can you stop stringing in the middle of a stringjob?
 

jw. I tied off the mains. Can i go back later and do the crosses??

~~~SRY WRONG FORUM

nooooo. Don't do that. Maybe for a minute or two, but if you leave it too long, it might warp the racquet.

No, this is definitely a no-no. Leaving a racquet partly strung can damage a frame badly, even break it.

For future reference, if I have a sudden need to put a neighborhood fire out, and I just tied off the mains, should I cut them out while the racquet is mounted? or just leave them, hoping I did an awesome job mounting the racquet?

^^ yea but it probably put ALOT of stress on the racket which may cause it to break later

If I were you I would stop giving people advice like this. Just because it's been done before does not mean it's safe. There are a few people that have jumped off of the Golden Gate Bridge and lived as well, doesn't make it safe, nor a good idea.

Awful advice. I've fallen asleep at the wheel and not died but damn you if you suggest I try it again. :)

OK, common sense says that you shouldn't. But assuming that you HAVE to stop stringing due to an emergency. So the real question is whether to cut off the main you already tied off (and redo later), or to leave it there untouched for a while.

If you already have a good mounting system (6 point or 5 point or whatever) to help alleviate the stress from the racket, why would it be any different if you leave it there for a couple of minutes or 10 minutes? Or 30 minutes, or 2 hours? Everything is static regardless of whether it's 2 minutes or 2 hours, isn't it?

I can see if you only have a 2 point mounting system, you don't want to leave it like that for too long. But with a 6 or 5 point mounting system, I would think that the racket is pretty well supported, don't you?

do not listen to this guy. Even if you finish it successfully you'll end up with possible irreversible damage to your racket. Just because you can do it successfully doesn't mean it's a good job. I can run a 100 meter dash and finish last place, 10 minutes after the second to last place finisher, but that doesn't mean I did a good job.

You can do it, but is in not recommended. It could cause possible damage to the racket. If it is your racket, that is one thing...but if it is for a customer or friend, you are putting additional stress on their racket. If I saw my racket in a stringer partial strung for any length of time, I would be upset and not return to that place of business for stringing. Any stringer that makes a habit of this should be avoid at all costs.

Personally, I prefer to get a string job done as as soon as possible. Having said that, I used to be really good friends with a guy who ran a pro shop here in Brisbane, Australia. Many, many times he would begin a string job and leave it part way finished overnight and finish up the next day. Never saw, heard of or experienced any frame damage from this practice. This guy had been stringing for 40+ years and had strung many 1000's of racquets. But, not my recommended method.

I left the mains for 12 hours clamped and it lost all tension. No harm to racket though

Clamp must have slipped then.

no they didnt slip. Flying clamps btw

If you have to leave the racquet, then finish the mains and string several of the crosses. That way, at least there's tension going in both ways. I don't do it, but I know an MRT who leaves racquets half-strung this way to service customers or whatnot.

what happened to the racket?

a long time ago i had strung my racket about halfway, then the pizza guy showed. halfway through the pizza while my racket was sitting on the stringer awaiting my return, my friends and i heard a noise (small crack), then all of a sudden my racket shattered on the stringer. This was a ProKennex Copper Ace (i said long time ago). Graphite everywhere. I have never walked away from another stringjob since. This was an old crank Prince machine, 6 point also...

A 6-point mount merely has 4 extra support points comparing to the 2-point mount. When you compare that mounting system with a fully finished job: 20 cross strings would mean 40 support points to counter the pressure from the main (comparing to 6), and each support point is only about a cetimeter from each other. That means the stress is even.
6-point mount is better, but it is still under undue stress. Just because the material is holding shape, does not mean that it is not under stress.

When the racquet is mounted, the plastic collars or arms stop the stresses from warping the frame. It's fine to leave the mains strung for a little while if an emergency pops up. Don't cut the strings out unless it will be a day or more until you get back to it.

If you have a string break in the middle of a match and you finish your day of tennis... that broken-stringed racquet will sit for hours with uneven tension, in your bag. I've yet to see a racquet damaged from either of these scenarios.

but that's one string, and at most it changes the tension on 4 of the strings, most likely the mains in the center. if you leave it half done with all the mains and none of the crosses, you're askin for it.

i did that with my old Prince Thundercloud, and it was not pretty.

6 point mount too.