50 string jobs later.... what have I learned?

[Mark A]

Well Kwun, i find that preweave must be done on 76 holes, cos hole A9 or A10 get covered by main loop.
I broke the string when try to move the main loop, anyone suggest better option for that problem?

Yes: use a six-inch scrap of old string (any stringer will have these lying around) and thread it behind the main loop BEFORE you tighten it. You can then use the scrap to pull the main loop out of the way. I assume you used an awl when you broke it...

[kwun]

i have always used my finger nails to move the string aside. seems to work so far.

Mark's tip is a good one!

[Pete LSD]

And attach the the loop's end to a starting clamp. Now it's a lot easier to pull the main string away and make way for the cross string.

[Openg]

Mark's tips very good , heheee
So i can move the loop by pull that old string, nice..
Difficult to move with finger nail cos the tension was 28 lbs.

Thanks guys, its another progress i've got, heheehe..

[singnflip4life]

If you're really good, you can do a reverse weave for prestringing to save string when working off a reel.

You weave the crosses first, in reverse, then weave the mains through the crosses. However this is a process I would not recommend to beginning stringers. I do this when I'm too tired of standing to actually string on my stand up.

Anyone know where to get those squishy mats that relieve foot fatigue?

[pBmMalaysia]

Yes: use a six-inch scrap of old string (any stringer will have these lying around) and thread it behind the main loop BEFORE you tighten it. You can then use the scrap to pull the main loop out of the way. I assume you used an awl when you broke it...

i have always used my finger nails to move the string aside. seems to work so far.

Mark's tip is a good one!

yes, using a scrap string and sometime finger nail, especially the thumb works

normally, before stringing the main especially new racket i take the awl and carefully enlarge the the string holes (those holes that share string or in between 2 main string)

have to do it carefully and overdo it will damage the frame and the grommets

cheers

[kwun]

i just finished my 90th racket and approaching 100 with my backlogs.

what have i learned in the last 40 racket beyond the ones that i have posted so far?

very little, other than practice makes perfect. i seem to have the process pretty well controlled now. i can do a 26 minutes job with a little bit of sweating, this is down from around 45mins a while back. to be honest, i don't see any more speedup from the procedure. beyond this point, it is just move faster and sweat more.

practice, practice, practice.

[allyjack110]

Wow, one cross over!

I'm not a stringer (Yet!), but why are cross-overs considered a 'bad' thing when stringing a racket? Is it purely for aesthetic reasons or does it serve a practical purpose also?

[kwun]

I'm not a stringer (Yet!), but why are cross-overs considered a 'bad' thing when stringing a racket? Is it purely for aesthetic reasons or does it serve a practical purpose also?

imho. it is for stringing perfectionists. for me, it is a would be nice, but not totally end of the world if there is a cross over.

[singnflip4life]

I'm not a stringer (Yet!), but why are cross-overs considered a 'bad' thing when stringing a racket? Is it purely for aesthetic reasons or does it serve a practical purpose also?

It is for aesthetic reasons until stringing at high tensions. With ZM62 and other thin strings, I find tensioning a "crossover" at such a high tension can severely pinch and weaken the string that is being squished. I've had a few (rare, but a few) breakages at such areas, especially since I still do +10% on the crosses, but its a risk that is easily avoided with practice.

[Pete LSD]

Besides aesthetic reason and strings cutting into each other, you get a truer pull if the main and cross strings are parallel to each other versus crossover.

I'm not a stringer (Yet!), but why are cross-overs considered a 'bad' thing when stringing a racket? Is it purely for aesthetic reasons or does it serve a practical purpose also?

[Mark A]

imho. it is for stringing perfectionists. for me, it is a would be nice, but not totally end of the world if there is a cross over.

Once you've been stringing for long enough your technique is pretty much locked and the only improvements you can make are aesthetic. Crossovers are the last remaiing bane to my stringing OCD - the fact that one showed up in my picture is extremely irritating - but there is a (admittedly tenuous) mechanical reason to avoid them. At least that's what I tell myself.

I'm wondering how crossovers are treated by the various stringing Certification bodies, because if it means 9/10 instead of 10/10 then I'm glad I'm so fussy; I once re-took an A-Level Maths exam because I "only" got 93%...

[Fidget]

This talk of crossovers is giving me an ulcer.

I just finished stringing a racket for a experienced but fussy player. This guy's word will carry some weight with others, so I thought I was fastidious. But sure enough there is a cross-over. Hope he doesn't notice. Or at least hope he doesn't read this forum.

[kwun]

it has been a productive March. so far 17 rackets strung already. people have been breaking strings and racket a lot!

usually i get maybe 8-10 for the whole month.

i just strung my 105th racket since 2 years ago.

[canti]

i have 3 unstrung rackets sitting next to me kwun, just wish i had the money to string them haha

[kwun]

it has been a productive March. so far 17 rackets strung already. people have been breaking strings and racket a lot!

usually i get maybe 8-10 for the whole month.

i just strung my 105th racket since 2 years ago.

if no more comes in, the final tally for March should be 27 rackets. you guys are massacring strings left and right.

[cycilver]

hey kwun, do you string for the pleasure or is it more of a means to save money, or i guess a combination of both? i was thinking of taking up stringing this summer but my rate of string breakage is getting less and less not slicing enough