DIY one somewhere on here made from wood. Just needs an adjustable pointer.
I've built a stand like that and used it to make up 20 inch wheels. I was wondering how to use it for a 700c wheel. Your idea of extending with wood I hadn't thought of. well done, I will try that.
Very nice piece! I wonder why you never thought of adding an alignment guide for your disc rotor. I see many of these truing stands do not have a disc rotor alingment guage for truing disc rotor Thanks for sharing
Love your design. I would have built it except for Chain Reaction had their Lifeline Truing Stand on sale for $160CDN. I'm just a home mechanic too but $160 divided by 7 bikes * 2 wheels = cheap like borsht without the hassle of building. Is it a Park? No. Do I need a Park? No. I also have no router. Also, by the time I go and get the angle iron and do all the cutting etc. I am looking at probably 4 hours. Minimum wage here in Ontario, Canada, is now $16, so 4*$16 = $64 plus $30 materials + inconvenience costs = I bought the Lifeline. (Free delivery was the "coup de grace"! Peace!
have you thought about rotor/disk truing add on? your stand looks modular, so you can add it later if you want I am sure but not sure exactly how. I haven't had time to make a stand, So I have Park Tool stand, but yours does the job.
@nod bod Yup, but if you can't find nylon ones, brass acorn nuts (aka "cap nuts" or "crown nuts") are also available. A bit softer than steel, so hopefully won't scratch steel rims.
i use a vernier calliper to true my wheels on a similar design to this. I measure a piece of wood about 2 feet wide. mark a centre point. from there you can figure out a simple mount for the calliper, align it with the centre of the base and with one knob turn, you have a perfect baseline. using two separate screws is useless. no way to know true centre . ten bucks at Canadian Tire for a digital set. lock them to an adjustable vertical slide and you are good to go ! i'm gonna try to design an attachment for the bike frame itself for quick jobs too.
I haven't read all the comments, but I can't figure out how you know if you are not "raking" the wheel. i.e. you can have a wheel no longer be out of round, but NOT have the wheel travel directly over the hub, but be off a little, or a lot. How do you NOT have it be "raked" with this method?
Flip the wheel in the stand. If the rim is not centered, those bolt-ends that you screw up to be next to the rim will be off. I would suggest you find a book on truing a wheel.
The Precision on these is not too important, as long as it produces repeatably mounted wheels. It's not a problem if the wheel is in the truing stand at a bit of an angle, IF you use only one feeler (on one side) and flip the wheel around to check the other side. That's also a good way to dish a wheel on a stand like this, by just setting one side and then checking the distance if you flip the wheel around. If you want to do them concentric, put the 2 blocks of wood on top of each other, clamp them together and drill all the holes on a drill press. That ensures the holes are gonna be perpendicular, and since you drilled both sides at the same time, you know they will line up, to the tolerances outlined above anyway. This also applies for the vertical posts which kinda should be the same length and have the holes equally spaced...
Thanks for sharing! It's not that I don't want to support LBS but, as a heavier rider in a dusty, hilly town, maintenance is a near daily necessity for me. Paying someone to do all the regular work I do would not be feasible long-term.
Generally, if you ride a lot, relying on shops isn't feasible even short term. Very few shops are ready to do what you need done when you need it done. Some will agree to do it while-you-wait, but only if you let them know in advance (which may mean hours, but also weeks). I ride daily and don't want to own several bikes, so doing all of the maintenance on my own is really the best solution. Besides, in my opinion, some shops are charging ridiculous prices for even basic maintenance, but I suppose they can as long as people are willing to pay. And while owning some tools may not save you money on maintenance, it will save you time.
DanZi Rulez I’m making minor tweaks. I’m not that concerned. If I was building a wheel I’d get a proper dishing tool. This is more for the “oh shit, I just cased that landing” fixes.
Yard Sale Dale thanks! This was one of my early projects and was a “gateway drug” of sorts. I’ve learned so much since I posted this video and I really appreciate tips from people like you.
If you're interested in personal truing solution on the cheap, you probably can't do any better than UNIOR's pocket wheel truing tool (costs something like $25). It's an add-on that attaches to your fork or frame and while it seems ridiculous at first, it's actually better than a basic truing stand. Most basic ones will only work with QR skewers, others will require adaptors that bump the price up slightly higher. The UNIOR tool will work no matter the width of your hub, no matter the axle you have, and it works for both rim and rotor truing.
