VIDEO: how to cut a packet of badminton string easily

Discussion in 'Badminton Stringing Techniques & Tools' started by kwun, Mar 9, 2012.

  1. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    Hi all, i just made a video demonstrating how to open and cut a packet of string to the right length for the mains and cross, without having to use any measurement tools.

    i find this the quickest way to cut from a packet. there will always be a lot of waste and exactly measurement isn't necessary.

    [video=youtube;YPEikWRKoCs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPEikWRKoCs[/video]

    (yes. i meant to cut my head off!!)
     
  2. a|extan

    a|extan Regular Member

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    professional at work

    thanks for sharing
     
  3. Fidget

    Fidget Regular Member

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    Kwun, you are really adding value to BC by compiling a library of stringing videos. Even basic ones like this are a boon for beginning stringers.
    (BTW, that's a nice wall colour for a badminton gym.)
     
  4. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    Fidget, i am glad you like them!

    i have learned a lot about the stringing process from stringers that i talked to as well as stringers here in BC over the years. especially the past couple of years i have enjoyed the process much more.

    i want to share back what i have learned to the community. if you have any suggestions on topics i should cover, do let me know.
     
  5. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    for proof of approximate correctness. the usual wisdom for cutting main/cross is around 5.5 meters/metres for main, and 4.5 meters/metres for cross.

    by dividing the string in half, we end up with 5 + 5 meters/metres. and then adding 2 hand spans which is around 20cm or so each, i end up with 5.4m + 4.6m. which for all practical purposes, is enough to string any badminton racket.
     
  6. _Rav_

    _Rav_ Regular Member

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    Agree with fidget, nice job on the vids :)

    To be honest, as a self taught/BC.com taught (;)) stringer who has no contact with any other stringers locally, it's nice just to see vids of how someone else does things, even mundane things can make me think of new ways of doing things that i wouldn't have come up with on my own.

    If you're taking requests, i think mounting the racket would be a really useful one for newbie stringers.
     
  7. maa2003

    maa2003 Regular Member

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    if I'm not mistaken, there is a video where Alan Kakinami explained how to cut the string for Main and Cross. Strung using Yonex ES 5 Protech.

    anyway, thanks for the video
     
  8. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    yes. that was the stringfest video that i made. i learned this technique from him.
     
  9. twang338

    twang338 Regular Member

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    Thanks for a great video Kwun. oh and... nice jacket.
     
  10. R20190

    R20190 Regular Member

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    Kwun, thanks for making the video. Definitely a lot quicker than using racquet lengths to measure it.

    Just a quick point, you don't have to make a little nick in the packet to open it. You can actually easily tear it open by hand.

    I know a lot of people use a cutter to cut the cable tie with no problems, but I'm always paranoid about cutting or scoring the string. So what I do is I carefully turn the roll of string through the cable tie... seems silly but just a habit I've always done.
     
  11. Mark A

    Mark A Regular Member

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    IME Yonex is particularly good at winding their packets so they don't tangle... some others aren't. *cue five minutes reversing out of the Gordian Knot.

    If your tension head is far away from the turntable and you use one-weave-ahead method, you might want to leave a bit more for the crosses i.e. cut the packet exactly in half - you need a LOOP to reach the puller for the crosses but only a single strand with the mains.
     
  12. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    thanks! i tried it and it works!
     
  13. yan.v

    yan.v Regular Member

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    The technique I use, which also works if you have a string reel, is to use my arms as a measure.

    After measuring and cutting the right amount of string once with a measuring tape or any other tool, measure the string with both of your arms and use that measure every next time without having to use any tool.

    For reference, I need 3x the total length between my two hands (with both arms totally horizontal) for the mains, and about 2.6x for the crosses.

    This works well until you get your arms cut off, which I hope never happens :p

    With a string packet, the method on the video is faster though!
     
  14. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    that's what i do for reels also!

    but i do 3 armspans to find 5 meters, and then i double it and do the same procedure as the video.

    you must have longer arms than i do!
     
  15. yan.v

    yan.v Regular Member

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    Yeah I'm a tall guy :p

    I always try to cut the minimum off the reel in the hope of being able to get one or two more string jobs out of the reel. It turned out pretty bad at first as I was actually missing like 20 cm of string to finish the crosses, so I strung that racket with one less cross at the top. Thankfully, the racket was mine and the one before last cross was pretty high on the frame so it was still playable and durable.
     
  16. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    in regards to cutting minimal amount of string.

    little is known that the highend Gamma electronc machines, the 5800 and the 8800 comes with a digital string measuring device. mounting below the turn table.

    as probably guess, if one runs the string through this, it measure exactly the length of the string. i have seen it in action in a local store racketsupply.com and the owner showed me that on each reel they have marked down the length for that particular string to use, for both mains and cross. which i think is great for saving string in the long term.

    different measurements are needed as different strings stretches differently. also there are some variation in the racket head size as well as tension, but i think they put in the most conservative measurement.

    one can buy similar device that is designed for fishing. but those are only precise up to feet and may not be that useful. the one in the Gamma has a precision up to one decimal point, i forgot if it was feet or meters.
     
  17. Mark A

    Mark A Regular Member

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    Funnily enough, that's exactly what I use: three wingspans for mains, two+armpit for crosses. I'm 1.82 m.
     
  18. yan.v

    yan.v Regular Member

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    We're the same height :)
     
  19. Slohaw

    Slohaw New Member

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    Many thanks Kwun, it helped me so much. I had spent quite a bit of time searching for the lengths of mains and cross strings before finding your video.
     
  20. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    you are welcome.

    but yet, you still don't know the actual lengths. ;)
     

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