There have been a few questions about the tablet setup shown at MADE and on Instagram. If you have a tablet in your shop, as many do for Di2 setup, dock it at your truing stand and have it work double duty.
How to make one? Browse photography accessories to find a holder that fits your tablet. The Islandix tablet is an older iPad mounted with an AliExpress tablet holder. The holder is fixed to the truing stand using an AliExpress clamp with articulating arm. The install required no modification to the Park Tool truing stand and doesn’t rely on pre-drilled holes.
Islandix customer Toby sent this video saying it helped him understand in stand dishing (centering). Thanks to PSIMet for posting it.
The first part of the video talks about inserting the wheel in the truing stand the same way each time taking special note of the axle orientation. The second part of the video demonstrates a deliberate way of using the truing stand — how the wheel is removed, flipped and re-inserted. It’s notable he doesn’t loosen the truing stand uprights at all, preferring to spread them against the builtin spring. Altogether the message is consistent measurement is important for maximum accuracy.
Islandix dishing with the Target Plot works the same way except there’s no need to adjust the indicator to zero since software takes care of it. The software is simple. It records two measurements and computes two facts: the difference between the measurements and the direction (for example the rim is dished 0.3mm to the left).
It was energizing to meet so many enthusiastic folks at MADE 2023 — a special thank you to everyone who visited the Islandix booth! A double dose of appreciation to existing Islandix customers who visited (including other show vendors who use Islandix tools internally). And finally thanks to Wheel Fanatyk for sharing a booth filled with essentialtools.
Many things were learned from these conversations. Visitors who got the full demo always asked about cost and the most common response was they expected to pay more. We see so many tools with less R&D — yet higher prices than Wheel Analytics — that we feel good about our accessibility. Prices will remain at current levels for the rest of 2023.
Economical indicators
MADE visitors were shown digital sensor options beyond the premium choices in the online shop. We’ve tested dozens in the Islandix lab and settled on two budget recommendations: iGaging 35-705 and Terma IDA910. The key difference between them is the threading for indicator tips. iGaging uses #4-48 threading, which is best if you want to transfer the tips from Park Tool indicators. Terma uses M2.5 threading, which is best if you want to buy tips from Islandix.
Islandix Instruments will be at the MADE show in Portland, OR held August 25-27. Find Ryan in the Wheel Fanatyk booth. If you need to setup a meeting or demo at a specific time, please email.
If you subscribe to the Islandix newsletter, you’ve seen this already. It’s the Abbey Bike Tools truing stand. Major wow factor! Machined in Bend, Oregon this stand is designed to hold center so you can track dish continuously. It’s a limited batch release and you can get yours bundled with Islandix tools for quantitative truing. Read more at Bike Rumor.
Abbey truing stand frontAbbey truing stand sideAbbey truing stand insideAbbey truing stand + Islandix Instruments
Wheel Analytics expansion kits were announced in March. The main use case is truing and tensioning at the same time.
Software version 1.2.4 offers improvements for these workflows. A default tensio port can now be configured, which is helpful when a dedicated port is available. And extra logic has been added to manage foot pedal input. Now foot pedal signals will be directed only to the window with focus.
Usage is straightforward. On any windowing system simply open two windows and position them as you like. Mac OS has a feature called Split View, that makes it easy to tile windows and run them full screen. On Windows there’s a comparable feature called Snap.
Top wheelbuilders are picky about their tools — their tools need to work as hard as they do. That describes Islandix customers generally but Wheelworks of New Zealand takes it a step further with in-house customization. This look at the Wheelworks workstation is an inspiring read.
This video shows how Wheel Analytics can track wheel centering, also called dish. First the tool takes samples from both sides of the wheel using cues from the foot pedal. Then the visualization calculates dish at the same time as lateral and radial alignment. In the example above dish error is 0.10mm, which is a great result. In all it takes about 35 seconds to measure dish accurately and quantitatively. From this point the wheel can be adjusted and dish will be automatically recalculated without further setup (calibration stability depends on the truing stand).
In normal use perfect dish means a dish error of 0.00mm. If you’re building wheels with offset dish, then perfect dish could be some positive value. Cannondale Ai wheels, for example, have 6mm offset dish. Wheel Analytics accommodates these wheels seamlessly and is the only truing tool that can measure such wheels without adapters.
For your convenience indicator tips are available with Wheel Analytics. You don’t need to buy indicators to buy indicator tips.
Many were tested before coming up with this kit. Mitutoyo tips are the gold standard and these are just as good. Possibly better if you appreciate the large-diameter knurled locknut on the lateral probe.
Note: Islandix tips are for indicators with M2.5 threads, which is the standard for indicators in most of the world outside America. Indicators offered in the Islandix online shop are all M2.5-threaded.
The Islandix WA-1 controller has two ports because that’s the most common configuration — one port for the lateral indicator and one port for radial. It’s the least expensive to produce, which makes transistor truing available to the most workshops.
If you want to true a disc rotor, you need to borrow one of the ports. If you want to compute tension statistics with your tensiometer, you need to borrow one of the ports. Normally this is no big deal.
Even so sometimes the busiest workshops want more than two. Instead of offering separate electronics with three ports and four ports, the Islandix solution is to deploy multiple WA-1 tools — as many as you like, when your needs require. The included USB power supply supports up to three already. And now there’s a splitter cable that lets two controllers share one foot pedal. Sharing a pedal keeps your workbench simple and organized.
Currently a Wheel Analytics expansion kit is $299 CAD (approx. $219 USD, €199 EUR). It includes a WA-1 controller, foot pedal sharing adapter and USB cable. Includes worldwide airmail with tracking or upgrade to DHL for $19.
On necessity
The ability to build a workstation with more than two ports is a customer-requested feature and that’s why it exists. We also think it’s perfectly reasonable to use a tensiometer without a cable and without software most of the time — and this is the best way to get started. If you only need the extra port at the end of the build, swapping isn’t too onerous. If you find yourself swapping often, the expansion kit may be for you.