The slot and hole angle you have there available at HD is now complete garbage, I bought some of this stuff to use in a project and only some of the slots and holes would line up. It is like during the stamping process they have parts of the system spaced differently causing inconsistencies rendering the product useless when you need twin parts.
"The key takeaways are (1) using a piece of threaded rod as an axle," Isn't that what bikes already have? Threaded rods for axles? Usually 3/8 inch diameter, some older ones have 5/16 on the front axle. Congratulations you just invented something that's already existed for over a hundred years.
Congratulations to you too. I’m glad you’re sharing your insightful comments. Seriously, what’s the point of that comment? What do you get out of being a snarky a**hole? I’m genuinely confused what you’re missing in your life that putting out negativity on the internet enriches it. (And no, you’re just factually wrong on what bikes use as axles).
@@jonathankalodimosphd I actually have a bike, which I maintain myself, it has 3/8 solid axles. They are basically threaded rods. They are much stronger than the soft steel rods sold in hardware stores, & have a different thread pitch. But fundamentally they are rods with threads along them, i.e. threaded rods. Please do not get too excited & try to replace your coat-hanger-wire "skewers" (notice that they aren't even called axles, sorry) with threaded rods from the hardware store. That kind of rod is not safe to use on a bike! Go to your LBS and ask for "solid axles" to get proper axles.
You guys are nuts I have seen Amazon deals that are 10 bucks shy of what he paid! There are so many mathematical things wrong with his schematic! Folks the this you-tuber is definitely intelligent and will not be left behind during the Zombie apocalypse, but this is not it! Go get a good quality piece of equipment or pay the 35 bucks down the street! As my parents always said if your going to critique be constructive! This was a great video very detailed and thorough I would like to see more from him when the architecture does not compromise something as perfect as the wheel.
Paul Veliz I appreciate the critique. Looking back at many of my early projects I sometimes cringe at certain design elements or construction choices, but what is amazing is the cumulative experience of little projects like this has allowed me build some pretty amazing things later (ex., an acoustic guitar built from scratch, a substantial welding table, fab’d stuff for my vehicle). My point is DIY is not just about the product you have at the end. The experience and knowledge gained is just as valuable. Seriously though, thanks for the constructive critique.
great job! but 35 bucks is more than fair at a bike shop. a truing stand costs 400 bucks, then you need a dishing tool for 100 bucks and you need a tension meter for 120 buck and then you need ...... but still, for a basic stand, great job !
Dude, you’re a grown adult who plays with kids’ toys made of cheap plastic. We all choose what to spend our money on. I prefer to spend it on building skills instead of consuming commercial junk that is no better and often times worse than the stuff I make.
@@jonathankalodimosphd fair enough, but I just find it impractical to build and spend $30 rather than buying it Amazon for another $20 more. But like what you said its building the skills that matter. Just dont want to spend more time on the building rather spend the time in truing. Anyways excuse my sarcasm!
Well, all would depend on the locale - different incomes, different prices of living. By the standards of where I live, $75 for an hour of simple manual work is absolutely ridiculous - I'd meet my monthly needs by working monday-friday a single hour every day. And let's be honest - fixing bikes isn't rocket science. Definitely would not come into your shop :)
The fact that the narrator immediately made Issue with a bike shop charging a paltry sum of $35 dollars leads me to believe his “avid” doityerselfishness stems strictly from cheapskating rather than any altruistic motive. Just buy a trying stand like everyone else!
The point is he learns more about bicycle mechanics by building the tools himself. On a diy build, he can customize his tools to his needs and he can even toss the damn thing away when he needs to because he can build another one himself. This is a luxury that comes with a diy mentality and it extends beyond just a truing stand.
THIS is what I like to call some serious, reliable and (as long as the measurements are right) accurate Hillbilly Engineering!
Good job, sir! I’m going to make one like that myself
/golf clap
Like honestly what the shop was charging seems pretty reasonable- not negging the idea of DIY I’m just saying that it’s not like you were being shafted there mate ye gotta pay people for labour especially if skilled.
In spite of the kibbitzing, you made a video that focused on one simple challenge (building a stand, not truing a wheel) and you're still at the top of the youtube search for "how to make a bicycle truing stand"! One simple addition would be linking your two arms with a tensioned bolt or all thread below the adjustment screws. This will make the centerline more consistent than just depending on the pivot bolts. When you set the centerline, say with a piece of plywood, you can mark the bolts, or you can just flip your wheel around and set both sides using the valve stem hole as a reliable mark.
