Reel length, do you ever have your doubts?

[10shoe]

I have been buying reels a lot more lately and have been trying to monitor how many stringings I am getting off them. Especially with the badminton reels, I am either losing track of how many stringings I am doing or they are nowhere near as long as indicated.

It seems to me the best way to handle this is to weigh the reel when it arrives. I have a couple excellent scales built into my diagnostic equipment. Has anybody here compiled a list of expected weights for a full reel?

 

[Irvin]

Don’t know why but I think 660’ reels (200 m) are 656’ long.

 

[esgee48]

I use 660' reels. So far, they have all been greater than 660'. As far as tracking usage, I keep track of what is pulled off for each string job and posted to a worksheet. Part of the Pre/Post stringing work. Weighing the packages assume that the empty packages are exactly the same to the nearest gram. Problem is the label which can change. You also need to know in advance what the mass of 1 meter of string is. 1.5 g/m * 200 = 300 grams, 1.51 * 200 = 302, etc. How can you tell without opening the reel? I don't think you can assume the mass of a meter of string will always the same exact number. I can see ± 0.01 or more grams/m easily.

 

[1HBHfanatic]

......

It seems to me the best way to handle this is to weigh the reel when it arrives. I have a couple excellent scales built into my diagnostic equipment. Has anybody here compiled a list of expected weights for a full reel?

Def. A good way to find out quickly,,,, but only if you have 2/more similar reels to compare and/or a previously recorded record of such..
otherwise, as stated above, several things can throw of the weight

 

[loosegroove]

I once sold two brand new reels on the auction site to the same buyer. He sent me an angry message accusing me of stealing half a set from one of them. I wonder if he weighed them and his accusation was based on a small differential in weight?

 

[tennytive]

10shoe, where do you find enough badminton players who want their rackets restrung to afford buying reels? I offered to restring for a few rec players here, but they'd rather go back to the big box store and buy another racket for $15. To top it off, even if they gave me their broken stringed racket and I restrung it on my own, I couldn't sell it for a price to break even. How do you do it?

 

[Irvin]

10shoe, where do you find enough badminton players who want their rackets restrung to afford buying reels? I offered to restring for a few rec players here, but they'd rather go back to the big box store and buy another racket for $15. To top it off, even if they gave me their broken stringed racket and I restrung it on my own, I couldn't sell it for a price to break even. How do you do it?

Good badminton rackets with good string you won’t find for $15. Just like why doesn’t everyone go buy a new tennis racket for $20 instead of getting their old one restrung?

 

[tennytive]

Yes, you and I know that, but try convincing a picnic player to spend 20 on a restring when he could have a "brand new" racket for less money. Actually I've seen some of them show up with a kit, 4 rackets and some plastic birds they paid less than $12. for, so why am I surprised?

 

[CosmosMpower]

I use a sharpie and mark each time I use a set on the package. So far so good on the new reels. I did buy a used reel that was missing 4.5 sets of string. The seller said it belonged to his buddy and he was told it was new LOL.

 

[struggle]

Yeah, I mark on the reel with a sharpie. I don't bother counting actual length.
I use cheaper reels so i'm not too worried about a half set at the end of the reel.
When I'm getting close to the end, i just order another. Too much fuss for me to
worry over a half set, i cut liberally (hate being short).

 

[10shoe]

I use 660' reels. So far, they have all been greater than 660'. As far as tracking usage, I keep track of what is pulled off for each string job and posted to a worksheet. Part of the Pre/Post stringing work. Weighing the packages assume that the empty packages are exactly the same to the nearest gram. Problem is the label which can change. You also need to know in advance what the mass of 1 meter of string is. 1.5 g/m * 200 = 300 grams, 1.51 * 200 = 302, etc. How can you tell without opening the reel? I don't think you can assume the mass of a meter of string will always the same exact number. I can see ± 0.01 or more grams/m easily.

