New wheel truing stand; learning the hard way
 

I got a Park truing stand for Christmas. Of course I would try the neediest wheels first; my old Super Sport and the two other Super Sports from the co-op. Of course the nearly 50 year old wheels are out of round and abused a bit from over the years. Learning and spending winter hours doing something bike-ish in the cold. I’m thinking when moving newer and more upscale on my meager collection it may get easier. Having fun though.

Old wheels are sometimes tricky to true.

Uneven tension, not dished properly, seized nipples, rim damage and dents, low and high spots. They are sometimes in need of just a couple minor adjustments but sometimes an entire detension and retension

Yes to all the problems there. Didn’t do the total detention, but maybe need to further my education/learning with some more practical experience doing that.

do you have a tensiometer? I would start by even tensioning spokes

It helps tremendously if the spokes aren't seized to the nipples. If that's the case, replace them, if possible. No point in continuing.

I've spayed PB Blaster on the nipples before starting on an old wheel. I squirt where the spoke enters the nipple and from the tire side of the rim. That could help.

You don't have to use PB Blaster, there are other lubricants that work well and don't smell so bad. I've got to try ATF and Acetone.

No tension meter yet, but maybe in the future. Yep, some seized spoke nipples too. The old Schwinns use 16mm which I bought. I spray lube on them at start and on threads but some still needed replaced after fighting to try to loosen.
I’ve tried to base tension on pinging as mentioned here and comparing to known wheels from a shop. I also read that tighter is better when in doubt up to a point. On these old wheels the biggest challenge was roundness. Getting within 2mm is acceptable to me with 1 mm runout a goal.
It is a fun learning experience and will be interesting when moving up to the fancier wheels. I even have one my LBS did that the dish is off by 3-4mm and the dish is off maybe 5mm on my old Frejus. It is a good feeling to do this for myself since I do all my other maintenance tasks. It just felt silly spending $25-35 for this job.

If the rim has taken a “set”, such that it has a flat spot or is bent out of plane, you will not be able to correct those faults by adjusting spokes. So you want to discover that state of affairs before you put a lot of effort into the wheels. Full de-tensioning will disclose the rim as needing a different approach involving brute force, or perhaps not being repairable at all.

But yes, it’s satisfying and great fun. Enjoy.

Thanks for that info too
 

I think that is part of what has been such fun with these older rims in unknown condition. Learning as I go. Just did a rear from 72; another Weinman Schwinn and it went easy. Much helpful advise picked up here before I even got the stand. Thanks

I've rehabilitated enough old wheels that I've a) gained plenty of experience and b) learned to fully detension/fully loosen all the spokes and start over. It's the only way to ensure the nipples are free enough to fully do the job. Scary huh?

Another valuable lesson I read was: it's more art than science. Don't even try to get it right the first time. Work a bit in one section or on one side then back off and work somewhere else. Stop and breathe, check it here and there then correct something. Take your time. Warm coffee, good music, fully alone in the shop.

Approach truing wheels like an art history major, not like an engineer (says the Engineer). My goal now is < 2mm of hop, < 1mm off dish and < 1/2mm of runout. And I can get that with a good rim.

Wow, Santa really came through this time lol. That’s probably at the top of my Christmas wish list.

Get the iPhone app "Tensioner". Way cheaper than a tension meter. A little tricky to use but once you get the hang of it you're golden. Might also be available for Android.

It's OK to go for 1mm out of round, but even on many new rims it's not possible on the seam area.

2 nd person to say fully detention on a bad one, so may need to try that. I did have to replace 5 or 6 nipples on that first one. Funny thing is the second old Schwinn wheel was no problem or challenge. I like your zen approach too as I did find myself getting frustrated with the first one.