Thanks for the idea!
I just use the bike itself (as long as the wheel can still turn in the frame). A popsicle stich held in place with a rubber ban works as a feeler, can even use the mounted brake pads on rim brakes
Nice work what I would try and add just to make it easier to tell which spokes need to be adjusted is get two sticks of chalk and screw into the back of them or find a way to attach them to the end of the truing arms. Maybe get a red and blue style chalk to give you a great reference on which side is in and out then just wipe it off after.
Nice stand, good idea adding a dial gauge to it. I’ve got the cheaper Park Tool stand and as this is all steel it works great with a dial gauge. Many people would think it is overkill but I actually find it easier than using a pointer, (failing eyesight and all that) I have used them a lot at work over the years so I find it pretty intuitive. Only drawback is you can get pretty obsessive over how true you want your wheel to be! Someone mentioned dishing, I’ve seen a DIY one somewhere on here made from wood. Just needs an adjustable pointer.
Just finished this yesterday. Thank you seems to work well.
Went for ride today and must say wheel was a bit straighter than my old method of trueing a wheel. This stand now cost about $ 40.00
@@laurarettig9874 Good info. I need to fix my wheel and might go this route.
Awesome super-simple design, buildable quickly and with minimal tools. Also easy to modify. BTW, next time try T-nuts for those gauges.
I like the acorn nut a
great idea.. I do something similar by brazing a 1/4 ball bearing to the indicators..
I've built a stand like that and used it to make up 20 inch wheels. I was wondering how to use it for a 700c wheel. Your idea of extending with wood I hadn't thought of. well done, I will try that.
Very nice piece!
I wonder why you never thought of adding an alignment guide for your disc rotor. I see many of these truing stands do not have a disc rotor alingment guage for truing disc rotor
Thanks for sharing
Very nice,design...I'm using an old rear end from another used bike for mine...your guides on the front give me an idea of how to make my guides...
I heard some people were using 5eur Ikea Lack tables as truing stands. Will try with one.
Awesome work! As a side note, I recognized your voice from somewhere and realized that I watched a few of your bond tutorials a while back haha
Love your design. I would have built it except for Chain Reaction had their Lifeline Truing Stand on sale for $160CDN. I'm just a home mechanic too but $160 divided by 7 bikes * 2 wheels = cheap like borsht without the hassle of building. Is it a Park? No. Do I need a Park? No. I also have no router. Also, by the time I go and get the angle iron and do all the cutting etc. I am looking at probably 4 hours. Minimum wage here in Ontario, Canada, is now $16, so 4*$16 = $64 plus $30 materials + inconvenience costs = I bought the Lifeline. (Free delivery was the "coup de grace"! Peace!
they make a plastic acorn nut so you dont cut it down like a lathe.
Excellent video. I like the set up. Thanks for sharing.
Nice truing stand! Thanks for sharing!
For the money spent you can't beat it with a stick. Great job!!
have you thought about rotor/disk truing add on? your stand looks modular, so you can add it later if you want I am sure but not sure exactly how. I haven't had time to make a stand, So I have Park Tool stand, but yours does the job.
hello, does that work with regular axles? do you just make a different set of v shaped wooden stands for it?
"I hate the idea of metal on metal on this static surface so I made it with wood.." Continues to rub surfaces with various metal objects...
Instead of metal screws, a wooden pencil is better. use the butt as the touching point with the rims.
@nod bod Yup, but if you can't find nylon ones, brass acorn nuts (aka "cap nuts" or "crown nuts") are also available. A bit softer than steel, so hopefully won't scratch steel rims.
Just tape a pencil, plastic or cover it with rubber as long as it works and it doesn't rub the rim as it will get scratches.
@@donaldmccanna piece of rubber hose threaded on the end would work fine.
A dial gauge to true a wheel, LOL. Been doin it 40 years to less than a millimeter for 40 years. Bit the stand was pretty creative.
i use a vernier calliper to true my wheels on a similar design to this. I measure a piece of wood about 2 feet wide. mark a centre point. from there you can figure out a simple mount for the calliper, align it with the centre of the base and with one knob turn, you have a perfect baseline. using two separate screws is useless. no way to know true centre . ten bucks at Canadian Tire for a digital set. lock them to an adjustable vertical slide and you are good to go ! i'm gonna try to design an attachment for the bike frame itself for quick jobs too.
