[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by jhcakilmer

Thanks for the encouragement, and advice!!

I'm probably going to go with NOS chorus or record hubs, but still considering DA. How do the DA and campy build up....either 06 or 07...?

I was thinking about Ambrosio Excellights....I like the shallow box section, it seems they are strong and durable.........any advantages of eyelets or non-eyelet rims (I was also considering Velocity Fusion, or Aerohead).

Finally...Sapim Race vs. DT Competition vs. Wheelsmith DB14.....and why?

Thanks again

Campy and DA are nice hubs. I assume that you have bikes with both systems so that you can build a wheels-set for either Campy or Shimano. The DA hub produces higher relative L/R tension, so it may be a little easier for your first build.

Ambrosio Excellights have a good reputation among wheel-builders. The Fusion is stiffer and stronger than the Aero-head, so it would make for an easier first time build. Non-eyeleted rims are fine. If the inside edges of the spoke holes are very sharp you can chamfer them with a dull 1/4" drill bit (don't use a new sharp one as you may damage the rim). This is not necessary, but it is nice to have a chamfered surface for the nipple. This makes everything smoother and helps to distribute the load over a larger area. Always use a good water proof grease between the nipple and the nipple bed. You should do this with eyeleted or non-eyeleted rims. This prevents the nipple from galling. You also want to lubricate the threads. This helps alot while tensioning and makes it easier to work on the wheel down the road if necessary.

Any of those spokes would be good. They are standard double butted 14 gauge spokes. For your first build you probably want to stay away from the ultra-butted spokes (XL-14, Revolution, Laser). These very thin spokes will twist alot while tensioning unless you have a tool to prevent this. I like to hold the spokes directly under the nipple to prevent any twist while tensioning, but that is difficult unless you have specific tools. The spokes that Ergott mentioned are thicker and resist twisting much better than the ultra-butted spokes.

Good luck and have fun with it.

Cheers,

Jeremy