Tensioning sequence

Discussion in 'Badminton Stringing Techniques & Tools' started by kwun, Mar 7, 2022.

  1. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    Now, some proper discussion?

    Looking at @kakinami 's stringing video.

    I wonder if there can be an improvement in the sequencing. Instead of tension, unclamp/clamp, thread. Is it better to do tension, thread, unclamp/clamp?

    tension, thread, unclamp/clamp is what I do. Rational being it allows the constant pull tensioner to have more time to work on the string. Result is double the time to stretch the string, less slack and better tension retention in the long run.

    Thoughts?

    And on a less serious note. AK is mocking us by showing us a 19min stringjob that includes 90sec of him looking around in the room for the cross string.
     
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  2. Brunoille

    Brunoille Regular Member

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    I agree with you. From my humble point of view, the longer the string is tensioned the better it is and that's why I came to the same main tensioning sequence as you.
    However what is your tensioning sequence for the crosses? Because I'm into a "tension / unclamp / clamp / thread" sequence for a comfort point of view (orientation of the turntable during threading). And that saddens me to see that the tensioning time isn't as long as for the mains...
    Look forward to hearing your opinions ;-)
     
  3. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    guilty. me, I mean. Sometimes I would move my body over closer to the tensioner so I can weave while the cross string is still under tension, but more often I find myself not doing that.

    What I always do, is to massage the cross string before releasing tension, so the lower dynamic friction means the tensioner can work a few fractions of a pound more into the string.
     
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  4. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

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    For the main strings, I've been playing around with the sequence a while ago since I also thought that the longer the string is tensioned, the better it will be for tension retention later on. Another pro for this sequence would be that you can gain a few seconds to start threading while the tensioner is still pulling (at least that works with the slow WISE tensioner...).

    The only problem I had was that the threaded slack string constantly got in the way of clamping the tensioned one since it always bend towards it (why is that btw?). Took me a while to figure out a super easy solution for that though - you just have to make sure that the threaded slack string stays on top of the tensioned one when it's bending over. That way, the clamp pushes it out of the way automatically when you're clamping the tensioned string. I hope I remeber making a short video next time.

    Long story short, I've completely moved to tension/thread/clamp for the main strings and it works smooth a silk.

    It's a different story on the crosses though. I find it so uncomfortable most of the time to thread the crosses while the string is still tensioned that I'm doing it the other way there. My main goal for the crosses is to have them as straight as possible right off the machine, but without massaging them. My jobs are on the tighter side anyways so I don't really need to squeeze out that last bit of possible tension at that point.
     
  5. speCulatius

    speCulatius Regular Member

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    Funny... I have no issues with that at all. Well, very rarely, not enough to bother me. Let's hope it stays that way.

    For the cross strings, I don't mind weaving while the string is being pulled, but (at least when weaving one already) pulling the string through after clamping is what annoys me. That's the reason why I went away from it, but maybe I'll give it another try, since it's been a while and some other things have changed in my process since I went away from it.
     
  6. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

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    just don't start thinking about it. I took me just a couple of jobs to get it internalized to guide the second string above the previous one and I don't even need to think about it anymore now. Not sure why it happened to me on a regular basis in the first place.
     
  7. endFX

    endFX Regular Member

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    That's the way to do it or at least I'm doing it too. I guess the angle of the grommets will naturally guide the string towards the center.

    Also threading the string before clamping is slightly more comfortable because the clamp won't block it's path (for the mains).
    For the crosses I prefer to not weave while the string is being pulled.
     
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  8. Dekkert

    Dekkert Regular Member

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    I do the same as most of you. For the mains I start threading while the string is being tensioned (drop weight machine). Gives it a few seconds extra to tension the string. Then I just make sure the lever is level at the end just before clamping the string.

    For the crosses it is hard to do this way because of the turntable not lined up ideally most of the time. But I too "massage" the string a bit, make sure it is straight and parallel before clamping it.