How did the threaded rod to through the hub? Wouldn't the threads damage the inside of the hub?
I wrapped the threads in electrical tape for that exact reason, just in case.
Thank You! save’s money.
Good job, sir!
Hy Jonathan awesome idea, what is measurement of this all metals ? I just newly qualified mechanic and I like to make one please send me measurement.
I haven't read all the comments, but I can't figure out how you know if you are not "raking" the wheel. i.e. you can have a wheel no longer be out of round, but NOT have the wheel travel directly over the hub, but be off a little, or a lot. How do you NOT have it be "raked" with this method?
Flip the wheel in the stand. If the rim is not centered, those bolt-ends that you screw up to be next to the rim will be off. I would suggest you find a book on truing a wheel.
THANK YOU!!!!! God bless!
Not the best Diy but very good enough to do the job and give food for a better approach.
Thanks Jonathan
When you slotted that wood how do you know the holes for the axle are concentric?
The Precision on these is not too important, as long as it produces repeatably mounted wheels. It's not a problem if the wheel is in the truing stand at a bit of an angle, IF you use only one feeler (on one side) and flip the wheel around to check the other side. That's also a good way to dish a wheel on a stand like this, by just setting one side and then checking the distance if you flip the wheel around.
If you want to do them concentric, put the 2 blocks of wood on top of each other, clamp them together and drill all the holes on a drill press. That ensures the holes are gonna be perpendicular, and since you drilled both sides at the same time, you know they will line up, to the tolerances outlined above anyway. This also applies for the vertical posts which kinda should be the same length and have the holes equally spaced...
Thanks for sharing!
It's not that I don't want to support LBS but, as a heavier rider in a dusty, hilly town, maintenance is a near daily necessity for me.
Paying someone to do all the regular work I do would not be feasible long-term.
Generally, if you ride a lot, relying on shops isn't feasible even short term. Very few shops are ready to do what you need done when you need it done. Some will agree to do it while-you-wait, but only if you let them know in advance (which may mean hours, but also weeks).
I ride daily and don't want to own several bikes, so doing all of the maintenance on my own is really the best solution. Besides, in my opinion, some shops are charging ridiculous prices for even basic maintenance, but I suppose they can as long as people are willing to pay.
And while owning some tools may not save you money on maintenance, it will save you time.
its called dexion smiles...great video!
Hi is there a way I can make this truing stand for my wheel that is with a quick release axle and not thru axle?
not the creator, but you just use your quick release instead of the bolt and nut?
And How you're gonna true front wheel?
aren't u afraid that u gonna dish the wheel to one side or the other? Great DIY, I like it!
DanZi Rulez I’m making minor tweaks. I’m not that concerned. If I was building a wheel I’d get a proper dishing tool. This is more for the “oh shit, I just cased that landing” fixes.
Yard Sale Dale thanks! This was one of my early projects and was a “gateway drug” of sorts. I’ve learned so much since I posted this video and I really appreciate tips from people like you.
If you're interested in personal truing solution on the cheap, you probably can't do any better than UNIOR's pocket wheel truing tool (costs something like $25). It's an add-on that attaches to your fork or frame and while it seems ridiculous at first, it's actually better than a basic truing stand. Most basic ones will only work with QR skewers, others will require adaptors that bump the price up slightly higher. The UNIOR tool will work no matter the width of your hub, no matter the axle you have, and it works for both rim and rotor truing.
I applaud you for your effort, but in all honesty, just using zip ties on your frame/fork would be every bit as effective and much less expensive.
Good idea
not really in case of back wheel mate
Why not just use the bike frame?
You have to make 2 as front and rear wheels are mostly different
Man, as a poor college student, I'd love to make this, but sadly I lack the saws I'd need to cut things to length :(
Zip tie does exactly the same thing
Thanks for some great ideas
The slot and hole angle you have there available at HD is now complete garbage, I bought some of this stuff to use in a project and only some of the slots and holes would line up. It is like during the stamping process they have parts of the system spaced differently causing inconsistencies rendering the product useless when you need twin parts.
"The key takeaways are (1) using a piece of threaded rod as an axle," Isn't that what bikes already have? Threaded rods for axles? Usually 3/8 inch diameter, some older ones have 5/16 on the front axle. Congratulations you just invented something that's already existed for over a hundred years.
