i need help again

[Jaypro]

hey guys...i decided to try to do a 2 piece job tonight with gamma fusion hybrid strings...ive strung the mains, but i am stuck as to how to tension the first cross...do i thread 2 crosses through, clamp 1 while tensioning the other? that doesnt seem to be working for me. i am stumped. :confused:

[Jaypro]

hey guys you'll never believe this (especially JayCee) but i actually figured it out for myself! tell me if this is right:

1: tie off last main at the head
2: thread 1st cross through at the head and knot it
3: weave 1st and second cross through, clamp 2nd cross
4: tension 1st cross, release clamp on 2nd cross
5: weave 3rd cross and tension the rest

am i right? i just finished a few minutes ago and it seems like the most logical way.

[Jay Cee]

Hi man,
Almost got it right, good on you!!
No need to clamp a cross until it has been tensionned, so in #3. no need to clamp.
Best method :
1.) Weave through the 2nd cross then the 1st cross and tie the knot at the end of the 1st cross by pulling it tight by hand just outside the grommet where the knot is.
2.) Pull the 1st cross tight by hand then very carefully tension it with the machine, clamp the 1st cross.
3.) Weave the 3rd cross, leaving a loop of about 12 inches wide between the 2nd and 3rd cross.
4.) pick up the string for the 2nd cross and tension it, before clamping the string, push the cross string up towards the 1st cross so that it is as straight as possible, then clamp it.
5.) Weave through the 4th cross, leaving a loop so that you can tension the 3rd cross, etc. etc.

. . . / . .

When you get to the last 2 crosses, increase the tension by 8lbs on each of them to compensate the loss of tension between the last clamp and the knot.

Straighten up all the strings in the racquet so that they look really clean (PRO).
Nothing looks worse than strings that are all wavy and out of line, even a plastic bag won't hide shoddy stringing. :D :D :D

[Jay Cee]

Hey Joe,
Between the two of us he should be able to make it, we posted almost the same thing at the same time : Great minds think alike" as they say, but also "fools seldom differ" - whichever hat fits the best, wear it. :)
I'm just a stringer, so I'm afraid that it will probably be the second choice, but as for you "Master" it can't be so, therefore maybe I'm not such a fool after all. :confused:

There you go Jaypro, bet that one has managed to get you confused. :p

[Jens]

Hey Jay Cee,
you are really quick today, and when I saw your excellent posting that you finished two minutes earlier than mine, I just removed my posting so nobody will be confused here, yours says it all.
Thanks anyway :)

[Jaypro]

Thanks guys I'll give it a shot today!

[DanN]

Here's a little tip that I found that I like to use when doing a two piece pattern. I don't want to confuse you, but perhaps as you gain experience you might find some use for this:

I'm also curious if JayCee thinks this is an okay method to use for starting crosses on a two-piece job.

This is a tip from the USRSA:

Frustrated With Starting Knots?

If you're not happy with your starting knot, try this "starting-knotless" two-piece method. Attach a spring-loaded starting clamp to the string outside the frame opposite the first cross. Be sure to leave enough string outside the frame to reach the tension head. String the crosses normally. When you're done, re-tension the first cross and remove the starting clamp. Then use your machine's clamp to clamp the cross. Release the tension head and tie a finishing knot instead of a starting knot. This technique eliminates the possibility of starting knots slipping through the grommet as tension is pulled. Also, the grommet won't stretch out with a big bulky unappealing starting knot.

[Jaypro]

thanks for the input Dan I'll give that 1 a shot too..only problem is that i dont have a starting clamp, my machine has 2 fixed clamps and it also came with 2 universal flying, or floating clmaps, 1 of those 2...will they work instead?

[DanN]

I'm not sure if a flying clamp would hold it properly or not. Maybe one of the more experienced guys can provide some input. I've never actually strung a racquet using flying clamps, although I think I understand the principle behind how they work.

Whatever clamp you use though will end up being pressed against the outside of the frame pretty hard until you tension the cross that it's holding and then tie it off. If your flying clamp can do that, then I don't see why it wouldn't work, unless it is set up in such a way that it might damage the racquet or string when you start pulling tension on the 2nd cross.

Babolat makes a very nice starting clamp, but it's expensive and difficult to find (at least it's tough for me to find one). I have one made by Gamma and it seems to work well enough when I need it and wasn't horribly expensive, but I'd still love to get my hands on a Babolat (it's a fair bit wider so it has more gripping area than my Gamma clamp).

[Jay Cee]

@DanN
Thanks for your posting, a good contribution and an interesting point.
I am quite familier with this way of tying off after tensioning the 1st and 2nd crosses, it works well and I know some very good stringers who use this method all of the time. They swear by it, I am not as sure as they are and prefer not to use it unless necessary (very high tensions) ;) .

If the tie off grommet is a big hole, and if the string is in 1.20mm (18GA) you have a real risk of pulling the knot into the grommet, very messy :eek: .
This can happen much easier with an electric machine because they pull hard until the programmed tension is reached, this risk is very important if you are stringing at high tensions. If you are not carefull it can pull the knot too hard, and bingo :mad: .

To avoid this I would suggest that once you have put the starting knot in place, that you do not put the tension onto the first cross but start by tensionning the 2nd cross, keeping the +4kgs tension used for the last main strings before tying off the mains.

By using this method you are not pulling onto the knot directly, the 1st main will be a little under-tensionned, but by pulling firmly on the 2nd cross with your fingers once tensionned and before clamping, you can pick up this slack. I use this method when ever I string at 60 lbs or more in the crosses and have never had a starting knot pull into the grommet. :)

That means that if you are following my stringing method, where you should be stringing the crosses with 2kgs. more tension on the crosses than the tension on the mains, you will be putting only 2 kgs more on the 2nd cross. Once you have tensionned and clamped this cross, you should lower the tension by 2kgs. for the remaining crosses.

Please be carefull with starting clamps, they can damage strings, if ever the string slips in one of these clamps it will probably destroy the string. With gut don't use them. The flying clamp can be used to block a single string, but you have to place the string like a "U" one side then back through the other side so that the clamp is blocking the string on both sides of the clamp. There is no chance that it will slip, so less risk for the string, but more difficult to apply than a starting clamp.
:cool: