single pass grommet in shared hole (on new racket)?

Discussion in 'Badminton Stringing Techniques & Tools' started by endFX, Sep 10, 2021.

  1. endFX

    endFX Regular Member

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    Beware, wall of text. (Scroll down if you're in a hurry)

    This week something strange happened while I was stringing a racket.
    It was a yonex top of the line, brand new racket.

    I didn't expected anything weird to happen and followed the stringing recommendation to not mess with the warranty.

    Here's how it went.
    • I put the racket on the machine with the logo on the butt cap being readable (not upside down). This may be important later...
    • Strung the mains, no problem
    • Starting knot for crosses on B6
    • First cross in B9 left side (as the pattern suggests)
    • Keep stringing the crosses, all good
    • Getting to the last shared hole at the top, and here it begins...
    • Note: The last shared hole is usually pretty easy and I rarely need tools to pass it.
    • Entering the frame on the left without problem
    • Trying to get the string thru the right side of the frame... Impossible. It's not like the string goes in but wont come out, no. It won't even enter the grommet in the first place.
    • Looking closer at the grommet. It's a single pass but still flared on the inside. WTF... This can't be.
    • Double checking the pattern and the weaving, everything was right.
    • Fighting with the darn hole for what feels like eternity, trying every trick in my toolbox (even the trusty old floss method failed me)
    • Finally managed to force the string thru.

    • Stop. breath... It's done, last shared hole on this racket. (At least that's what I thought)
    • Calming down stringing the remaining crosses
    • Time to tie-off
    • Wait, what is this...
    • No shared grommet on A5??? Are you fricking kidding me
    • (Maybe put the knot on the last shared hole? Some people do that, right? Guess what, the grommet in question was the very same one I was fighting before. No way to put a third string in there.)
    • Checking the 5th grommet on the other side, it's a shared one... This is madness...
    • More of me fighting the grommet as well as intensified swearing...
    • Eventually I won and finished the job
    I never had this happened before.
    Anyone ever heard about that?
    Any tips how to share a single pass grommet?

    I guess I could flip the racket over or start the crosses on the right side to fix the tie-off. But the last shared hole will still be wrong.
    Next time I restring the frame I'll remove the grommet and check if at least the hole is drilled right.


    TLDR (sorry for the essay)

    Did you ever have a new racket that came with a single pass grommet in a place where a shared one should be?
     
  2. Rimano

    Rimano Regular Member

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    Needs pics.
    Is the racket authentic?
    Is the hole shared and it's actually the wrong grommet? Might be hard to tell unless you pull the grommet out.

    Sent from my MI 8 using Tapatalk
     
  3. endFX

    endFX Regular Member

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    Seems legit. It's from a reputable seller. I don't think there are GR coded fakes anyway.

    Only realized it when one string was already in.
    I'm gonna update once I get to restring that racket.
     
  4. stradrider

    stradrider Regular Member

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    I know it sounds silly...But...

    Are you sure you started the mains from the center? If the racket has mostly shared grommets on the sides, you might not notice that you started off center but then in the end, somehow, you might not have that one last shared grommet that you really need to finish the job...:D
     
  5. stradrider

    stradrider Regular Member

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  6. Rimano

    Rimano Regular Member

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    It does happen but you would have to be brain dead to not notice as soon as your mains start hitting the shared holes/overlapping crosses.

    Edit, I guess if it's one of the older type rackets where all the holes are shared, then you might not notice in the same way as a modern racket....
    Sent from my MI 8 using Tapatalk
     
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  7. stradrider

    stradrider Regular Member

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    Sure. So we have two options:
    1. "brain dead" stringer strings a racket one grommet sideways (hypothetically :rolleyes:)
    2. Major manufacturer makes by mistake a single grommet instead of shared. (don't feel sorry for that one :))

    Is option one is so much unlikely compared to the second one? :D
     
  8. endFX

    endFX Regular Member

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    Yes I'm 100% sure that I started the mains right.:rolleyes:

    Going to take some pictures today.

    Black grommet on a dark glossy frame shot by my phones camera that hates focus mode. Well I'll try...
     
