Buying another Klippermate clamp!

max

max

Legend
Yeah. I'm actually excited. Been putting it off. Two come with the stringer, of course, but I use 3 floating clamps, so I can do the mains evenly.

Been using a positively lousy plastic clamp, which has excessive string slippage (despite multiple cleaning; maybe the "diamonds" in them got stolen?). It's always been lousy. Anymore I've had to set them inordinately tight to get them to hold at all . . . which means banging up my fingers when I unlatch the damn thing.

But I'm going to splurge (hey, Father's Day's arriving) and buy a genuine, All-Steel, solid as granite Kmate clamp!
 
W

weksa

Rookie
What do you mean by doing the mains evenly with 3 clamps? I imagine it might have to do with avoiding the use of Klipper's starting pin?
 
max

max

Legend
I use the pin; it's a good way to go. The very first clamp gets put on the mains, the next pull requires the pin and second clamp. I then use #3 on the next pull of the mains. This frees up clamp #2 for use.
 
W

weksa

Rookie
I start the mains as described in Klippermate's manual, using only two clamps. Drawn below is the scenario of a racquet that has its mains start at the head. The red clamp is the first clamp that you mention. The blue clamp is for the first pull and clamping it to the starting pin. On the next pull, shown as dashed, I move the blue clamp to the location where you would normally put your 3rd clamp.

If for some reason you don't like this method, I guess you could buy a 3rd Klippermate flying clamp -- please explain what you mean by doing the mains evenly. IMO your money is better spent on a starting clamp for other various uses (if you don't have one already).

kmate-mains.PNG
 
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Alex13

Alex13

Rookie
max said:
Yeah. I'm actually excited. Been putting it off. Two come with the stringer, of course, but I use 3 floating clamps, so I can do the mains evenly.

Been using a positively lousy plastic clamp, which has excessive string slippage (despite multiple cleaning; maybe the "diamonds" in them got stolen?). It's always been lousy. Anymore I've had to set them inordinately tight to get them to hold at all . . . which means banging up my fingers when I unlatch the damn thing.

But I'm going to splurge (hey, Father's Day's arriving) and buy a genuine, All-Steel, solid as granite Kmate clamp!
Click to expand...

If you really want to treat yourself for father’s day, I would suggest you buy Stringway clamp, which are acknowledged to be more superior to other flying clamps. But something tells me you are not going to consider that as all your posts are biased towards Klippermate.
 
A

aussie

Professional
Alex13 said:
If you really want to treat yourself for father’s day, I would suggest you buy Stringway clamp, which are acknowledged to be more superior to other flying clamps. But something tells me you are not going to consider that as all your posts are biased towards Klippermate.
Click to expand...

A little unkind to claim that max is biased towards Klippermate. He certainly uses a K'mate and I'm aware he also has Gamma floating clamps but his posts are always, without exception, balanced, well reasoned, and honest. I also use a K'mate, and like max, try to advance fair and well balanced opinions.

Stringway clamps are well regarded by many users (where is Jaycee these days?) but to claim they are acknowledged to be more superior to other flying clamps is your opinion, to which you are entitled of course. While the Stringway clamps may be "superior" in certain features to other clamps the Klipper clamps are arguably the best at clamping very close to the frame, which to me, is very important. Therefore, if you required a floating clamp that clamps very close to the frame, the Klipper clamp would be high on your shopping list. And yes, they are little more than modified vise grips, but there is little to go wrong and they literally last a lifetime. And, if it's important to you, they are made in the USA.

Okay, with that off my chest, and max if you are reading this, why do you need 3 clamps if you are using the starting pin? The use of the pin allows the clamp to be removed from the first tensioned main which you've clamped to the pin and then clamped to the second tensioned and first tensioned mains. Therefore there is no double pulling as each main is tensioned individually which is why Klipper came up with the simple but ingenious idea of the starting pin.

Your thoughts would be appreciated! aussie
 
Carolina Racquet

Carolina Racquet

Professional
Max, you have me stumped on this as well. Perhaps treating yourself to a new starting clamp might be a better Father's Day gift!

