Q for racket stringers.

If you're gonna do 2-piece stringing, your mains need to be about 16 feet long. For crosses, however, you'll only need about 14 feet. You can probably get shave another 2 or 3 inches from either piece, but you'd really be stretching things.

If you do 1-piece stringing, you're looking at around 29 feet's worth of strings.

-Rick

 

Traum: What's the difference between 2 and 1 piece stringing (other than the pieces ). Is there an advantage/disadvantage to either?

 

I haven't really bothered to measure the exact length I use in stringing a racquet, simply because the 10m pack is more than enough. For two pc stringing, I use 18' 8" for the mains and the remaining for the crosses, the number of strings for both the main and cross is 22. I use these lengths for the main and cross as I can make two loops for pulling when tensioning the main and cross, initially from the center and then on alternate sides as I go outwards. Another reason is I weave the main and the cross strings completely before I put it on the stringing machine for the final pulling/tensioning part.
I end up with excess strings on the main and cross after the 4 tie-offs, but I don't measure the exact length used. It would be an academic exercise in futility.

 

With 2-piece stringing, you use one piece of string for the mains and another piece for the crosses. IMO, the major benefit with 2-piece stringing is that it is faster because you don't have to thread as much string through the grommets (ie. When you're doing the mains, you only thread 16 feet's worth of strings through the grommets, whereas you'd be threading the entire 30 feet or so just for doing the mains if you use 1-piece stringing method.) Another major benefit is that it is probably a slightly safer method to use. The 12 o'clock position of the frame is a bit weaker than the throat. If you use 1-piece stringing, you start doing your crosses from the bottom up. That puts more stress on the top part of the frame, making it more suspectible to breakage during the stringing process. With 2-piece stringing, however, you start your crosses from the top, thereby reducing the risks. Other minor benefits of 2-piece stringing includes being able to use different strings (hybrid stringing) and tensions for the mains and crosses.

A minor inconvenience with 2-piece stringing is that you have to tie 4 knots for the job. With 1-piece stringing, you can get away with just 2. If you are not very skilled at tying knots, you run the risk of losing more tension from a 2-piece stringing job.

The major benefit of 1-piece stringing is that you can use less string for the job. However, this only matters if you get your strings in a reel.

-Rick

 

Thanks for the explanation! I think my dad wants to buy a stringing machine so I might actually get to learn how to string a racket soon enough.

 

The higher the tension, the less string u will need for the process, however, the difference is not whole a lot.

For my own experience, using 2 point drop weight machine (therefore, 2piece-4 knots is the only choice), single pack of string (10m = 33ft) is well enough. I usually cut it into 2 piece, 17 ft (main) and 16 ft (cross). Normally, I string rackets in the range of 20 to 24 lbs, therefore, there should be enough left when i tight the knots (say, less than 1 ft for each).

If u use a crank machine (allow u to pre strung with 1 piece-2knots), u might be able to save more, but I am not very sure.

If u just start to learn the process, my suggestion is to buy single pack of string, and don't try to save 1 ft of string, but have to be sweat all the time, just to find u r 2 inches short on the last string.

 

Yeah, I really don't recommend people to try to save on strings just for the future uses. I have friends that have a 200 reel, and he tried so hard to manage stringing out 21 rackets with all the measuring....etc.

I really think people should just use packs instead of the reel, and spend all the strings in the pack to a racket, and the string job will be done easily and worry-free.

(Unless you have a badminton store or work for a store..... then buying in reels and saving stringings is better. )

 

A starter clamp is a useful tool for stringers who use only floating clamps and who always run short of string to pull and tension.

 

Really? I strung rackets as low as 18lb, but never run out strings. If there's a need for extra string, consider increase the length of main string a bit, as the cross requires significant less (about 2 ft) than main piece.

