I searched I swear on Roger Musson (no hits) and Wheelbuilding Book (to many hits)
Does anyone have an opinion of this e-book on wheelbuilding
The Professional Guide to Wheelbuilding
I know about Sheldon Browns site and I found a good companion site with not instruction but tips learned from experience building wheels:
I have a link to one you tube video and i’m sure that will lead to other videos and I’m starting to work my way through previous posts on numerous wheel building questions.
The Art of Wheelbuilding
I recommend you try “The Art of Wheelbuilding”. It might be in your local library to check out for free.
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Wheelbuilding-Reference-Neophytes-Wheelaholics/product-reviews/0964983532
There several negative reviews on that book, many who complain that the “translation” is bad, with the assumption it was originally printed in another language, possible German. I’ll have to check it out.
This looks pretty straight forward: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html
Just build a wheel using Sheldon’s info, it ain’t that hard, you certainly don’t need to read an entire book on wheel building 
Seriously, if you can true a wheel, you can build one.
Now if you are a complete novice, never even learned to true a wheel, you might want to start there. Also consider buying a cheap pre-built bike wheel, then mess it up, try to fix it, despoke it and respoke it, wear yourself out.
Don’t make it more than it is, it’s not that hard or complicated.
I highly recommend buying a cheap spoke tension gauge. It will make your wheel builds much better.
corbin
Not a novice and I understand what is involved. I have a couple of web sites on wheel building book marked and video on youtube which is pretty clear. I have no doubt that I can complete the job with minimal heartache. Im not the kind of person to have a hissy fit if I have to start over. Just looking for the pitfalls to avoid and the little tips that keep the cursing down to a minimum. I have nothing but time being unemployed and with three unicycles to ride there is no reason to rush this job.
Like in the YouTube video the guy shows a way to be sure you get the first spoke on the 2nd side in the right hole in the hub. Little things like that will save a lot of head scratching.
Corbin, money is tight so i’m going to have to trust my instincts and I have a 20" wheel to use as an example, and I intend to have my LBS check my work.
The e-book that I linked to is supposed to have plans for a dishing tool made from cardboard which people says does a good job. And there is a cutaway picture of 3 spoke nipples as an example of whats inside which is very high quality.
The library was a strikeout for any books on wheelbuilding
60 day unconditional guarantee on the E-book and it’s only $14. Seems like its hard to go wrong.
Edited to add: it gets really good reviews here: http://www.mtbr.com/cat/resources/book/roger-musson/wheel-building/PRD_417244_103crx.aspx
I have a feeling that nothing could be better than actually watching it done first hand, by a seasoned pro. Being able to ask questions and seeing the process done step by step.
That’s how I learned piano tuning & repair; hands on with actual pianos, with personal instruction from a veteran technician. Learning from a book can be ok, but it’s just not the same.
You equate piano tuning with building a 20" 36 spoke, 3 cross wheel with short stout straight gauge spokes on to a quality rim into a wheel with no dish and no drive side?
Really?
The Only way I drew similarities was in that you should [evenly] de-stress the spokes before removing/cutting them, just as you must de-stress piano strings evenly before you remove them for restringing.
When I was apprenticing to a master plumber I was telling my brothert about the stuff I was learning. None of it was rocket science and my brother said something that has stayed with me for 30 years.
Live is a bunch of two-bit tricks.
Muni, when you tune a piano, after bringing it to pitch, don’t you do something called stretching the tuning or something like that. So that chords will sound in tune and not just single notes? Some tuning issue related to equal temperament tuning?
If you do, I assume you have to the that by ear right? Im guessing a strobe tuner is of no help in tuning to chords.
My brother also said: Sometimes you just have to do the miles.