Stringer machine Gamma x-2 (or other), dropweight doesn't go down...

[Bertrand75]

Hi there! i'm new with my stringer machine, and i was doing ok with my first racket... but then i was stringing 2 other ones and i found something i don't understand, and never seen in the 4 or 5 videos tutorial of this machine... I read the gamma user manual too... it says (don't read that part if you don't want):
"Wrap the free string clockwise around the gripper drum once and position between the gripper jaw. Gently turn the gripper clockwise while squeezing the jaws together until all slack in the string is removed. Note: For proper operation, the string gripper jaw must be in the position shown. The tension in the string provides the clamping force to the jaws. While holding the string gripper drum with your hand, lift the tension bar to approximately 45 degree angle and let fall. If the tension bar drops below horizontal, repeat the above action until the bar comes to rest parallel to the racquet. The set tension will be reached when the bar rests horizontal. If the bar comes to rest above horizontal, release the string and re-pull tension."

So, my problem is that most of the time the arm with the dropweight doesn't go down... it's like it's already tensed, full tensed or something... and so what i did, i was giving more length to the jaws, and then yes, the arm was falling... but does that affect the tension? i can't figure if yes or not... And in most of the tutorials i saw, they say the position of the jaws must be pararlel to the floor... but not in the user manual... Does this angle affect the tension too? and the length of the string??
Thanks for your help (and sorry for my english..!)

 

[esgee48]

Poly does not stretch enough to do it the way the manual says to do it. Bring the bar just above horizontal, then release. Repeat until bar comes to a rest just above horizontal. With stretchy strings, you can do as the manual describes.

 

[Bertrand75]

Thanks! But the arm stay all vertical, can't move it a bit! Don't understand why...

 

[loosegroove]

Thanks! But the arm stay all vertical, can't move it a bit! Don't understand why...

What @esgee48 is saying, is start with the arm down, NOT up. Then hold onto the gripper and raise the bar to just above horizontal so it settles to horizontal when lowered.

 

[Bertrand75]

Ohh... Ok, i will try that! Thank you very much!

 

[Irvin]

@Bertrand75 you’re lifting the bar too high when there is already tension on the string. The farther the weight is out on the bar the greater the leverage it has so the higher the tension. You can use the COS fruition to determine tension. If the bar is up 7 degrees and tension is set to 50 lbs you tension is COS(7)*50 = 49.6 lbs. if your angle is less than 5 degrees your tension is <5 degrees you tension is >0.4% accurate or at 50;lbs less than 0.2 lbs.

the bar is staying too high because you‘re lifting the bar too high with tension on the string. Once you reach reference tension you can not lift the bar above level very much and expect it to fall unless you increase reference tension. And even tension the string is probably stretched close to its limits.

 

[USMC-615]

As mentioned above, you'll get used to the characteristics of each string (poly's, synthetic gut's, multifilament's, etc, etc)...how somewhat near taut or some slack in the string needs to be allowed between the racquet grommet and tension gripper while the bar is in the start/near horizontal position prior to raising and lowering the bar for each tensioning. Interesting to see just how much and how little different string types stretch but you'll get used to it. Make small incremental pivot adjustments with raising the tension arm and allowing it to settle back to horizontal.

 

[EggSalad]

When stringing poly (I have a X-2) I leave a little bit of slack in the string at the grommet (where I entered for that string) and allow the arm to drop pulling the string tight and getting the tension accurate.

I’m guessing this is a fine way to do it. I’m pretty new at stringing.

 

[MZ9526]

When stringing poly (I have a X-2) I leave a little bit of slack in the string at the grommet (where I entered for that string) and allow the arm to drop pulling the string tight and getting the tension accurate.

I’m guessing this is a fine way to do it. I’m pretty new at stringing.

This is correct. To add on, especially with poly, if the string is already tight between the tension head and the racquet before you drop the weight to pull tension, you increase the likelihood of breaking the string.

 

[loosegroove]

This is correct. To add on, especially with poly, if the string is already tight between the tension head and the racquet before you drop the weight to pull tension, you increase the likelihood of breaking the string.

This is not true. You are actually less likely to break the string since it will be pulling less than reference tension. Now of course you're way more likely to break the string if you push the arm down to get it to level.

 

[MZ9526]

This is not true. You are actually less likely to break the string since it will be pulling less than reference tension. Now of course you're way more likely to break the string if you push the arm down to get it to level.

This is what I was getting at...If the string to the tension head is tight before dropping the weight, you have to push the weight down instead of letting it drop.

 

[loosegroove]

This is what I was getting at...If the string to the tension head is tight before dropping the weight, you have to push the weight down instead of letting it drop.

You're never supposed to push the weight down. You end up applying way more tension to the string than intended and hence the string snaps. If this is happening, don't start with the dropweight up. Start with the dropweight down, then hold onto the gripper and raise the tension arm to appropriate height so that is will be horizontal when dropped. This is particularly the case when stringing poly which doesn't stretch as much. When I was stringing poly at 45 lbs, I was raising the bar to maybe 25 degrees past horizontal.

 

[MZ9526]

You're never supposed to push the weight down. You end up applying way more tension to the string than intended and hence the string snaps. If this is happening, don't start with the dropweight up. Start with the dropweight down, then hold onto the gripper and raise the tension arm to appropriate height so that is will be horizontal when dropped. This is particularly the case when stringing poly which doesn't stretch as much. When I was stringing poly at 45 lbs, I was raising the bar to maybe 25 degrees past horizontal.

I start with the dropweight up, feed the poly into the grabber with plenty of slack, drop the weight, then ratchet so the arm is horizontal, clamp, raise the arm back up and release the string from the grabber, then reset the grabber back to its original position.

 

[Steve Huff]

To answer your other question, the angle of the gripper should have no bearing on the tension. All its doing is holding the string.