 

There are times when you are a bit tight on string length, like when using bulk reels and trying to squeeze one more stringing job from it, stringing the mains and the crosses from the middle, and lastly when miscalculating the lengths of the main and cross. Also, when using only floating clamps, the starter clamp will give you a solid start when you pull and tension your first main string. Without the starter clamp, there are no tensioned strings for your first clamp to anchor on, and the first main strings are not accurately tensioned.

 

Anyone know where to buy starter clamps here in the US?

 

You can do a search for 'Eagnas stringing machines'; click on the 'stringing tools' bar. They sell it for US$15 plus shipping. Another tool to consider is the grommet replacement tool which costs about $20.
If you string MP racquets, it is a good idea to have some stocks of MP grommets, which you can get from Yonex stores free of charge. All Yonex stores are given free muscle power grommets to service their customers and they shouldn't charge you for a couple of mp grommets. If you have trouble getting them, contact your national Yonex distributor and tell them you string your own racquets as well as for others and that you are in a bind because Yonex stores refuse to either sell (which they shouldn't, as its free) or give to you. They will send a few to you free because it is good after-sales customer service to keep owners of Yonex racquets happy.

 

No need for starter clamp, if u can make ur own "starting kit': Use a key ring attach with a short tail piece of string (5 inches long). Use this extra piece as the 2nd string (go through the gromment, which is next by the 1st tensioned string) to use floating clamp.

 

Stringers save these strings to do patch jobs on students' racquets. You will be surprised to learn there are people who do not restring with new strings. There are stringers who save as much of the broken strings as possible and then restring it on the crosses and pass them off as new, if the condition of the broken string still looks good. You don't think this happens? Try to spend some free time with professional stringers and watch what they do.

 

Can you go through the procedure of your key ring 'starting clamp'? How do you handle the first two strings, namely the main strings at grommets 1, left and right?

 

Personally, I don't recommand to use the patch job, as it will easily creat uneven force on the frame.

Of course, due to high cost (i.e. labor cost) in some regions, it still has its market.

 

Let me try my best to explain. I will name the middle main gromments as LT1 (left, top 1), LB1 (left bottom 1), RT1, RB1, etc

1. let main string go through LB1 --> LT1 (create equal length on both sides)

2. use the left piece go through LB2

3. Use 1st floating clamp to clamp the 2 left pieces (right above LB1 and LB2)

4. tension string right outside from RT1

5. STARTING KIT: Use my key-ring starting kit, let the tail piece of the kit go thorugh LT2. Use the 2nd floating clamp to clamp the main string piece between LB1 and LT1 (tensioned), and the tail piece of the kit (2nd string).

6. Let string go through RT1 --> RB1

7. Tension string right outside of RB1, move the 2nd floating clamp to the 2 pieces (both tensioned) between LB1+LT1, and RB1+RT1.

From #7 and on (alternate side between right and left), u will always have 2 tensioned string to clamp, therefore, no more need for "starting kit".

 

Sounds complicated. In 4 you mention tensioning string outside from RT1. But the string doesn't come out in RT1; instead it goes into RT1 from LT1. I don't think it is possible to do this, unless you are pulling from the inside of RT1 which in itself doesn't look right.
I try to simulate your key ring kit but have a little problem getting a tight pull.
If you have only floating clamps and you are not starting off with a starting knot, you must create two tensioned strings, the one you just tensioned and the one before, for your floating clamp to clamp unto. This is true if you string from the middle, which is the norm. For cross strings, the same applies if you string from the middle; if from the head, then the starting knot dispenses with the need for two tensioned strings.
A starter clamp is used to clamp the string on the outside of LB1 grommet, the string then goes through from LB1 to LT1, passes over to RT1 and down to RB1. You then simply pull and tension the string on the outside of RB1. You now have two tensioned main strings right in the middle. You then use the floating clamp and clamp the bottom of the two tensioned strings. You then go to RT2 to pull and tension, then use the second clamp to clamp the inside of RT1 and RT2 near the racquet head. Ditto for the left LT2, this time using the first clamp.