Originally Posted by
Mackers
How is this supposed to work? Surely NDS tension as a function of DS tension and hub geometry will be identical for whatever butting and gauge spoke you use? And a spoke will go slack at the same moment regardless of butting or gauge. It will just have elongated more while under tension.
My thinking out loud - haven't been able to measure this:
Downwards, or sideways force pushing the rim towards the NDS can both effectively shorten the distance from the NDS flange to the rim of certain NDS spokes.
Similar goes for the leading ("pushing") spokes when the drive torque is applied.
The more elongated spokes are when the wheel is built, the less likely they are to become completely slack from such temporary rim deflections and very slight rotations relative to the hub.
Of course, without having measured this, it is just theory. The other advantage of swagged spokes: the thinned down mid-section effectively acting as a
spoke-shock-absorber, unloading the more stressed spoke ends, hence making the spokes a lot more durable, is what I would consider to be tried and tested - and confirmed.