positioning the supports

[jerby]

Hey Guys,

I recently purchased a stringprofi 69 (For 125 euros) to compliment my Wise. The side supports on my previous machine were wearing off after 10 years of use.
My old machine was getting a bit less stable, I usually strung my own rackets 30x31, now I do 31x31 (Or somewhere halfway, still figuring it out) with a modified Harbito pattern.
The biggest difference (except for the fact that the stringprofi is rock solid) is the position of the side supports.

But here's something I noticed. On my old set-up (red and blue, 1 LS) the frame for really fat after all the mains, only restoring the shape after a couple of crosses. This lead me to tighten the side-supports a bit more, because sometimes it looked mortifying at 33-35lbs. However, on the last 3-6 crosses the frame didn't budge at all. I could even over-tension the last cross by 1lbs, to compensate for tension loss on the knot.

With my new system (yellow on the supports) the frame doesnt get fat at all, the racket stays in shape all the way through. But at the last 3-4 crosses (when I get north of the supports) I see the frame moving a bit. If I pull slow on my wise it's not so bad, however it looks quite worrying at 32lbs and up.

What do you guys think? Is the support placement on the new system better or worse? Or maybe should I start doing top-down stringing?

[Mark A]

I'd be very worried about the placement of the supports in the first picture - you've got sideways compression (from the mains) "leaking out"; the supports should IMO, encompass the holes for the outer mains, which is what you've got in the second picture.

If you do bottom-up, you can do what Alan K. does and mount the racket "low" in the machine, as shown below. The stress from the first few crosses makes the top of the frame - the weakest bit - want to spread out in response, so having the supports slightly higher would be better. With top-down, I do the opposite: my lower supports come in just above B12 (where your yellow ones are), but my top supports are three holes lower than yours.



Don't worry about racket movement... mine always turn very slightly as I reach the end. If they come out symmetrical and within a couple of mm of the unstrung length, everything is fine.

[yan.v]

Exactly what Mark A said. You want your supports to be slightly inside the last mains.

I'm actually quite surprised that your rackets survived at such high tensions with the supports placed like in the first picture.

[jerby]

strangest thing, for the past 3-4 years I have been stringing consistently at 30-32lbs for myself, only rackets I have broken where in clashes.
But thanks mark, I'll see how that works out

[heroclass]

if you look at the yonex machine that badmintoncentral has( the one with the guy stringing the racquet in 14mins) his support positions are just inside the T12( the last shared whole on the sides) and since YONEX is such a big brand and their machines are so expensive and the stringer is a professional, Im assuming that yonex machines have the correct side support positions

[yan.v]

if you look at the yonex machine that badmintoncentral has( the one with the guy stringing the racquet in 14mins) his support positions are just inside the T12( the last shared whole on the sides) and since YONEX is such a big brand and their machines are so expensive and the stringer is a professional, Im assuming that yonex machines have the correct side support positions

The north/south posts can be moved, so the machine doesn't "have the correct positions", the stringer positions them correctly

[heroclass]

ooh yea haha I should have thought more carefully before typing, but yea the stringer had his supports in the right area since he is a professional stringer

[jerby]

well, you say "the right way", but is there really? Further towards 3/9 O clock is much easier in use and prevent the frame from getting fat after doing the mains. But positioning further near 6/12 is much more solid during the first and last few mains.
I think it's a balance depending on your machine, how tight to screw the supports on, how tight you pull the 6/12 supports, what ratio mains/crosses you do perhaps?

[Mark A]

I think it's a balance depending on your machine, how tight to screw the supports on, how tight you pull the 6/12 supports, what ratio mains/crosses you do perhaps?

Exactly. It'd be great if machines had 8-point support (because we'd just whack the extra ones on at 3/9) but they don't.

[kwun]

Exactly. It'd be great if machines had 8-point support (because we'd just whack the extra ones on at 3/9) but they don't.

let's go all the way.

fab a piece of metal, 1/4" thick, in the shape of a ... erm.. toilet seat but size of a racket. then put 20 little clamps around it and just clamp the whole frame down. i think that will be the most secure way.

[Mark A]

let's go all the way.

fab a piece of metal, 1/4" thick, in the shape of a ... erm.. toilet seat but size of a racket. then put 20 little clamps around it and just clamp the whole frame down. i think that will be the most secure way.

Then we'd have to make a mech to work all the clamps at once; I don't fancy spending ten minutes tying a racket down.

One of those 3/9 "compression bars" I saw on here a while ago would do nicely. Easy to make as well - just threaded bar and hooks.

[Mark A]

For reference, here's my support placement - top-down, low 30's:



Just enough room at B12 to get the awl in.