Hi! I just recently got a new stringing machine and have strung a few rackets ranging from 21lbs to 26lbs, most of them Yonex Nano Series. Today I broke my first racket while stringing. Pictures are included below. But it seems like it broke at the 3/9 o'clock position when I was almost done stringing the mains. I was "only" string it at 22lbs for the mains when I heard a weird sound and saw the crack. Looking closer at the racket, there were lots of paint chips everywhere and even a decent paint chip at the crack spot. I tightened all the supports like I have always done, is there any way this could have been avoided? What do I tell my friend? Do I need to reimburse him for the racket? The stringing machine is a Gamma X-ES and it has been calibrated so the tension should be correct. Thanks!
This happened to me once. Did you really tighten the shoulder supports before you start stringing? Also, the bottom (throat side) shoulder supports are way too low. The top (head side) shoulder supports are way too high. http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44070&page=3&highlight=gamma+6004
The head and throat shoulder supports should contact the frame where the main and cross intersect or before they intersect.
I did tighten the shoulder supports before I start any stringing. I usually setup the 12/6 o'clock supports first just so that they're snug to the racket and not stretching it. Then I tighten all the shoulder supports until when I try and move the frame on the turntable, there is no wiggling of the frame mounted on the stringing machine. After seeing those pictures, where should the side supports be for the head and throat?
Dang... I was always trying to judge where the 2/10 o'clock position is and the other 4/8 o'clock position for the side supports... never knew they should be more towards the middle of the racket...
Is that the blue piece of plastic that I have there? There's lots of different shapes of those supports. I picked those ones because they were skinniest and allowed the fixed clamp to get as close as possible to the frame on the middle 6 mains... what size/shape should I look for?
I do the reverse. I align frame against the center supports first. Then I really tighten the shoulder supports. Afterward, I adjust the center supports to just touch the frame. As you can see from the linky, I move the mounting columns closer.
Hmmm... I'll give that a try, although now I'm worried about doing stringing jobs for other people now... really don't want to deal with telling them their racket broke... I just hope they will realize it could have been from a stress fracture from all the missing paint in the area of the crack...
Not on my machine. I've strung a few at 29x32lbs. ECP, no problems at all. But I never tried your hero-like 33x36lbs. ECP though.
Hey Guys! Thanks for getting back to me so soon about the stringing problem. I'll post what they say about the broke racket and make the necessary adjustments so this hopefully won't happen again. Luckily, sort of, this was my friend's back up Nano 9000... I'll adjust the side supports so they contact the frame just before the main and crosses start going thru the same grommets and try the tighten the side supports first and then adjust the 12/6 o'clock supports so it just touches the frame. Hopefully that will get everything so I can try some crazy tension! Hahaha...
Are you talking about when I pull the string, it has a slight downwards pull from the tensioner? I was wondering about that as well, but only seemed minor...
More insane tales of ultra high-tension stringing for sharing Fact 1: The NS-9000 is able to take 33 lbs X 36.3 lbs (2PTD string job) Fact 2: The NS-9000 survived 35 lbs main but popped at 3:30 o'clock 3/5 down from the head at 38.5 lbs. The 3:30 o'clock slightly bulged outward compared to the 8:30 o'clock. The frame was properly mounted.
Emergency steps when 3:00 o'clock bulges I am assuming you mounted the frame properly and is stringing at uber high tension with the 2PTD method. When you are stringing the cross and see the 3:00 or 9:00 o'clock bulges outward, grap two Gamma starting clamps (they are darn nice to work with) and proceed to do the following: get a long piece of useless badminton string; insert the badminton string at the point of maximum bulge across the frame; clamp one end of the badminton string with the first starting clamp; tension the other end of the badminton string clamp the end with the second starting clamp Note: when you see the 3:00 or 9:00 o'clock bulges outward, you have to stop tensioning the cross strings.
I am sorry to hear about your mishap. I am afraid to say that you will have to make good the racquet to your client. As LSD has pointed out earlier, the 4 side supports in the positions shown are wrongly located and is the main cause of the crack. Stringing the mains will bulge the frame in the middle; and I am afraid to say that the side supports as shown could not possibly stop the bulge. You were just plain lucky in your earlier string jobs. As a matter of fact it is safer to use just two side supports, at the 3 and 9 o'clock location, than 4 side supports, in the practical world. This is because you cannot go wrong when placing two side supports, but correctly placing 4 side supports is too variable and not always placed optimally.
Yonex has always been weak...Jeez 22# you should be able to string with only top and throat supports...even china fakes can string to 22#....It is not your fault if you are sure the machine is calibrated correctly....
