I just started playing again and strung a few racquets at 22-24lbs no probs Then last week I broke 3 racquets (all buckled at the side) while stringing the last few main strings. I added some old grip to the 4 clips but it also doesnt clamp it down good enough. So does the racquet have to be clamped down solid(ie no lateral movement at all)? All help appreciated
That's extremely unfortunate. Please post photos of your setup with the frame (broken) mounted. Thanks!
yes, the other breakage i did on purpose ie pull the last main and hit the frame outwards to emulate the buckling
In that case, your frame shortened a lot during stringing the main strings. That also means the clamp downs were not tight enough. You have to tighten the bottom nuts to the point that the frame does not move in any direction.
What stringing pattern are you using? Maybe see if you can find K supports instead if this has happened a few times already?
worked fine for about first 5 racquets then 3 in a row broke not sure what the pattern is, basically the same as the one the racquet comes with i'm working on the clamps for now, and maybe string 2lb less on the last 2 main string on both sides
What order are you stringing the mains in? Are you just going from middle out or are you following a yonex style pattern? Also, I tend to go 2 lbs higher on the outside strings to minimize tension loss from the knot. typically string at 26 x 28 (mains x cross).
I start 9ft into the string, clamp the middle strings and start stringing 2left 2right etc yes previously i added 1-2 lbs on the knot end (even though it adds unwanted stress) but I kinda lost confidence when it comes to the last 1 or 2 mains now once I sort out the clamps I should be ok I'm thinking about modifying the clamps into V shape for the up/down clamping
scissors, starting on middle mains then full circle well got the clamps working, and working too well I think ... I did my usual 2lbs more on the cross and the racquet was too elongated I had to drop the 2lbs altogether from the middle onwards
I am glad that you manage to resolve the clamp issue. There is no need to do proportional stringing. How elongated is the frame?
Bazzaman, do you start the cross from the top of the frame? Do you notice the strung frame is fatter at the bottom (T joint) compared to the top?
I stretched them with the 12 and 6 o'clock supports ever so slightly, maybe 1-2mm because the supports tend to give a bit. The frame height seems fine, just the width is shorter by a total of 1-2cm. So its not really elongated as such, but the width is shorter by 1.x cm. Is this really stressful for the racquet?
No I do 1 pc stringing so have to start at the bottom. Because my clamps werent very good previously, I added 2lbs to the cross to compensate. Now that they are working properly I might try lowering it to get the right racquet width again. I am assuming that you would aim for the same racquet head shape as if it was unstrung?