Do dropweight machines string tighter a more consistent than crank machines?

[Rabbit]

So, Do dropweight machines string tighter a more consistent than crank machines?

See "picayune" in the dictionary for your picture.

 

[Hmgraphite1]

I use a dw machine. I string at 52lbs. I usually follow the directions and the racquet ends up with a C# tone on the piano. After several outings it slowly falls to a C then B. Then I restring although I can pound spin serves in the ground strokes fly.
The last time I strung I stuck an extra awl into the grommet so the clamp wouldn't move and the tension would stay at 52 at the frame. I did this for each pull. The result was the same C# but now after a couple months and playing several times still at C#.
So the result is I need to string at a lower tension because it didn't soften up to where I prefer it. Very satisfied with my $99 klipermate I bought in '90 while broke in college, plus it has leather on the new clamps and the frames no longer move.

 

[Imago]

The last time I strung I stuck an extra awl into the grommet so the clamp wouldn't move and the tension would stay at 52 at the frame. I did this for each pull. The result was the same C# but now after a couple months and playing several times still at C#.

How do you play with so many awls?

 

[deuser]

I stuck an extra awl into the grommet so the clamp wouldn't move and the tension would stay at 52 at the frame. I did this for each pull. The result was the same C# but now after a couple months and playing several times still at C#.

So you say you found a way to stringing so that the tension stays the same for a *couple months*? Can you describe your process in more detail? Are you stringing with poly?

 

[Hmgraphite1]

Seems to be holding the tension a lot better and longer than when I would lift the weight and the string would ease back into the grommet and the clamp would move slightly, several mm. On the next pull the coefficient of static friction through the grommet would prevent the previous pull from reaching back to the set weight. I am using poly's that have say a medium stretch and stiffness around 200.

 

[Hmgraphite1]

Could be that the outer mains using the old technique would be at a much lower tension than the center ones and with all the coefficient s of static friction adding up through each weave and grommet the string bed would take a while but would eventually loosen up quite a bit appearing to show the string wearing out when it may not be only factor. A lot of friction there when pulling each cross weave also, I suspect the tension across a cross weave is different from one side to the other.

 

[Technatic]

Exactly. For me, funny enough, I found that when I switched strings, I would have to sometimes have a tension adjustment, too.

And I ain't the most "string sensitive" player in the world.

I think that the explanation for this is easy:

The player feels the elongation characteristic of the string when he hits the ball and in the loss of tension of the string bed.

This pictures shows strings in 5 classes and as you can see the difference in elongation is huge.

Compare:

- The total elongation for playability.

- The remaining elongation for loss of tension.

- The elastic elongation for “stroke efficiency”, this is the actual elasticity.

 

[am1899]

So you say you found a way to stringing so that the tension stays the same for a *couple months*? Can you describe your process in more detail? Are you stringing with poly?

The last time I strung I stuck an extra awl into the grommet so the clamp wouldn't move and the tension would stay at 52 at the frame. I did this for each pull. The result was the same C# but now after a couple months and playing several times still at C#

Sounds so scientific. What could possibly go wrong?

So the result is I need to string at a lower tension because it didn't soften up to where I prefer it. Very satisfied with my $99 klipermate I bought in '90 while broke in college, plus it has leather on the new clamps and the frames no longer move.

Why wouldn’t you just crank up the tension from the get go, and leave the awl in the tool drawer?

 

[MathieuR]

Why wouldn’t you just crank up the tension from the get go, and leave the awl in the tool drawer?

Or just forget about the clamps, and just use awls, like in the old days. Awls are much cheaper as clamps.
But oh wait, there was a reason why we abandend that method......

 

[BallsOfFire]

So, Do dropweight machines string tighter a more consistent than crank machines?

I cant write it like a scientist and english is not my first language....but:
In my Experience (IME) the dropweight is a very manual machine where you need to learn some technique and get good muscle memory to have a fast pace stringing... You have to become part of the dropweight machine.....Whereas the crank has inbuild the "muscle memory" in its mechanics. Aka the crank does the technique for you.
The dropweight initially levels out at the reference tension ok, if/when you learned the technique which can take 20 or so stringjobs... and also "calibrate" the dropweight yourself by with a simple cheap fish/bagage digital pull scale weight ( the factory label of tension can be slightly offset on the dropweight leveler).... And then you see the leveler of the DW can go some degress futher if you let it stay for some few more seconds and/or push a bit gently with finger down on leveler and make it bounce gently... all depending on type of string....
Whereas the crank "stops" at a set tension quite quickly moving it backwards, not allowing for the string to do so much stretch and set in before locking out.....
For best end result getting the stringbed to have close to electronic constant pull....you have to with both dropweight and crank do a double (2x) pulls (taking the string out of tension head and re-apply) each time. And then the crank-machine will be faster.
My 2 cents.

 

[struggle]

Our biggest poster here will sometimes praise his DW machine, but then will bag on a higher end machine, perhaps with a wise (which he used to own and also praise…..)

So, post count doesn’t matter.

It’s more about the archer, not so much the arrow.