    And anothing thing: when I notice the string starts twisting when pulling the slack string through (like at the first shared hole at 10 or 2 o'clock positions (going BU)) I first pull the slack string completely through the hole before starting to weave. When done weaving that cross I do the same at the other side before pulling it through the hole and starting to tension.
     
  9. khoai

    khoai Regular Member

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    I adopted the same thing after one guy posted his stringing video here a few years ago. It not only helps better/more stable tensioning, but also saves time if you have a somewhat slow tensioner, e.g. wise head.
     
  10. kakinami

    kakinami Regular Member

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    I would also agree the longer you tension the strings the less slack and better retention you would have. My problem is consistancy. If you were to tension, thread, unclamp, clamp, you need to, or should be precise in your threading unclamping clamping process. For home stringers you guys can consider all of these things but as a tournament or my case a shop stringer if you have a lot of rackets to string it is a difficult process to implement to your stringing process. If you feel you want to add more time to your pull for better tension retention why don't you just ass maybe a 5% prestretch? Ahh getting back to consistancy, my problem is if you are doing your mains by tension, thread, unclamp, clamp, what do you do on mains maybe 7-11 when you don't have enough string to thread, or maybe after cross 16, you sit there and count? So for me as a shop stringer, I need to efficiently use my time.
     
  11. kakinami

    kakinami Regular Member

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    For the mains I have tried that tension thread unclamp clamp but I have ran into situations where I fumbled with the string or maybe did something a little faster and then plucked left and right and there was a different frequency to it. That is the only drawback I find to doing that tension thread unclamp clamp process.
     
  12. Brunoille

    Brunoille Regular Member

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    Then you should try 2-knot pattern, wakaka ;) !! :D :D :D
     
  13. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

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    Check and mate! :D
     
  14. kakinami

    kakinami Regular Member

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    Wakaka!!!
     
  15. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    Just reviewed my own stringing sequence. Been so 2nd nature now I don't even know exactly what I am doing.

    Weave, tension, massage string, pull string across, unclamp/clamp, release tension, pull remaining string across, weave next.

    So the pulling string across add a couple of seconds to the tensioning. But yes, I am not leaving the tensioner active while weaving.
     
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  16. kakinami

    kakinami Regular Member

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    I thought I saw a 2 minute video where you, on your crosses pulled tension, weaved, unclamped, clamped then pulled string through? Was I dreaming when I saw you weaving like a hot knife going through butter?

    Sent from my LG-US998 using Tapatalk
     
  17. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    No lah. Compare to your weaving mine is like a Yugo on the Autobahn.

    You mean this one where the string caught on the mounting bolt, twice? :( I do pull the leftover string over right after tensioning+massaging and before unclamp. I have to pull one more time for the remaining string after unclamp. But I think that's still give a couple more second for the tensioner to do a bit more work.

     
    #17 kwun, Mar 10, 2022
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2022
  18. kakinami

    kakinami Regular Member

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    Sorry watched it again. You were pulling your tail through not weaving, I sit corrected ( actually I am sitting, doing my morning download). I thought you were doing something while the string was being tensioned. My question is when you get to the top do you give some extra time to pull, as the string gets shorter and shorter, your time gets lesser and lesser. For me I try to be as consistant as possible throughout the whole process, I want to give tension to each string the same amount of time as all the strings, so if I fidget with something, I cringe a little knowing my string job is not perfect to my performance (I know I am not perfect, but I want my string jobs to be as consistant as possible, Wakaka). What do you do when you are at crosses maybe 17-21ish? Do you give that pull some extra time? Because it is shorter it doesn't really matter? Sitting here broken hearted, tried to **** but only farted, does that really matter? Just kidding but finished with my download and need to wipe =P
    I love Japanese toilets!
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  19. Kaelhdris

    Kaelhdris Regular Member

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    Sounds like an upload to me :rolleyes:
     
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  20. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    Once I get to the shared holes, then things dramatically slows down. But yes, you have a point that the stretching time will be different. It is less of a concern near the top as the length of the strung segment is shorter and thus the tension should naturally be lower like proportional stringing. On the bottom end though. perhaps it need to be adusted.
     
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