  9. endFX

    endFX Regular Member

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    some pictures
    Look at the outer diameter of the grommets.
    1-stringbed.jpg
    2-top-center.jpg
    3-left-top.jpg 4-left-top-inside.jpg
    5-right-top.jpg 6-right-top-inside.jpg 7-right-top-inside-2.jpg
    8-left-shared.jpg 9-right-shared.jpg
     
    #9 endFX, Sep 11, 2021
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2021
  10. endFX

    endFX Regular Member

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    getting back to my questions

    anyone had this problem before?
    what is a good way to get two strings in a single pass grommet?

    stringmover:
    only works if the string is runnig diagonal in the hole and blocking the channel. Thats was not the case here. The string was running perfectly on one side but the grommet was just to narrow to get another string in.

    toothfloss:
    to catch the string you have to loop it around the floss. this will result in three strings passing the grommet at the same time. works for shared holes but not here.

    cuting the string to a sharp edge:
    I do that anyway to make threading easier. helps here too but not enough to make it.
     
  11. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

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    Hm.... maybe I'm seeing this too simple, but it looks like someone simply made the mistake of putting a single pass grommet into a shared hole. Human error and QC obviously didn't catch that one as well before shipping it out. Zero failure just doesn't exist.

    Of course you will have a super hard time to get two strings through a grommet which has hardly even the inner diameter two allow two strings to pass. No technique is able to solve that issue, apart from maybe shoving an awl into the the grommet to stretch it.

    Make a note that next time you get the racket, you won't forget to change the wrong grommet and put in a correct one instead. Problem solved.
     
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  12. stradrider

    stradrider Regular Member

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    First thing first - we eliminated stringer's mistake. That's a good thing :D.

    Yes, human error can also happen in the factory and it did as it seems...

    So, it should be easy to replace the grommet with the double one, right? I mean, the next time you string the racket.

    It is a bit hard to say from the photos - it looks like the grommet Is small but the hole in the racket itself seems to be the correct size? Am I right? If not, it is still possible to drill the hole to the correct size. Use 2.5mm drill bit and make sure to align it correctly when drilling.

    Now... You cannot do it when the racket is almost finished and the main string is already in the hole. If it were me I would not take a chance forcing the string into the single grommet but rather finish it in the closest shared grommet that I have. It's the 14th from the top in this racket I think? To do it a bit better you reverse the last 2 crosses by jumping from grommet 11 to 7 and only then finish with the 9th grommet before tieing in the 14th. I hope it was a clear explanation?...

    That way you finish the job safely and can explain to the owner (if the racket is not your's) the reason for the longer string around the frame and that you will correct it the next time...
     
    #12 stradrider, Sep 11, 2021
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2021
  13. endFX

    endFX Regular Member

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    That's my thought as well. At least on the top. Can't tell on the side.
    My hope is that this is really just some mixed up grommets.
    Don't really like the idea of drilling the frame myself.

    I can understand this happening in production but it really surprised me on such an expensive racket. Also I never heard someone mention something like this.

    To loop back the top crosses didn't cross my mind. Since the next shared hole wasn't usable this would have been a really long tie-off . But with the loop probably an acceptable solution.

    You can be sure that I'll double-check grommets on factory fresh rackets too from now on. Didn't know that that's a thing...
     
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  14. Rimano

    Rimano Regular Member

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    I thought you said the single grommet was flared on the inside? Doesn't look very flared from the pics?

    Quite lucky that the single grommet in shared hole didn't slip out whilst the string was being pulled through and resulting in string damage.


    Sent from my MI 8 using Tapatalk
     
  15. endFX

    endFX Regular Member

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    The one on the side was flared but of cause was deformed after tensioning the cross.
    The top grommet was not flared.

    I tend to keep a finger on the grommet when starting the pull to make sure it's not sticking out.
    I think even the small grommet won't get pulled thru the hole (at least not at 11kg)
     
  16. SIM YUN KIAT

    SIM YUN KIAT Regular Member

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    I had this issue with Yonex made in China racket recently on B9. In beginning when i pulling the main, the grommet loosen and didnt give much thought to it. maybe its just oversized whole. When i started the cross from B6 and to B9, I couldn’t get the string to pass through. Double check it. Oh its a single pass grommet. Thankfully I have not knotted the mains. Loosen the string, replaced the grommet. And done.
     
  17. endFX

    endFX Regular Member

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    Update:

    So I had that racket in question on my machine again.
    Turns out it really was"only" wrong grommets. The holes are drilled alright. However the fitting is pretty tight that's why the single pass grommets didn't fall out.

    I'm just glad that there is nothing severely wrong with this racket.
    If this had happend on any other (cheaper) frame I probably would have shrugged it off. But this particular racket triggered me really hard. Even more because I had a tight schedule that went to sh*t because of it.:mad::oops:

    Well, time to let it go...
     

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