new stringer confusion

[j1mw3b]

Hi all...

I just picked up a used Klippermate - about 8 string jobs used - $50. I couldn't resist even though I only break strings maybe once a month.

Anyway, gonna do my first job on an old Head Ti.S6 - with cheap strings that came with the machine and it's an old racquet I hardly ever use.
Started reading everything I could find about stringing and think maybe ready to give it a go, but....

I look at Stringforum.net patterns for the racquet and see different pattern than what is shown in the Klippermate stringing guide.

e.g. Klippermate Stringforum
tie main: 9B, 7T 5H, 7T Assume B means same as H for head???
start cross 7T 8H

Maybe more diffs, but this is enuf to confuse me.
Am I reading this wrong?

Guess I'll go by Sports Authority and look at a pre-strung racquet to figure it out.

PS, does the "Stringer's Digest" show pics of the patterns?
I'll only have 3 different racquets to string: Prince POG OS, Blade 98, Wilson K zero.

Thanks for any clarification.

Jim

[SwankPeRFection]

B=Bridge
T=Throat
H=Head

Usually, most places use H and T. You always count from the center of the mains in the middle of the racquet going outwards. So, start with the middle two mains and that's 1 on each side. When counting out, it's 1, 2, etc. If the racquet has 16 mains, that's 1-8 mains on each side and by skipping 7 & 9 (like on my Wilson), that gives you 8 mains on one side (i.e. 1-6, 8, and 10 grommets used).

Hope this makes sense. As for what the racquet calls for. Go with the manufacturer's specs. If you can't find those, if you have another identical racquet, use that as a guide or look at the old strings before you cut them out and take a pic or note the skips on the mains. Also, looking at how the grommets bend (unless they're new) will also give away the pattern as well.

[tbuggle]

skip mains (grommets) at 7 and 9 T (top) and 8 B (bottom).

Tie off mains (2 piece stringing, you should be doing 2 piece anyhow) at 8 T (top).

Start crosses at 7 T (top) and tie off crosses at 5 T (top) and 7 B (bottom).

this is for the Ti S6 OS. Recommended Tension 57-66.

edit: yes B = Bridge, also.

[tbuggle]

dang, i think we just added more confusion. sorry man!

soak it all in!!

[Topspin101]

I have done several of those Heads recently. Strange looking as outer mains flair out on top. Check the throat area closely for cracking. I found cracks in two racquets. I found the pattern on KlipperUSA.com. Good luck.

[j1mw3b]

Thanks, but yes I am still confused a bit.

Will go to SA and take a picture of a strung TiS6.

Our Blade, Prince, and Wilsons are still strung so no problem there.
Broke the TiS6 a long time ago and strings are long gone.

Thanks,

Jim

[fortun8son]

Part of the confusion is that some sites use H=Head,T=Throat, while others use T=Top, B= Bottom.
The TiS6 is one of those Head racquets that allows 1 or 2pc stringing.
The mains tie off at 8Head, the X ties off at 7Throat
If you string 2pc, the starting knot is at 5Head
The mains skip 8throat and 7&9 head.
Hope this helps.
I have one in front of me as I will be stringing it tonight.
The S6 has fan pattern mains and may be difficult for the flying clamps.

[beernutz]

Klippermate instructions from http://www.klipperusa.com/stringing/...n.php?mfg=THED
Racquet Name - Ti S6 OS XL
Tension - 57 - 66
Length - 20'M - 18'C
Pattern - 16M X 19C
Skip M Holes - 7,9T - 8B
Tie Off M - 8T
Start C - 7T
Tie Off C - 5T - 7B

Stringforum.net instructions from http://www.stringforum.net/patterns.php
Head Ti.S6

Head size - 740 cm²
String pattern - 16x19

Main string holes - H: 1-7,9 T: 1-7,10
Tie-off holes - 5H, 7T
Start crosses - 8H
Method - one piece
Lengths - 3.40 m (11'2") / 11.70 m (38'5")

My money is on the Klippermate pattern being correct (TW agrees with me fwiw as they have "Mains skip: 8T,7H,9H" which doesn't seem to jive with the stringforum instructions).

[Irvin]

The rules of tennis say, "The stringing pattern must be generally uniform and, in particular, not less dense in the centre than in any other area." If the strings get closer together on the outside you 1-Did not skip a grommet hole you should have skipped, or 2-You strung too many mains.

Most 16 main rackets skip either 7&9 or 8 at the head and or throat. Most 18 main rackets skip either 8&10 or 9 at the head or throat.

Tie off locations are deformed by knots and the mains bend the grommets up and down the racket where cross bend the grommets across the racket.

Just looking at a racket most of the time you can tell how it should be strung especially if it is strung or has been strung correctly before.

I hope I am not coming across as condescending to anyone. But try looking for these signs all the time and you will find you need patterns less and less. More often than not the pattern 16x19 and tension range is written on the racket and many rackets have tie off holes and skipped holes marked in some fashion or another.

[j1mw3b]

OK. I started stringing it - following the Klippermate instruction booklet closely.

Going slooowww...

A friend has a Gamma dropweight tabletop and says I can just leave it clamped with the flying clamps for hours or even days. I hope so...

Another thing I notice is that the clamp part of the drop-arm tends to kink slightly because it has a sharp turn - can sort of see it upon removal from the cam. I look at the book and I think I am doing it correctly.
Should this be happening?

