While it's been more years than I care to think about, I did go on a wood rim jag and built a number of wheels, all using Ghisallo rims (wish like crazy I'd sprung for at least one pair of the much nicer but much more expensive Super Champions that were then available).
I made some of these comments a while ago in response to another post on this topic.
I can't say for sure how long the spokes should be. They will be longer than probably any aluminum tubular rims would require since the nipples don't recess very far into the wood, to increase strength. As a result, spoke length is more critical than with normal rims--double whammy.
Long nipples are very necessary. These aren't that hard to come up with these days but when I was doing this they were nearly impossible to get (pre aero rims). I scrounged nipples anywhere--I still have bags of mystery long nipples that I set aside and never used.
Spoke tension is very critical, as I discovered the hard way(s). In the dry season the rims shrink and the spokes get looser. In damp weather, they swell up and the spokes get really really tight. They can delaminate the wood--pulling the rim apart. It's probably safest to build the wheels in really damp wet weather. I'd still keep the tension on the low side. The spokes don't need to be as tight as they are with more rigid rims. This may seem counterintuitive, but there you go. Wood rims are very strong in the plane of rotation. Even with pretty saggy spokes you can blast through potholes with abandon. In any other plane, though, they will shatter with slightest impact (like being hit from the side--but spoke tension won't affect that one way or the other). So, short answer, loose spokes are good.
Because of the above, the spokes have an annoying tendency to tinkle and groan. and the wheels feel a bit like they are under shock absorbers when you are out of the saddle. So, you need to tie and solder once the wheel is satisfactory. It won't make the wheel stronger at all, but it will make it stiffer and it will be quieter when the weather is dry and the spokes get droopy.
Glue just like any other rim. Again because deep dish rims are so popular, most tires these days have longer valve stems than they did twenty five years ago, so at least you won't have to struggle to get the pump head to seal.
Brakes present problems. If you are doing a true track bike you won't have to deal with this. If you do want to have a brake, you'll need to find something other than pads designed for aluminum---those will just melt, really amazingly fast.
Ghisallo rims are decent. I haven't seen some of the new models. The nicer old vintage wood rims I've seen had a profile more like a Mavic MA40 rim, but a little wider. The Ghisallos I was able to get were more aero-ish, less boxy, and less true to the vintage look.
Bob Schenker
Oakland, CA USA
> I am getting ready to build a set of track wheels, using FB hubs &
> 'Ghisallo' wooden rims. I have built hundreds of wheels over the
> years, but these will be my first set of "woodies", so I have a
> couple of questions:
> 1) About how much longer should the spokes be, than on a metal
> tubular tim?
> 2)Are longer nipples nessecary?
> 3)Spoke tension-higher, lower, or about the same as metal rims?
> 4)Any special tricks to prepping the rims for tire glue?
> Any info appreciated!
>
> Larry Myers
> Portland, OR, USA