Out of curiosity i have not seen this question asked before. This is more catered to high volume stringers: If your string starts slipping, getting marked up from your clamps (even after adjustments and cleaning) is it time to replace your fixed clamps? 1) diamond dusted: i've seen it possible to DIY replace the diamond dusted coat. Or is replacement less of a headache? 2) yonex/toyo clamps: What do you do? 3) Is there an alternative that i've not considered. @kwun has had his gamma for 10+ years @kakinami has experience with new and used yonex and toyo machines and even refurbishing them (Gosen) @s_mair - thoughts? @Cheung I know i'm forgetting a bunch of experienced members in the forum. This is something that crossed my mind thinking long term about maintenance and support of machines.
Sorry I cannot answer your question, my ES5 Pro never had that problem, had that machine from 2006 to about 2020 so 14ish years no problems with Toyozouki clamps. Sent from my SC-01L using Tapatalk
As for cleaning if there was string residue built up I would use a thin sharpning stone to remove residue then clean with alcohol. Sent from my SC-01L using Tapatalk
Thanks for your tips and experience. I wonder if this has ever been asked in the tennis forums. I guess i'll take a look.. I use an old brush head from my electric tooth brush (soniccare) and alcohol.
With my ~100 jobs per year, I'm also not the one to give any good advice on this. As basic maintenance, I clean my clamps with Isopropanol after every 50 jobs or so and that is it. I noticed that there has been a lot more residue on the diamond dusted clamps of my previous machine compared to the anodized(?) current ones. I'm pretty sure I could get away with 100+ jobs without cleaning easily before I really noticed a drop in friction.
I just went through the diamond dust process. Documented here in detail by @MrTraitor . https://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/index.php?threads/diamond-dust-process.180314/ It works. My machine has maybe 1000-1500 stringjobs. I do once in a while try to clean off the string dust, I use use old toothbrush to clean the dust. kakinami's process of using a sharpening stone is quite abrasive (by definition) and will accelerate wearing out the clamp friction surface. Not recommended. There are products that are designed to clean sanding belts that cleans and designed to not wear out the delicate sand paper surface: https://www.homedepot.com/p/POWERTEC-8-1-2-in-Abrasive-Cleaning-Stick-71002/207210872 . I think for someone who is planning to do regular cleaning of their clamps, it is worth the few dollars. I haven't tried it myself. It briefly came across to use this as excuse to "upgrade" the clamps. But considering it was Gamma clamp to begin with, and that Toyo clamps are no longer available, the choices are just getting the same Gamma clamps, or some aliexpress clamp. The former won't be any improvement, the latter untested.
For me, the ES5PT clamps have the best surface. I have strung more than 3000 badminton rackets with it. Never had problems with it. On my PT8DX I strung over 4000 rackets with a set of clamps, then I ordered the newer clamp with the "click" function. Also never had problems with it. But must clamp tighter than with my ES5PT clamps. The BG65Ti and Aerobite also slips through more easily. I clean my clamps in shorter intervals with alcohol pads: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B000U1ZNXI/ Just put the pad in the clamp, close the clamp a little bit and pull it out. One a week or every two weeks I use a pipe cleaning brush with some Isopropanol to clean the clamp surface. Every 2-3 months I disassemble the clamp completely and clean the surface with a fiberglass scratch brush pen: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B000WKZHOM/ (for Germany) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C31DXTR4/ I dip the front into a bottle of Isopropanol and clean the clamp surface with it. But be careful with it. The glass fibers breaks very easily and hurts in the skin of the hands. Use gloves when you use it and do it over/in a dustbin. Also don't apply too much pressure, the glass fibers are very hard and also can damage the coating of the clamp. They are also used to clean circuit board for removing residues from soldering. Normally you don't have that much abrasion from the string in Badminton and you don't need to use the fiberglass pen. In tennis there is a bit more abrasion, which can also be very persistent. I do NOT recommend the sharpening stone. CAN damage the surface/coating of the clamp... Gamma has one listed in the shop: https://www.gamma-europe.com/Gamma-Reinigungsstein I tried it twice and then threw it away.
the fixed clamps i got have a replaceable diamond dusted strip that you can replace. it says you can just glue the new one on https://www.tenniswarehouse.com.au/spinfire-tennis-squash-badminton-clamp-v50.html
Useful thread about cleaning diamond dust coated clamps: https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/rehab-worn-clamps.734009/ Replacement diamond dust plate: https://www.tenniswarehouse.com.au/spinfire-v50-hybrid-clamp-diamond-dust-plate.html Cheers.
Below is a photo of my toyozouki (yonex) clamps disassembled after cleaning with isopropyl alcohol and toothbrush. Note the wear (exposed metal) on the ends of the teeth. It appears smoother than the middle 3 teeth and I did experience some string slippage. Are there any additional recommendations on restoring the "bite" on the teeth? Cheers. Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
When I would string at tennis tournaments we would use a lot of natural gut and the residue gets on the clamps and starts to eventually slip, so we would use the sharpining stone to remove the residue, it is not like we are trying to sharpen our tools we use it to lightly remove any residue from our starting clamps or the gamma diamond dusted clamps because at tournaments we were using Babolat Star 3 machines. My Babolat starting clamp has got to be around 15 years old and maybe 2 of my Yonex starting clamps might be a little over 10 years old. I might clean them 3 times a year with the sharpening stone and then remove dust with a qtip and alcohol. If you feel this is too abrasive, maybe try an eraser to try and remove residue or get the sandpaper eraser to rejuvenate sanding belts. My starting clamps still work great, being the oldest tools I have. Sent from my SC-01L using Tapatalk
This is my sharpining stone and my Babolat starting clamp I might have gotten around 2010 and one of my older Yonex starting clamps I have cleaned with sharpining stone, I don't notice any polishing or flatness by using this stone, again I only use it in places where there is string residue and not using heavy pressure. Both of these clamps are probably over 10 years old and since stringing at professional tennis tournaments from 2003-2014 and using Babolat Star 3's with Gamma diamond dusted clamps and cleaning with same type of stone, I have not encountered any problems with clamps, starting clamps by removing string residue with a sharpining stone. Sent from my SC-01L using Tapatalk
Thanks for providing a good reference on the state of your clamps @kakinami My toyozouki/yonex starting clamp (purchased July 2016) is definitely still in like new shape after cleaning and is very comparable to yours. I'll have to look into that sandpaper eraser as a cleaning tool and hopefully rejuvenate my toyo clamps. I do have a sharpening stone but I believe @Alex82 advice was correct to not recommend it. I believe that may be the source of the state of my fixed clamps when i cleaned it at one point. I should've just stuck to isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush. Lessons learned which i've applied to my VE-50pro (babying it a lot more). I'll post a better close up of my toyo clamps. I wonder if i could order replacement teeth (the smaller portion of the disassembled fixed clamp) from yonex obviously at a cost? I know this style of clamp is discontinued but i wonder if the small tooth assembly is backwards compatible from the newer female-style clamps (es5 protech, pt8, precision 8/9)
Not sure if they have or make the 5 teeth clamps,but if you put the 4 teeth clamp part with the springs on the 5 teeth clamp with the shaft, the 4 teeth fit between the 5 teeth =) Sent from my SC-01L using Tapatalk
Thanks @kakinami . my idea sadly won't work. I totally missed the fact that the newer clamps are 4 teeth vs the older 5 tooth. I do like how your photos provide a historical evolution of toyo/yonex badminton clamps.
