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@Polka_Dot
Ok. Sub-project number two:
Before I put the tyres on the wheels I want the spoke tension up to 100kgf but not far if at all past that, however, recently I have begun to doubt the reading from my tension meter. Yes I can make all the spokes have the same tension with it, but I'm not sure what tension that is exactly. So, yesterday I took my tension meter to one of London's reputable bike shops to compare the reading on my meter to the reading they get on theirs using a spoke in whatever wheel was to hand. It doesn't matter if they have a different meter to mine as long as we make the necessary conversion. Unfortunately however, the particular mechanic assisting me with this was a bit vague. He said something like 'On this spoke the reading on your meter is x, on ours it's y which is ABOUT z on yours'. About? The whole point of this exercise is to eliminate doubt and ambiguity! He didn't really answer when I asked what it was in kgf and he couldn't tell me what spoke it was when I asked him.
Well, because I wasn't paying anything for this and I'm sure they had other things to be getting on with I didn't want to press the issue.
So, it seems the only way for me to KNOW, is to set up my own Spoke-Tension-Meter-Calibration-Rig. Essentially, what I want to do is hang 100kg from a lone spoke and then calibrate my meter to that.
I wondered if I shouldn't bother, but I decided I can solve this situation without too much delay.
This is what I knocked together this afternoon:
At first I tried it with just the nipple and head facing the 2mm holes I drilled in the wood, but of course when I balanced my weight on it to try it the the elbow straightened up and the spoke pulled right through the block of wood. Then I found two handy metal discs in my pocket. I drilled a 2.5mm hole in each and used these to spread the weight.
Next I need to hang 100kg of things from it. Using my own weight as part of this would be convenient but it's a bit awkward to balance and check the reading on the meter. I have 40kg of dumbbells I never use that will be a good start.