RE: two piece stringing, where to start corsses?

[abiriax]

hi when doing crosses with a two piece method is it better to start the crosses at the head and work your way down to the throat or start in the middle and work top to bottom evenly like the mains? On inital evaluation it would seem the second method would cause less distortion on the frame, but what do you guys think?

[DanN]

Everything I've ever read or been told has stated that it's best to start the crosses at the head. Some racquets have one-piece pattern recommendations from the manufacturer that have the crosses starting at the throat, but I know many stringers would rather use some kind of "around-the-world" pattern, rather than start crosses at the throat. I always string with two pieces, and I always start the crosses at the head. I've never thought about starting in the middle though.. perhaps JayCee can shed some light on why this isn't done?

Dan

[Jens]

Remember Guy Forget's racquet (Lacoste)? It was strung this way.

:p

Just kidding guys. :)

I've never heard of anyone starting the crosses in the middle. Which of course is no real reason for not doing it. It would of course be interesting if you tried it, and if you have a second (identical) racquet, lay it on top of the other one from time to time during the stringing process and check if and where and to what extent the racquet is deformed. This would be a valuable contribution to the forum, since as I said I've never seen anyone who has actually tried this.

[Jay Cee]

@ abiriax

Hey man, where did you dig that one up, it's been a long time since someone raised that question, I haven't seen a stringer do that since about 15 years, although in the past it was not uncommon, particularly with aluminium frames which tended to be very easy to deform, so this would indicate that it limits the stress on the frame. Since the generalisation of Carbon and composite fibre frames, which are much stronger, such a method is not necessary, but it could be worth considering.

In 2 piece stringing I have always strung crosses from T to B, but never from the center out, but this is an interesting concept to string the crosses, I have known some stringers who did it all the time, by starting in the center of the crosses and alternatively stringing one cross towards the head then another towards the throat, both ends are tied off so there is no starting knot (which has advantages). ;)

The stringers doing this were convinced that this method is just as valid in limiting frame deformation as stringing the mains from the center out alternatively, logically I can't fault that, though I must admit that I thought these guys were just trying to be different. Wilson does recommend this method of stringing as being valid, and preferable to stringing the crosses B to T. :)

I will follow Joe's suggestion and give it a go, just by curiosity if nothing else, personally I have never strung this way as I just didn't see any good reason to do so, but why not? I'm prepared to try it to see what happens. I will keep you posted with my observations. :eek:

An update within a few days,
Bye.
:cool:

[kwick]

What are you trying to do, create racquets shaped like violins :D

[Jay Cee]

Dunno mate,

But I'm willing to give it a go, if it shapes up like a violin (or a Lacoste) I will send Joe a photo for info. :D :D

Have a big one on me.
:cool:

[abiriax]

if anyone is intrested to know as to why i asked about this, it was because the stringer at my club (he's abou 74 years old) has been stringing for about 30 years and a friend of mine plays kevlar so i asked his advice and says he finds middle out the best method. I will try it and post back the results. In theory it should reduce stress on the frame more than any method. (I mean imagine if you stared the mains on one side even if it was stronger than the other and went across?).

[Jay Cee]

@ abiriax,

So mate, as promised I tried to string the crosses from the starting from the middle in 2 different HEAD LM 4's (16 mains 19 crosses) :

(1.) The first racquet was strung as usual, and is quite easy to string for a HEAD racquet, the mains end in the throat but I don't tie-off the mains directly, but prefer to finish on a cross, so I then thread through a cross for each main and I tied-off each of the crosses on a main string grommet (as per my method as previously explained in a posting). The remaining crosses were then put in from top to bottom and tied-off on a main string grommet. :)

(2.) For the second racquet, I put in the mains the same way, but for the crosses, as a precaution I took 30 cms (about 2 feet) more string because I have to tie-off at both ends.
- First surprise, because of the configuration of my machine with single action fixed clamps, I can't use the one clamp to block the starting cross (in the center of the frame) and the other one to block the string once under tension, the first time is OK but for the 2nd cross I can't go further than the middle of the frame with my clamp, and I can't use the first clamp because I used it to start. :o

- So I stop and try again this time using a Flying clamp to block the two strings next to the loop. So far so good. I tension the first two crosses towards the head, then I thought that I would tension the two crosses towards the throat, impossible, I need both of the clamps to be able to block the crosses, and both are already being occupied, I could recuperate 1 clamp but not the other, and it is not possible to do it with 1 clamp at a time. :mad:

- By now I am getting pissed off with our friend "abiriax" :p

- Not to be discouraged, I go back to the other side and finish the crosses from middle to top (really no advantage here just a lot of time wasted) and then, once the top cross was tied off, returned to the center to pick up the crosses and weave them through as usual to the bottom, and tie off as for a regular job. ;)

(3.) I then compared the TWO frames, the 2nd one is slightly less tensioned than the first (I don't know why :o ), there was never any apparant deformation during stringing, and none is evident afterwards.

Conclusion : No interest what-so-ever with my type of machine, it would be quite easy to do on a machine with flying clamps, but you would need 3 clamps or a st starting clamp as well. It would probably be easy with an Ektelon because the cross clamps can go from one side of the machine to the other. Hey JB, if you have some time to waste you could give it a go and let us know how it works out for you. :D

In the mean-time, I would prefer to stick to my usual method.
:cool:

[Jens]

Thanks for your report, Jay Cee!
Interesting, I didn't think about the clamps. Could you describe the fixed clamp system you have in more detail? Or do you have a picture? I guess that type of clamping system is rather rare, isn't it?

[Jay Cee]

Joe,

There is nothing rare about the system of fixed clamps on my machine (Stringway). Fixed clamps can move up and down to clamp the mains at either end of the frame, but they are either on a rail system (single action : tecnifibre, stringway) or they are double action and fixed through a groove by a lever (Eagnas, SP, Extree, Pro's Pro, etc.) but the clamp on one side of the cradle cannot possibly clamp a string on the other side of the cradle. You have one clamp for the left side and one for the right side. :o

The only exception for a machine with fixed double clamps is the Ektelon type of system which uses glide bars which can be used either for the mains or for the crosses and where the clamps can be placed at any point along the entire length of the bar. :)

A machine with a single fixed clamp (some Babolat machines) could do the job because the same clamp can be used top to bottom and left to right, but you would need a paire of starting clamps as well. Of course it can be done with 2 flying clamps, but you would need 1 starting clamp as well if you want to string the crosses to top and to bottom alternatively. :)

I would not have been aware of this limitation if it wasn't for my trial run on abiriax's suggestion, it is simply not coherent with the logic of the types of machines that I use, but it doesn't matter because I can't see any significant advantage to start the crosses in the center, but there are quite a few inconveniences. :(

If someone else finds this to be interesting, and he has a machine that is adapted to it, then why not. In fact I know a few Argentinian players who string their own racquets since they were kids, they string them on a crazy little machine with a lever string tensioner and a couple of flying clamps, the whole thing fits into a small metal box and weighs about 5 kgs. and these guys generally string the crosses starting from the middle. They are real fast and change their strings at least once a day, so there must be some good logic in the method, if not they would not keep doing it this way. :p

I think that the best thing to do is to try it out yourself, you will most likely find the same problems that I did, if not tell me where I got my wires crossed. :eek:

As for me, I'll stick with my usual habits.

Bye,
:cool:

PS. @ Joe, I think that what is rare is "yours truly". How did you find me Joe :confused: