I'm currently in the process of restoring an old stringing machine I bought and recently took apart the tension head gripper to give it a good clean. My issue now is that it won't seem to glide like it used to and I'm struggling to figure out why. The diamond grip plates have two channels with 7 ball bearings each, though I didn't count how they were distributed when I first took it apart. A friend suggested I need more than WD-40 as lubricant. Video for reference https://youtube.com/shorts/RCWagb9yIeM?feature=share Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated!
You want a PTFE lubricant: https://www.hitekproducts.com/blog/what-are-the-advantages-of-ptfe-lubricants/ Generic WD-40 is not recommended but they do make a specific PTFE based lubricant: https://wd40.ca/product/dirt-dust-resistant-dry-lube-ptfe-spray For more precise application i'd look into these products instead: https://3inone.com/product/3-in-one-multi-purpose-ptfe-lubricant/ https://www.amazon.ca/Super-Lube-51004-Synthetic-Viscosity/dp/B000UKUHXK
Thank you! Do you think the distribution of the ball bearings matter or placing even amounts in each channel is sufficient?
I'd assume and expect you want the same number of bearings on each side. After lubrication, I would be sliding the gripper back and forth (no string) to verify that the bearings are rolling together. If the gripper is still uneven then that's when i would consider the possibility of moving the bearings to either side to "balance" it.
Good news. I managed to figure out what the problem was. The tension head has two metal rectangle spacers, on of them which has a groove to help the gripper slide smoothly. It still needed to be lubed so thank you for your advice about the PFTE lubricant @DarthHowie
