when i string my mx80 i tie mains at b10 too. thats kind of the most logical place even though its tricky when your string is thick.
OK - I had to do a Meteor 80 last night... complete pain in the arse. Attempt at a 2PTD resulted in huge loops to get to the mains knots, so I had to redo with Victor's prescribed pattern. Adding this to the fact that my machine's supports blocked the shared holes at the top meant I had to preweave the crosses while the mains were loose. This pattern is an abomination, Victor - needlessly complicated.
Hi Mark A, Earlier you have mentioned that victor's pattern is not like haribito. Can you please share haribito patterns with us if you don't mind.
Having read this thread I see the 80 hole method has got mixed reviews. Some say it is a pain, durability is better and worse, it feels better and worse so I have an MX80 and not sure which is the best method to use. I will string it at 30lbs and follow the manufacturers guidelines to start with. Are there any tips which experienced 80 hole stringers want to share?
A message to all stringers who use the 80 hole pattern. I have tried stringing the 80 hole pattern but really struggling with threading D14 on the cross. Is there a knack to it? I have already bust a string trying to enlarge the hole using an awl. I saw Mark A pre-weaved all the mains but I can see this being a real pain with a drop weight machine. I have just stripped the racket and enlarged all the shared holes so hoping this will help. Is it worth the hassle?
I don't have any problem at all with D14, I find it to be quite easy for a shared grommet actually. Are you using a string mover ?
I don't pre-weave mains; I preweave some crosses, but being top-down I would only do it until C15. Enlarging all the shared holes before mounting the racket is always a god idea - get the awl in and turn it in the hole, like you're stirring soup. If your awl is breaking strings, dip the end in Vaseline before using it. Have you tried the string-puller trick?
I have been watching Kwuns video and he is just using an awl and bent nose pliers. I'll take a look at the string mover video and try again. Is using a string mover at high tensions (30lb+) on the outer main easy? I tried but didn't get much movement and was worried about pulling too hard.
I sent my MX60/80 hole string pattern to a stringer at 28X30 lbs (1st time I tried him). When the racket came back, the bottom cross string is missing (string across B8-D8). There's also an extra cross string across A7-C7 but it is quite lose with almost no tension (moves way easily). Any suggestions whether to send it back or continue playing with it? I've attached a photo of the missed cross at D8... Funny thing is the string at B8 is not tied to any other string... Only the knot seems to be preventing it from passing through the grommet.. quite odd.
A missing cross at the bottom will have almost no effect - you can play with it without worrying. You should point it out to your stringer next time, though.
You could also try dipping your awl in Vaseline before you jam it in - it leaves a nice coating on everything so the string should go through far easier.
I've always wondered why people use the awl at all. I used it ocassionally to open up grommets when I used to weave and tension on the machine, but since converting to pre-weaving many years ago, I've not touched my awl. What else is the awl used for?
If you pre-weave... nothing. I sometimes use it to move mains loops out of the way, but that's about it.
Thanks! After some heated discussion to point out the stringing flaws (improper tie off, loose top cross, missing bottom cross), the stringer was apologetic and agreed to re string the racket...