Getting the dropweight level is not too hard - maybe one or two tries to get it there.

Before I start skipping strings or tying knows, will go to SA and see their TiS6 string jobs.

Thanks

Jim

[Irvin]

Originally Posted by j1mw3b

...A friend has a Gamma dropweight tabletop and says I can just leave it clamped with the flying clamps for hours or even days. I hope so...

Another thing I notice is that the clamp part of the drop-arm tends to kink slightly because it has a sharp turn...

You can leave it clamped for years but I wouldn't. And before you tell me your friend has done it hundreds of times and never had a problem - I don't care it is just bad practice.

Not sure what you mean in the second paragraph.

[j1mw3b]

Thx. I will finish after I go look at a racquet at SA

I see also what is meant about the flying clamps and the fan pattern of this TiS6, Not there yet but soon.

What I meant by the 2nd paragraph - where you wrap the string around the Klippermate cam for tensioning -it makes sort of a sharp turn and looks like a slight kink. It's not clamped there for very long, but still looks not so good.

Thanks,

Jim

[LanEvo]

Originally Posted by beernutz

Klippermate instructions from http://www.klipperusa.com/stringing/...n.php?mfg=THED
Racquet Name - Ti S6 OS XL
Tension - 57 - 66
Length - 20'M - 18'C
Pattern - 16M X 19C
Skip M Holes - 7,9T - 8B
Tie Off M - 8T
Start C - 7T
Tie Off C - 5T - 7B

Stringforum.net instructions from http://www.stringforum.net/patterns.php
Head Ti.S6

Head size - 740 cm²
String pattern - 16x19

Main string holes - H: 1-7,9 T: 1-7,10
Tie-off holes - 5H, 7T
Start crosses - 8H
Method - one piece
Lengths - 3.40 m (11'2") / 11.70 m (38'5")

My money is on the Klippermate pattern being correct (TW agrees with me fwiw as they have "Mains skip: 8T,7H,9H" which doesn't seem to jive with the stringforum instructions).

I always use Klipper for string patterns, it is simple and to the point wit top and bottom labels.

[tbuggle]

it's best to complete the job and not leave it partially strung for any "lengthy" period of time. i will pause for a few minutes during a job but i'd never leave it to come back to later.

puts funky stress on the frame for too long, IMO although likely it will not be damaged. just a bad idea/practice.

[fortun8son]

Don't leave it for tomorrow. Finish tonight.
If you mess up, you can always cut it out and start over.
If, somehow, the mounts loosen with only the mains strung, you will have a broken racquet in the morning.

[tbuggle]

quit leaving your rackets half-strung, or quit asking for advice.

we don't take kindly to this.

haha.

[j1mw3b]

Half strung it made it thru the night and finished this AM.

But ok, ok I get it - start a job and finish it in at least a couple hours. Will be hard since I am a bit scattered and disorganized. Walk in a room and forget why.

Crosses a bit of a PIA and got a few wrong and had to redo.
Don't expect this string job to last that long. Had two of these - at least 3-5 years old - and had a pro string it at about 62 and the first time, the new strings sliced right thru the racquet.

I did this one at 62, 'cuz thought I would lose some tension as a beginner.
The wide string patterns were a real issue - seems the Klippermate clamps are a bit small for such a racquet - or I was doing it wrong.

Anyway done and will hit on the wall with it today.

Here is a pic of the Klippermate cam tightener where I think it kinks a bit - I think I am using it correctly.
Also a pic of the finished racquet.
https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B5...V4bDhOZmc/edit

[j1mw3b]

Oh and in the pic of the cam tightener, you can see the little bend in the string just below the 90 degree turn - that's where I had tightened it once and then pulled it to tighten again and is the kink I mention.
This is only a scrap piece of string tied to the stringer.

Jim

[fortun8son]

Originally Posted by j1mw3b

Had two of these - at least 3-5 years old - and had a pro string it at about 62 and the first time, the new strings sliced right thru the racquet.

The only way the string would slice through the frame is if a) the grommet failed, or b) the stringer neglected to hold the grommet in place while pulling the 5th or 6th main allowing the string to come in contact with the frame.
If b), it was stringer error and he/she should've owned up and offered to replace.

It is important to watch for this while stringing as it is quite common.

[j1mw3b]

Originally Posted by fortun8son

The only way the string would slice through the frame is if a) the grommet failed, or b) the stringer neglected to hold the grommet in place while pulling the 5th or 6th main allowing the string to come in contact with the frame.
If b), it was stringer error and he/she should've owned up and offered to replace.

It is important to watch for this while stringing as it is quite common.

Oops.... I didn't watch for anything or hold the grommet in place.
So much to learn and the problem is the next time I string a racquet will be like doing it the first time again. Remember the movie "Fifty first dates"????
Oh well, will just use the cheapest strings I can find for a while.

I don't mind breaking strings, but next time will be my good - well, better - racquet(s) and don't really want to break them.

I've read as much as I can absorb about stringing. Never saw "hold the grommet in place".
Did learn a lot and some little helpful tricks however and it was actually quite interesting.

I think maybe since I missed a few over/unders doing the crosses - and had to do over - that I might get two different color strings for the main and cross next time - not a hybrid, just two colors.

I really appreciate all the help on this forum. Been a real pleasure.

Thanks to all,

Jim