A few questions from a beginner

[Kerry]

I bought an Eagnas 700 machine....it is well built, but not the best for sure. With that said, it has a 4 point mounting system. The two points on the side seem to do little good, yet they surely get in the way while stringing. Could I take these points out and use just a 2 point mounting (one at the head & one at the throat)? Or will this damage the intergrity of the frame, possible causing damage?

Secondly, I was wondering what was acceptable (if any) movement of the string clamps after you release the tension gripper? My clamps move several millimeters - is this normal or do I have a problem to deal with?

Lastly, I had a knot slip slightly before it secured on a main tie off. How much tension did I lose? Since it was my racket, I left it.....if this would happen to a customer, should I re-string?

Thanks for the responses!

[gamby]

First off, I'd say use all of your mounting points. They are there to make the racket as stable as possible. The less movement/flex, the better. Accuracy and consistency are the two biggest keys to happy customers.

That said, if your clamps are moving a few millimeters, that's not so great. You want to find that happy medium where you aren't crushing the string with the clamp, but the clamps also don't slide around on the machine. Dial as much movement out as you can.

A bit of tension is always lost on the string that gets knotted. Since it's on an outside main or outside cross, the player shouldn't be hitting the ball there anyway, so a few pounds lost won't cause catastrophe. The simple soulution would be to raise tension a few pounds before drawing tension and tying the knot (on knot strings only). Also, be sure to have the knot tensioned all the way into the grommet so there is as little play left as possible. Your racket is probably fine. Wait to see if it bothers you and then decide whether or not to restring.

hope this helps.