@kwun 's recent thread pushed me to finally make a stringing video and post it, so here it is! @kakinami asked me to make one a while back as well, sorry it took so long It's not the smoothest I've ever done, I was pretty tired. Tried @kwun 's cross starting before tying off the mains, and that was pretty okay, I feel it saves some issues with mains blocking the outside of grommets. Made a small weaving mistake at the end: soft weave instead of hard weave when reversing last 2 crosses, luckily quickly found out. I'm sure there will be some interesting comments, we're all here to learn, after all. Thanks in advance!
Very nice. One of the smoothest drop weight stringing out there. I only had 10 min during lunch to watch so didn't go through in detail. Will comment more after today.
Sorry, I just watched the beginning and was amazed at how smooth/easy your freewheel clutch seems to be rotating. On my s90 it is so much stiffer and takes some effort to move. Did you lubricate it? Now I will watch the rest of the video and learn ;D
Graphite powder, it's amazing Comes in a small flask same as chain lubricant or something, but be careful as it goes everywhere! Full cleaning with a dry cloth and graphite powder on all moving parts about once a year (although I dont take the clutch apart or anything). It could be that it's tightened too hard, but that would be pretty odd.
28 minutes on a drop weight including a whoopsie correction is very impressive. I’ve been on the lookout for a proper video that shows the smoothest technique with a drop weight, and I think I’ve finally found it. Will definitely share it in my FB group if that’s okay for you. Oh, and I really, really like that decoration in the background. Noice!
Yeah no worries, share all you want! I just want to help the community as a whole get better, and am hoping we can all learn from each other. The time is always weird to me, people randomly include or exclude: - mounting (I didn't film it in this case) - measuring string - pre-weaving Usually I am a tad slower because I'm watching a movie or something Perhaps it's time for the stringmaster...
Ok. Watched the whole video start to end now. 28min is impressive with drop weight, and esp so coz I don't feel that you were rushing it. Look very smooth and relaxed. I think you can easily do 25min if you push the pace. Nice man cave and nice soothing music. Perfect for a relaxing stringing session. The Superstringer table and clamp are built like a rock. Barely notice any setback after releasing tension on the mains. Those huge knobs are ridiculous. I am surprised you only got the string caught in them once. I would've the string tangled like spaghetti. Very good and solid technique. There really isn't much to be improved. My comments are mainly minor improvements. I like how you weave first 3 cross, I weave 2 only, I might copy yours. During cross string, aggregate-wise, you end up spending time fishing for the string end. You do: weave, pull half the string over, drop the string end, tension, unclamp/clamp, pull the rest of the string over, fish for the string end, weave. You can do: weave, leave little bit of string pulled out of grommet, tension/clamp/unclamp, and then pick up the string end, hold onto the string end, pull the whole string over, and then you have the string end in your hand to start weaving. no fishing. Save 3 sec each, total might save 1min! That's how I used to use the stringmover, then sometimes I think it mars the inside frame. So I switched to awl. Still interested to see some detail technique how you use the awl, I tried that it was too sharp and scratched the frame. You must have very strong hand/fingers.
It's dry, that's why it goes everywhere... I really wanted to avoid liquid oil anywhere near strings. Yeah that's my biggest gripe with this machine. Otherwise it's pretty much perfect! I started doing this because: - I didn't like pulling the whole string through, this is faster - I want to string the middle part of the crosses so that I end up going over the last main. Starting just before (single grommet between shared ones) means I don't have to calculate a lot: always start under (unless it's a stupid Forza racket) I didn't know anyone else did this before your video Nice! Thanks! I'll try this on places where there's not too much twisting! Yeah I'll give this a go, soon. My awls are very blunt but apparently just the right size. Basically be very careful with angle of force. I haven't had any breakages near these areas with my stringing that I'm aware of. With thick strings, high tension and the wrong racket is probably not the best way to do it. But I know my astrox rackets pretty well and with AB it only needs a slight amount. I'm always surprised how the official yonex stringers abuse the strings compared to us, so I decided to give myself some slack here. I've not noticed any marks on the racket inside with the mover, but I can see your point. I'll keep an eye out! I noticed the angle of force here is very important too, and when you use a weight twist with it, it only needs very little. I noticed no one gave me **** for using a flying clamp to pull the knots, yet Gripping with my fingers hurts, so I use the clamp. I still pull with just the fingers, though! Please don't use the arm muscles
flying clamp. I don't think that's a bad idea. I pull with fingers till the fingers hurt. I think that's a good estimate of max reasonable force. But if one has enough self control, flying clamp is ok. Easier on the fingers.
I'd say the first step would be to add a WISE. If you know how to handle the Superstringer, going for a WISE will have a lot more impact on the overall process than upgrading the base machine. You'll end up in the low 20s without actually changing anything else in your process. Personally, I never use the tip of an awl for anything. To unblock covered grommets, I always use a piece of scrap string which is put underneath the loop and use the starting clamp to actually move the string out of the way. A scratched frame was the final reason why I started stringing myself, so that is kind of a no-go for me. Most Yonex rackets have nicely staggered single pass grommets in that area, so there is very little unblocking necessary. Different story with Adidas, Li-Ning and many others which have the holes drilled in a dead straight line. I use my awl to help threading the usual problem shared grommets AK-style: So basically use it as a lever to push the string up or down. Never had any issues with markings if you do it carefully. Most of the time it's even enough to push or pull the string up/downwards with the fingers to slightly widen the tunnel inside the grommet. This. Never let go of the string end while you are pulling the slack through. Again, I do it the AK-way: Weave the string one-ahead, leaving a short tail on the other side. Tension, clamp, grab the tail and hold it while pulling the slack through. Then weave the next string. There is no clear right or wrong at this point imo. We just have to go with what feels smoothest. I'll definitely have to do another stringing video as well. I've skipped through my old ones and there are a surprising amount of small things that have changed since then.
It would of course be the version with the WISE! I really don't like the big knobs for each support arm. Thanks for the feedback, I'll try it out. I love this stringing community!
That is in fact the only real downside of the T20. But rest assured that strings will find a variety of other things to get wrapped around on other machines too. I just recently removed the tool tray from the stand since the string sometimes got caught around it. Guess what happened... it started getting caught on the height adjustment knob instead (which was previously shielded by the tool tray). Tool tray is now back in the game. Oh, and what I hate the most: To accidentally step on the string when you are in full-on action pulling slack through. Actually, I always string in socks to feel if I'm standing on the string (yes, I even strung in socks during the last tournament!).
Oh, you'll REALLY like my favourite upgrade to the stringing station (bonus background things with strings again) Shh, it's guitar wall hangers
That is just bloody genius. I have some of those somewhere in a drawer but will definitely copy that one! Oh, and hello you two Skervs there in the background!
For the first generation of Adidas, I was talking to the boss and he mentioned that after they build the first prototype and sent out to testers and stringers, the feedback is that the grommets are lined up straight and won't be stringable. So they had to retool the drilling machine and make them staggered. I haven't tried any of the 2nd generation so sounds like they didn't do the same. Anyhow, all these are history now.
I use a bad P'P's starting clamp for the same purpose. It has the advantage of being friendly with the string, if you pull too hard it slips with no harm ...
Love these stringing sharing threads. Great to see how other ppl's setup and stringing flow look like. I learned a lot from you guys and got lots of good tips to improve my stringing. Encourage everyone else to do so as well.
