how to get soft string through tight shared hole?
 

what's a good technique in assisting getting a soft string through a shared hole when it just doesn't want to get in there?

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That depends on the racket, string, pattern, and the location of the grommet hole you are having trouble with.

lube an awl with chap stick or something like that and gently slide the awl through the hole. Then try to put the string through, you should be able to get it in there.

look up yulittle's youtube vid on blocked grommets. Very useful.

I also have good success with a hollow awl (pathfinder)

If you are having trouble with you Tour my guess is your problem is with 8H to tie off your mains. I would not use an awl especially using natty gut string. if you have a starting clamp insert the tie off string from the outside main before you pull tension on the 7th main. Make sure you get the poly crosses in early too while you clamp are at the bottom on the 6th mains. That way you won't have any cross over issues. Getting the poly cross in the tie off should be easier because you are using poly but be careful not to nick the gut with a sharp point on the poly.

Using a pathfinder awl would be fine in you have one. I would insert the awl befor putting in the 6th main string in. I have heard of someone using a basketball needle for a pathfinder awl. Since there is no centr awl to push the awl through with though I would insert it before getting a tensioned string in the hole. You are going to have to gring off the tip if the basketball needle and make real sure there are no burrs.

Here is a video that may help you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9kRV5HQpD4

It was the tour, but this time it was poly mains, gosen cross. It's never a problem getting the poly into the shared holes since it's plenty stiff. But for some reason this time I just couldn't get the gosen through the shared hole for the starting knot. Finally did succeed after moving the poly main a little bit with an awl. I knew you guys would have some ideas, thanks.

Did you also cut the softer string at an angle? That way it has a sharp pointed side to easily enter and pass the blocking string.

Yeah, I always do that.

Try the same method I showed in the video. Start your top crosses with only the first six mains on each side in the racket. Tis way you clamps are on the bottom of the frame and out of the way. Then run in the two outside mains on each side. Here is a little trick I do, if my top cross is going to be above all the other string make sure you get the tie off string above the 8th main in the hole so you won't have a crossover on the outside of the frame. If it is going to be below the other strings get it below that 8th main before you tie off the mains and remove you clamps. Then all you have to do is tie your knot and start pulling tension on the crosses and you will never have a crossover on the outside of the frame.

Below are some solutions for blocked holes and some can work for shared holes to tie off as well.

I typically do not use an awl, as that can damage strings. It may not snap when you put the awl in, but can later from the damage, especially in a grommet area where the strings gets stressed.


For blocked holes try and take a scrap piece of string, and place it under the main string that will be blocking the grommet in question on the outside of the racquet.
Now when you get back to that grommet you can grab that scrap string with needle nose pliers and either push down or pull up to open up the blocked grommet and it slides right in.This works real well! You have to plan for it.

Plan ahead of problem area of tie off, and place a scrap piece of poly in the tie off hole when you place the 1st string in that grommet, then when you get back to that grommet to place tie offf string, pull out the poly scrap string and there should be room for your string to go through.

You can weave your top 2 cross strings before you tension the outside mains, and that eliminates 1/2 the blocked holes.Again you have to plan ahead.

If you did not plan ahead:

Cutting the tip to a sharp and flat point and pushing through with small increments works.Be sure to flatten it out nice I use a starting clamp, and cut to a sharp point, and push in small increments. This is really the best solution!.


You can also cut the tip to a sharp flat point as noted above but also then apply a very small amount of super glue to the tip, then spray it with super glue accelerator, so it sets up immediately and then it is stiffer to go through.

If an awl is absolute necessity, then take a stiff piece of poly, cut tip to point and you now have a plastic awl so not to damage a string. Place that poly
string that is lubed with chapstick, and move it around once it is through.
As you remove the poly string have your softer string right behind it to follow it through.
This is much better than using an awl!!

An awl is good for installing grommet sets, or enlargening a grommet hole, but I do not use it for blocked or shared holes, but.... to each their own, I like to not create problems like damage strings, especially nat. gut as I do string my share of gut, and that is a soft string, and I can get that string through without using an awl, so in reality anyone else can as well.


Best solution:

In reality just cutting the tip to a sharp and flat point and pushing through with small increments works 95% or more of the time,but the above tips may help if all else fails.

Good luck jim

Any tips for non-awl use on blocked holes and Aramid? That stuff literally is rope, it has no stiffness in the hand at all.

Look at the video referenced in post #7.

EDIT: I have also heard of people putting finger nail polish on the string but that creates other problems. I think if you heat up the tip it will melt it some and give it a bit more body.

I really don't use that type of string.
But a thought, have you ever squeezed it flat and then cut to a sharp point, then use a little super glue, and just a little, then spray it with with the super glue accelerator. The accelerator will set it up immediately,and would then be stiffer on the end to push through. One time I had to resort to that tip, and it did work, but then again it was with nat. gut and not kevlar, so I know 1st hand this does work with nat. gut on a blocked hole that had 2 strings blocking the grommet hole. May be worth a try with kevlar.

More often than not Kevlar is going to be in the mains so the best way to avoid blocked holes is to insert the tie off string before pulling tension on the string blocking the hole.

I only have one client who uses kevlar (Ash. Crossfire II), and indeed it is in the mains. Thank goodness it is, otherwise I don't really see how I could string it without using a pathfinder. I did consider the heating idea, but based on how it's made (it's braided), even if the tip is hardened, the part you will push on will still be supple. Thankfully I don't have any kevlar cross or full kevlar clients, so I don't have to worry about blocked crosses, but the thought did crop up even when trying to tie off a main (Head Radical 18*20, throat tie-off is fed in an X versus a V for the cross tie offs...if you know what I mean).

I have one client that does use full Gamma Infinity. I knew before I ever started that I would have trouble with any blocked holes so I told him it would have to be one piece using and ATW pattern. He did not care, so I use a short side ATW pattern and pre run the short side so there are no blocked holes.

it is a 16 main racket that skips 7&9 H&T. The only place I have somewhat of a blocked hole is at 9T. The short side string goes from 10T to 7T and from 7T to 10T on the other side. This partially blocks 9T on both sides but the string going from 6T to 8T on both sides keeps half of 9T open so it is not so bad.

EDIT: BTW when I heated the tip I heated about 1" so I could push on the string.

Cool beans, Jack. Thanks as usual Irvin :)

Turn the soft string into hard string by applying fire to it. Or ice.