On standard spoking patterns, one crosses a spoke over the first spokes it crosses but under the last. This sort of "interlocks" spokes. I've always assumed this was to give the wheel more lateral strength by supporting each spoke against crossed spokes when under lateral load. It is obviously possible to lace a wheel without spokes touching - a radial laced wheel obviously does that. However, I think the key to your problem is your statement that "some spokes are less tight than others". The biggest key to a strong wheel is uniform spoke tension. This cannot be achieved that well on a dished rear wheel, but it should be possible to achieve fairly uniform tension on a front wheel. I'd try retensioning the spokes, aiming at tension as uniform as possible. With old wheels, it is sometimes best to untension all the spokes then retension all spokes at the same rate in realtively small increments. If some spokes are visibly worn from rubbing against one another, you can replace them before beginning to retension.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
> From: kfhume@hotmail.com <kfhume@hotmail.com>
\r?\n> Subject: Re: [CR] Classicrendezvous Digest, Vol 80, Issue 99
\r?\n> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
\r?\n> Date: Sunday, August 23, 2009, 4:32 AM
\r?\n> Hi,
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I swapped out my old 27" x 1.25" steel rimmed wheels on my
\r?\n> 1982 Peugeot for a pair of second hand Mavic SA2 700C alloy
\r?\n> rimmed wheels fitted on large flange Pellisier hubs. This
\r?\n> has greatly improved my braking power especially in the wet
\r?\n> but I have noticed that I get an annoying intermittant
\r?\n> clicking noise from the front wheel as I ride along. I have
\r?\n> taken the bearing apart, checked the balls and races and
\r?\n> ressembled but still click clik clk.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I examined the spokes (36off x 2mm x 3X laced sheridize
\r?\n> coated) and have spotted that where the spokes ovelap that
\r?\n> there is a small wear spot creating a slight shoulder. Some
\r?\n> of the spokes are less tight than the others. Could it be
\r?\n> that this is the casuse of the annoying clicking and if yes
\r?\n> why are spokes laced such that they touch ?
\r?\n>
\r?\n> It seems perfectly possible to lace the wheels without them
\r?\n> touching.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Regards
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Ken Hume
\r?\n> London, England