How did this Happen?

[kenshireen]

I have a bab star 5..
Was stringing a Prince O3 Silver... a big mother racquet.
Due to the large head the thumb screws were only able to grab at 11 and 1 and 7 and 5.
I couldn't move them anymore towards the middle.

Set the tension at 60..made sure that everything was tight...platform etc. thumb screws were finger tightened..
Did a 2 piece string job..

Finished the mains... tied them off...and then I hear the snap snap sound and the racket develops a crack at 9 and 3 almost simultaneously... Didn't crack on the outside but has cracks on the inside...


What happened and why... can I still string since the frame did not warp

[cluckcluck]

Ouch! That's bogus...hopefully your client will understand. The only thing I can think of is that the racquet could have thinned out? Previously cracked?
When was the last time you calibrated your machine? Might be pulling tighter than set tension?

[drakulie]

Did you use the 6 & 12 o'clock posts?

Also, did you tighten the frame where it couldn't move, or did you tighten only enough where the frame could move a little?

You should tighten the arms only enough to touch the frame. The frame should be free to move a little and almost "float" in the arms.

[seekay]

The damage you're describing is exactly what would happen if a frame weren't properly supported at 12 and 6. If the mains pull the top and bottom together, it causes the sides to bow out, and puts a lot of compression stress on the inside of the frame at 3 and 9.

Two good points of support should be enough to safely string a frame, so I wouldn't worry too much about the side supports being farther from the center than you see with smaller racquets.

[kenshireen]

Originally Posted by drakulie

Did you use the 6 & 12 o'clock posts?

Also, did you tighten the frame where it couldn't move, or did you tighten only enough where the frame could move a little?

You should tighten the arms only enough to touch the frame. The frame should be free to move a little and almost "float" in the arms.

I always use the 6/12 post... I had to use a thin hose and put over the posts to make it fit tight... I have done this before.
I may have overtighed the thumb screws but my question is do you think it caused a problem that I had the screws positioned at 11/1 5/7 rather than being more towards the middle of the racket... I just couldn't move the thumb screws high enough due to the large head getting in the way of the holes

[uk_skippy]

I always centre the rqt on the turntable so the there's equal distance at the 6/12 position. Also, I still have my adaptors from my Star 4 and these fit the Star 5. I'd suggest trying to get hold of these, particularly the short ones that fit over the 6/12 billiards.

I know that this is a bit horse bolted, close door; but just trying to help for the future with any large headed rqts.

Regards

Paul

[bugeyed]

Originally Posted by uk_skippy

I always centre the rqt on the turntable so the there's equal distance at the 6/12 position. Also, I still have my adaptors from my Star 4 and these fit the Star 5. I'd suggest trying to get hold of these, particularly the short ones that fit over the 6/12 billiards.

I know that this is a bit horse bolted, close door; but just trying to help for the future with any large headed rqts.

Regards

Paul

I have been trying to get a second billiard adapter from Babolat for 6 months. They just aren't getting them in. One works for most racquets, but occasionally I need a second. I think they only offer the one size now, the new type that hangs on the top of the billiard.
kev

[kenshireen]

Originally Posted by bugeyed

I have been trying to get a second billiard adapter from Babolat for 6 months. They just aren't getting them in. One works for most racquets, but occasionally I need a second. I think they only offer the one size now, the new type that hangs on the top of the billiard.
kev

Mine is a Star 2..not 5
Instead of an adaptor I place a piece of rubber tubing of the billiards...Clear plastic and stiff.. but in this case the racket still broke.

[jim e]

you initially stated it was a Star 5 , but a Star 2 may be the issue if this was the machine.
Someone here should jump in that knows the older Babolat machines, as I can recall a few years back that someone posted somewhere that the Star 2 needs an update of table and mounts to accomodate the larger size racquets.
Posssibly I may have this wrong, but I vaguely remember this from a much older post. So possibly your machine has a hard time mounting the racquet in proper position and this caused this issue.
I hope that you are not like some others here that string for 1/2 of nothing and it won't set you back too much to replace this persons racquet.

I know that it is also possible that the racquet was abused and had some cracks that is why it is important to inspect for this, and sometimes it is just the racquets time as they do get stressed out and fatigue sets in. Since you did say the mounting was a little off, makes me think of older machine without the updates for an OS size racquet.