Congratulations to you too. I’m glad you’re sharing your insightful comments. Seriously, what’s the point of that comment? What do you get out of being a snarky a**hole? I’m genuinely confused what you’re missing in your life that putting out negativity on the internet enriches it.
(And no, you’re just factually wrong on what bikes use as axles).
@@jonathankalodimosphd I actually have a bike, which I maintain myself, it has 3/8 solid axles. They are basically threaded rods. They are much stronger than the soft steel rods sold in hardware stores, & have a different thread pitch. But fundamentally they are rods with threads along them, i.e. threaded rods. Please do not get too excited & try to replace your coat-hanger-wire "skewers" (notice that they aren't even called axles, sorry) with threaded rods from the hardware store. That kind of rod is not safe to use on a bike! Go to your LBS and ask for "solid axles" to get proper axles.
It's called Unistrut.
They have $30 wheel truing stands on aliexpress
Make a video
Is costs $90 at my LBS
You guys are nuts I have seen Amazon deals that are 10 bucks shy of what he paid! There are so many mathematical things wrong with his schematic! Folks the this you-tuber is definitely intelligent and will not be left behind during the Zombie apocalypse, but this is not it! Go get a good quality piece of equipment or pay the 35 bucks down the street! As my parents always said if your going to critique be constructive! This was a great video very detailed and thorough I would like to see more from him when the architecture does not compromise something as perfect as the wheel.
Paul Veliz I appreciate the critique. Looking back at many of my early projects I sometimes cringe at certain design elements or construction choices, but what is amazing is the cumulative experience of little projects like this has allowed me build some pretty amazing things later (ex., an acoustic guitar built from scratch, a substantial welding table, fab’d stuff for my vehicle). My point is DIY is not just about the product you have at the end. The experience and knowledge gained is just as valuable. Seriously though, thanks for the constructive critique.
For example I’d pay you as you seem to know you stuff 😂
great job! but 35 bucks is more than fair at a bike shop. a truing stand costs 400 bucks, then you need a dishing tool for 100 bucks and you need a tension meter for 120 buck and then you need ...... but still, for a basic stand, great job !
It's so easy to do on the bike.
Why is it ridiculous to charge money for labour?
Καλό!!
thnx! simple thing to build why pay.
Edit: If this is to complicated for you - leave your bike @ professional service.
So you spend thousand of dollars on your bike and you can only afford to build a cheap truing stand.....lol
Dude, you’re a grown adult who plays with kids’ toys made of cheap plastic. We all choose what to spend our money on. I prefer to spend it on building skills instead of consuming commercial junk that is no better and often times worse than the stuff I make.
@@jonathankalodimosphd fair enough, but I just find it impractical to build and spend $30 rather than buying it Amazon for another $20 more. But like what you said its building the skills that matter. Just dont want to spend more time on the building rather spend the time in truing. Anyways excuse my sarcasm!
If you thing $35 is nuts to true a wheel don't come to my shop. We charge a flat rate of $75 per hour or part, so you'd pay $75 here. $35 is a gift!
Well, all would depend on the locale - different incomes, different prices of living. By the standards of where I live, $75 for an hour of simple manual work is absolutely ridiculous - I'd meet my monthly needs by working monday-friday a single hour every day. And let's be honest - fixing bikes isn't rocket science. Definitely would not come into your shop :)
that's retarded and your shop is a shithole
Is it cool to brag about how much money u can muscle out of patrons? Your shop sucks dude. Let me know where it is so I can burn it on google.
Waaay to complicated
The fact that the narrator immediately made Issue with a bike shop charging a paltry sum of $35 dollars leads me to believe his “avid” doityerselfishness stems strictly from cheapskating rather than any altruistic motive. Just buy a trying stand like everyone else!
Stfu
Way too flexy, Mussons solution is best diy truing stand
Cool. This system works for me but you should share a link for the solution method you mentioned so other riders know all their options.
@@jonathankalodimosphdits in Roger Mussons book Guide to wheel building
For a few dollars more you can get a Park on one eBay, then sell it when you're done. Can't see the point in all this :-(
Grenville Edwards the point is the same as riding bikes in the woods... it makes me happy.
The point is he learns more about bicycle mechanics by building the tools himself. On a diy build, he can customize his tools to his needs and he can even toss the damn thing away when he needs to because he can build another one himself. This is a luxury that comes with a diy mentality and it extends beyond just a truing stand.