So, I have the following combination of supplies to build up a set of wheels for my motorized bike build. I've got more details below, but basically, I'm hoping for advice on painting the hubs and trying to swap for longer axles. I'd also like to know if I'm on the right track with the spokes and my lacing planning.
Front Hub: Sturmey Archer XL-FDD
Rear Hub: Sturmey X-RD3
Rims: Alex DX-32 (both)
Tires: Fatti-O 24x3
First, I'm trying to mount this to a Whizzer front fork, with 140mm spacing. It seems like the easiest way to deal with it will be a really long front axle, and some kind of spacers (I've got access to a lathe, so I could make the spacers). Does anyone know if I could simply swap the existing axle for a longer 9mm solid axle?
Second, I'd like red hubs & Rims. The rims look like this will be easy, but not so much with the hubs. I don't really want to remove the riveted arm on the brake side, so I thought maybe I could just go with a red hub-shell instead of the entire hub. This lead to disassembly:
I'm planning on sending the frame out for powder coating once its ready, so I thought it would make sense to powder coat the hub too... Unfortunately, it looks like part of the hub is press-fit together, and I'd never be able to take it apart without breaking things. I also don't think I could clean out all the grease before it got sent off to be coated and baked. I also don't know what the white stuff is on the brake side - maybe some kind of thread anti-seize stuff or sealant?
Is there still any way to get the hubs or hub-shells powder coated? Would it be a better idea to just paint the hubs instead? Any idea what kind of paint might stand up to a lot of abuse on the rims?
Last item: Wheel building - this one is scary for me.
I'm going to take a crack at building my own wheels, but it's my first time :shock: ! I'm wondering if I'm on the right track. I used the Sturmey website to find each hub's flange info, and looked up the ERD for the Alex rims online. I put the values into this online calculator, with the results linked below:
Front wheel datasheet
Rear wheel datasheet
I was thinking the 4X pattern would be best (the calculator is supposed to warn me if one of the patterns won't work) since its supposed to be stronger? I had my doubts, so I tried another calculator with a graphic output (I like pictures). The output looks like a 4X pattern is sketchy (spokes might interfere):
So, for my last step, I repeated the process to try out a 3X pattern, which looks feasible:
The two spoke calculators gave values that differed by .5mm or less, so I hope they're reliable. I'm more worried about the numbers that I put into the calculators, and my process. Does it look like I'm on the right track here? Will I be safe to order spokes using the lengths from the PDFs above, and proceed with a 3X pattern? If I've got something wrong, please set me straight!
(BTW, I'm planning on ordering custom 12ga spokes from Holmes Hobbies, and fully expect to ream out the spoke holes a little.)
Front Hub: Sturmey Archer XL-FDD
Rear Hub: Sturmey X-RD3
Rims: Alex DX-32 (both)
Tires: Fatti-O 24x3
First, I'm trying to mount this to a Whizzer front fork, with 140mm spacing. It seems like the easiest way to deal with it will be a really long front axle, and some kind of spacers (I've got access to a lathe, so I could make the spacers). Does anyone know if I could simply swap the existing axle for a longer 9mm solid axle?
Second, I'd like red hubs & Rims. The rims look like this will be easy, but not so much with the hubs. I don't really want to remove the riveted arm on the brake side, so I thought maybe I could just go with a red hub-shell instead of the entire hub. This lead to disassembly:
I'm planning on sending the frame out for powder coating once its ready, so I thought it would make sense to powder coat the hub too... Unfortunately, it looks like part of the hub is press-fit together, and I'd never be able to take it apart without breaking things. I also don't think I could clean out all the grease before it got sent off to be coated and baked. I also don't know what the white stuff is on the brake side - maybe some kind of thread anti-seize stuff or sealant?
Is there still any way to get the hubs or hub-shells powder coated? Would it be a better idea to just paint the hubs instead? Any idea what kind of paint might stand up to a lot of abuse on the rims?
Last item: Wheel building - this one is scary for me.
I'm going to take a crack at building my own wheels, but it's my first time :shock: ! I'm wondering if I'm on the right track. I used the Sturmey website to find each hub's flange info, and looked up the ERD for the Alex rims online. I put the values into this online calculator, with the results linked below:
Front wheel datasheet
Rear wheel datasheet
I was thinking the 4X pattern would be best (the calculator is supposed to warn me if one of the patterns won't work) since its supposed to be stronger? I had my doubts, so I tried another calculator with a graphic output (I like pictures). The output looks like a 4X pattern is sketchy (spokes might interfere):
So, for my last step, I repeated the process to try out a 3X pattern, which looks feasible:
The two spoke calculators gave values that differed by .5mm or less, so I hope they're reliable. I'm more worried about the numbers that I put into the calculators, and my process. Does it look like I'm on the right track here? Will I be safe to order spokes using the lengths from the PDFs above, and proceed with a 3X pattern? If I've got something wrong, please set me straight!
(BTW, I'm planning on ordering custom 12ga spokes from Holmes Hobbies, and fully expect to ream out the spoke holes a little.)