[bugeyed]

Originally Posted by kenshireen

Mine is a Star 2..not 5
Instead of an adaptor I place a piece of rubber tubing of the billiards...Clear plastic and stiff.. but in this case the racket still broke.

Not sure how the rubber tubing acts as an adapter for racquets that extend beyond the billiards reach. The adapters that I use are metal & extend the reach of the billiard by about an inch. Enough for most racquets. I need another for some really long oval head racquets.

Cheers,
kev

[Irvin]

Originally Posted by jim e

you initially stated it was a Star 5 , but a Star 2 may be the issue if this was the machine.
Someone here should jump in that knows the older Babolat machines, as I can recall a few years back that someone posted somewhere that the Star 2 needs an update of table and mounts to accomodate the larger size racquets.
Posssibly I may have this wrong, but I vaguely remember this from a much older post. So possibly your machine has a hard time mounting the racquet in proper position and this caused this issue.
I hope that you are not like some others here that string for 1/2 of nothing and it won't set you back too much to replace this persons racquet.

I know that it is also possible that the racquet was abused and had some cracks that is why it is important to inspect for this, and sometimes it is just the racquets time as they do get stressed out and fatigue sets in. Since you did say the mounting was a little off, makes me think of older machine without the updates for an OS size racquet.

Someone here just recently had that same issues with a Star 2. The mounting issue not the cracking issue.

[uk_skippy]

Originally Posted by bugeyed

I have been trying to get a second billiard adapter from Babolat for 6 months. They just aren't getting them in. One works for most racquets, but occasionally I need a second. I think they only offer the one size now, the new type that hangs on the top of the billiard.
kev

I can check my supplier here in the UK if you're interested.

Regards

Paul

[uk_skippy]

Originally Posted by kenshireen

Mine is a Star 2..not 5
Instead of an adaptor I place a piece of rubber tubing of the billiards...Clear plastic and stiff.. but in this case the racket still broke.

If you have a Star 2 (and not a 5 as originally mentioned), then there is a way to mount extreme size head tennis racquets. It requires reversing the head post and/or side mounts. The USRSA have info on this as it was originally released to string the Wilson Outer limits racquet, so best to call them for clarification.

Regards

Paul

[bugeyed]

Originally Posted by uk_skippy

I can check my supplier here in the UK if you're interested.

Regards

Paul

Thanks,
I have them on order here, USA, but last two shipments they received did not include these. I used to have the old ones, solid blocks of aluminum, but the only ones that had pins in them walked. I actually like the new ones better, if I can get another, I will be set.

Cheers,
kev

[Wikky]

Was at worked today and remembered seeing this post as I was putting on a exo3 platinum. Same thing, HUGE racquet, strings go through the throat and the customer wanted it strung at 60 pounds with nxt. Stringing on a baiardo, as I pulled the 2nd to last main heard a very faint crack and discovered a hair line at the throat of the racquet.

I honestly believe that the racquet was mounted absoultely fine with the same tightness described above and have never had this happen with any other frame. The amount of complaints there are about exo3 racquets, especially oversized, having strings break or racquets crack on the machine definitely cannot be a coincidence.

[jim e]

Originally Posted by Wikky

Was at worked today and remembered seeing this post as I was putting on a exo3 platinum. Same thing, HUGE racquet, strings go through the throat and the customer wanted it strung at 60 pounds with nxt. Stringing on a baiardo, as I pulled the 2nd to last main heard a very faint crack and discovered a hair line at the throat of the racquet.

I honestly believe that the racquet was mounted absoultely fine with the same tightness described above and have never had this happen with any other frame. The amount of complaints there are about exo3 racquets, especially oversized, having strings break or racquets crack on the machine definitely cannot be a coincidence.

Where at the throat was the fracture?

[Wikky]

right where the throat meets the head, I didn't think to take a picture at the time.

[Irvin]

Originally Posted by Wikky

right where the throat meets the head, I didn't think to take a picture at the time.

I had one of my Hybrid O3 Tours break there, sent it back back to TW, and Prince replaced it. Funny there were maybe a few scratches on the head guard but other than that it looked new. I just noticed it one day checking out the rackets.