Daddycool, thank you so much for your advice. The problem appears to #2 as you described. I still need to take it apart for a closer look and I'll probably talk to Pat and see if he has any thoughts.

This is very frustrating. It was an expensive hub ($112 USD) with high quality/precision bearings so I expected much less problems especially 'right out of the box'

Hopefully I can find a solution, I'll look into the washer idea you displayed in the photos but it seems like adding washers, even 'behind' the bearings would only make the problem worse? But I need to take a closer look first, maybe I'm visualizing it wrong. It seems like either the female axle would need to be ever so slightly longer or the cones just a little bit thinner.

as you're seeing its a major pain in the ass. Send it back to pat ASAP without riding it.

Hello aliasdck, good to hear about the weight saving! Not so good to hear about your front hub issue. I only use one female hub (on my several bikes) and this also uses "press fit cones" which are only kind of washers and no thread. The problem in my case was: When you tighten the bolts, the dropouts are pressed against the "cones" and these press against the bearing. If the distance of the bearing areas on the axle is not 100 % the same as in the hub shell, the bearing is getting some side load which easily makes it not rolling smooth.
All this could be avoided by having normal cones with threads. I have almost no idea why 97% of all female hubs don't have it, maybe because it is cheaper/easier to produce.
One needs to distinguish two issues:
1. The axle bearing distance is too big. Then the hub typically runs smooth but when you ride on the front wheel in a curve with side load (by your body weight), then the hub shell will be shifted left to right on the bearings (with quick wear) and of course this is annoying.2. The axle bearing distance is too small. Then the inner ring of the bearing is pressed to the inside whereas the outer ring is not. This side load causes the hub not rolling smoothly.
What is the reason? From my understanding it is the tolerances in production.
What to do? First of all it is good to know the exact bearing distance in the hub shell and on the axle. In both cases (it seems you have case 2), you can try to add some very thin washers which you put "behind" the bearing. For case 2 you would need something like in the pictures.
By the way: It is not easy to find such washers (an online dictionary says they are called "shim ring") . I was lucky to find some in 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm for both the outer and inner ring of a hub bearing.
I find it difficult to try to explain this. I hope you get the idea.

btw the all black bike with machined finish rims looks fuggin great man wow

glad you saved a whole 2.5 pounds. how much psi you running?

ps just checked that hub out. don't know what you mean about it coming with hub guards. also he's put alot of attention to detail making it a dialled hub. can't see him getting the cones wrong but you never know...

 thanks guys