I like your idea of posting to a worksheet. I have been making hash marks on the reel itself and I can't honestly say whether I am remembering to do it every time.

 

[10shoe]

10shoe, where do you find enough badminton players who want their rackets restrung to afford buying reels? I offered to restring for a few rec players here, but they'd rather go back to the big box store and buy another racket for $15. To top it off, even if they gave me their broken stringed racket and I restrung it on my own, I couldn't sell it for a price to break even. How do you do it?

The region I am in is becoming very Asian. Lots of folks from India and China and they love badminton. Recently one of the indoor tennis clubs was sold and converted to a badminton club. I appear to be the only stringer in the area willing to do these racquets so I have zero competition.

The racquets themselves are usually Yonex graphites and cost upwards of $100 although I am sure quite a few of them are counterfeits.

 

[1HBHfanatic]

Ive used and seen the string measuring device on some gamma stringing machines,,, something like that would be perfect for measuring string at home..
I wouldnt necessarily use it to measure 660' everytime, but more towards the end of the reel, when you suspect you have about 100' or so..

I ask because im not very diligent about tracking string use from reels, until almost the end, I try, but I keep forgetting to log it..

Does anyone know of a "seperate/standalone", automatic string measuring device for home/stringer use?

 

[10shoe]

I use a sharpie and mark each time I use a set on the package. So far so good on the new reels. I did buy a used reel that was missing 4.5 sets of string. The seller said it belonged to his buddy and he was told it was new LOL.

I put a blank address label on the reel and made hash marks with a regular ball point pen. Since I only use 31 ft of string for each racquet I was expecting to get 21 sets out of it. Using the hash mark system I got 16 sets. So either I am getting really forgetful or these reels are way shorter than 660 ft.

 

[LOBALOT]

Ive used and seen the string measuring device on some gamma stringing machines,,, something like that would be perfect for measuring string at home..
I wouldnt necessarily use it to measure 660' everytime, but more towards the end of the reel, when you suspect you have about 100' or so..

I ask because im not very diligent about tracking string use from reels, until almost the end, I try, but I keep forgetting to log it..

Does anyone know of a "seperate/standalone", automatic string measuring device for home/stringer use?

I Do. I was going to start a thread about it to see if anyone has tried it. I will start it now.

 

[struggle]

Ive used and seen the string measuring device on some gamma stringing machines,,, something like that would be perfect for measuring string at home..
I wouldnt necessarily use it to measure 660' everytime, but more towards the end of the reel, when you suspect you have about 100' or so..

I ask because im not very diligent about tracking string use from reels, until almost the end, I try, but I keep forgetting to log it..

Does anyone know of a "seperate/standalone", automatic string measuring device for home/stringer use?

I've used that gamma device and would use it if i had one, but instead i don't bother.
A stand alone unit would be nice if available.

 

[LOBALOT]

I Do. I was going to start a thread about it to see if anyone has tried it. I will start it now.

OK, I put a thread out there....

 

[CosmosMpower]

I put a blank address label on the reel and made hash marks with a regular ball point pen. Since I only use 31 ft of string for each racquet I was expecting to get 21 sets out of it. Using the hash mark system I got 16 sets. So either I am getting really forgetful or these reels are way shorter than 660 ft.

How in the world do you string a racquet with only 31 feet of string? 85 sq inch 15x16? lol

 

[10shoe]

How in the world do you string a racquet with only 31 feet of string? 85 sq inch 15x16? lol

Typical badminton racquet 17 ft mains/14 ft crosses.

 

[10shoe]

I just finished off a reel of Head Rip Control 16. The plastic reel weighs 88 gms. The last 29 ft of string weighed 12 gms, so it comes to .41379 gms/ft.

660 x .41379= 273.
273+88=361.
The new reel I am just starting weighs 360 gms. So far, so good.

BTW, Head Rip Control is much easier to work with off the reel. Less coiling.