That's the next item on my list.
 
max

max

Legend
aussie said:
A little unkind to claim that max is biased towards Klippermate. He certainly uses a K'mate and I'm aware he also has Gamma floating clamps but his posts are always, without exception, balanced, well reasoned, and honest. I also use a K'mate, and like max, try to advance fair and well balanced opinions.

Stringway clamps are well regarded by many users (where is Jaycee these days?) but to claim they are acknowledged to be more superior to other flying clamps is your opinion, to which you are entitled of course. While the Stringway clamps may be "superior" in certain features to other clamps the Klipper clamps are arguably the best at clamping very close to the frame, which to me, is very important. Therefore, if you required a floating clamp that clamps very close to the frame, the Klipper clamp would be high on your shopping list. And yes, they are little more than modified vise grips, but there is little to go wrong and they literally last a lifetime. And, if it's important to you, they are made in the USA.

Okay, with that off my chest, and max if you are reading this, why do you need 3 clamps if you are using the starting pin? The use of the pin allows the clamp to be removed from the first tensioned main which you've clamped to the pin and then clamped to the second tensioned and first tensioned mains. Therefore there is no double pulling as each main is tensioned individually which is why Klipper came up with the simple but ingenious idea of the starting pin.

Your thoughts would be appreciated! aussie
Click to expand...

I guess you're right. Let me give that a spin. I usually leave the second clamp clamped to the pin, with the first in the original position, then pull the main and clamp it w/#3. I suppose I don't like the idea of repulling the first main again, once clamp 2 is removed.

I don't know much about Stringway the company at all, don't know about their clamps. I'm familiar with the Kmate, feel it's very good (I like being able to use just one hand to open and close it). BUT if I can use what I've got, that's much better than anything.
 
J

jgrushing

Rookie
Max, you're not re-pulling anything. The first main is secure. You just pull R1 and use the clamp that was attached to the starting pin to secure it. No need for a third clamp that I can see. Save your money and get something you need more. And have a great Father's Day.
 
E

eliza

Guest
OP, are you happy with your Klippermate? How difficult it was to operate the first time? Did you "mess"up many jobs?
 
A

aussie

Professional
eliza said:
OP, are you happy with your Klippermate? How difficult it was to operate the first time? Did you "mess"up many jobs?
Click to expand...

Not the original OP, but have used the Klippermate to string hundreds of racquets. Klipper supply a very good instruction manual with the machine which leaves you in no doubt as to how to string a racquet. First time took me about 3 hours as I took my time to get everything right but now most jobs average 45 mins.

The only jobs I've messed up was on a Prince O Port Red when I cut the poly for the mains short and once when Forten Sweet snapped on a cross.

The K'mate does not use a rotational clutch tensionning system, but a cam system using 2 jaws which grip the string when the tension arm is lowered. Some users say it is a little harder to use than the clutch system but personally, I found after several string jobs that the cam system was quick and effective. Regularly cleaning is essential to prevent silicone build up on the jaws, but this applies to all string machines.

If you do not intend to string several racquets a day, then the Klippermate (or any portable dropweight for that matter) would be ideal for you. With a little practice, you will produce accurate and replicable string jobs.
 
E

eliza

Guest
Aussie, thank you. I am looking and looking, but you cannot beat 150 for a machine....
 
max

max

Legend
My 2 cents is that it's the best tennis investment I ever made.

Not just for "saving money". . . turns out, more importantly, you can fine-tune the kind of string and tension that works exactly right for your game, for your racquet.

And of course, one doesn't feel forced to keep in place fading or dying or dead strings due to stringing expense.

One factor that led me to buy a machine was pure convenience: I could get the new string in much faster than the club, no driving around to the club or waiting days, not knowing when the frame would be done. I'm crafty, like being able to do lots of different things (I change the oil in my car, fixed the belt on my dryer, etc.), so it's fun to do.

Aussie's post is excellent. Don't rush yourself the first time out; budget plenty of time, and you'll actually enjoy it.
 
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