@esgee48 Can you explain how to use a thick piece of poly and a starting knot to replace a starting pin?
Put the poly is one of your clamps or use a starting clamp to hold the poly. You could also drill a small hole in a dowel and tie a knot in the string so it won’t go through the hole.
OK - So my scrap piece of poly is held by a starting clamp, placed on the outside of the frame, and my floating clamp now has two strings to hold, thus it becomes the anchor clamp (like a fixed clamp) and I won't have to tension two strings to start my mains. Does this look right? Thanks, Irvin - not only for your contribution to this forum, but also your You Tube videos. They've been very helpful.
Trust me it will not work as good as a fixed clamp at all. The poly and the string you are clamping it with will twist because the poly and the tensioned string are both pulling on 2 different sides (off center) of the flying clamp. A stiff wire would work better than a poly string but still not as good as a fixed clamp.
starting pin from klippemate stringing machines
www.klipperusa.com
I do advise not to use the pin in our clamps.
The starting pin is steel so harder than the aluminium of the clamps.
The clamping pressure in the clamp can be 200 to 300 kg.
So this can certainly make dents in the jaws of the clamp.
Flying clamps can not hold a single string. The starting pin works like a second string and allows a single string to be clamped.
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I just use full bed of synthetic gut so I don't currently have any poly to play around with but next time I restring I'll see if I can get a hold of some cheap poly and use that as my makeshift starting pin. I definitely don't want to mess up my nice new stringway clamps by using a metal starting pin.
It would be a lot easier to use a starting clamp if you're going to clamp it outside the frame.Our flying clamps can perfectly clamp one string.
Just tighten the wheel a little and it will clamp one string.
I do like starting clamps but I do not like using them outside the frame to start main stings. To clamp a single string with a flying clamp you must have something to hold the clamp (usually the frame.) I would prefer to clamp the 2 center mains in the center of the frame.Hi Irvine,
I know that you like starting clamps very much.
But I do not see what is useful about them at all.
Never use them.
But it is good to disagree every now and then.
You need to understand the context of the OP. They were considering a start pin with Stringway flying clamps. So you start by putting a clamp on the center two mains. If you’re user flying clamps and no start pin you need to put the next clamp on the outside of the frame when you tension one of the center mains. Then you can tension the other center main and clamp both together using the first clamp. Here is a video YULitle made:
Nah. Also, a starting knot is harder on the grommets. Every other knot is tied off in the same fashion,I think that it is much more complicated and causes more loss of tension in the first cross.
Starting the crosses from a starting knot is much easier imo.
Here is a good example of why I like starting clamps. I was stringing a Radical OS (18x19) today with an ATW and only used 9' for the short side. Oops, I had about 5-6" of string left to tension the main, loop the tie off behind the anchor string to prevent drawback, and tie off. I used a starting clamp as a bridge to tension the string, then I put the clamp on the tip of the string after inserting it in the tie off grommet and looping it behind the anchor string to pull and lock it behind the anchor string, After tying my knot I used the clamp to grip with very small loop of string to cinch up the anchor knot. If I had to do that with a flying clamp I doubt it could be done.Hi Irvine,
I know that you like starting clamps very much.
But I do not see what is useful about them at all.
Never use them.
But it is good to disagree every now and then.
I always start my mains with a starting clamp. The reason is that my fixed clamps on the Mighty Sensor have gravity release bases. It's simpler and easier to set a clamp by putting a starting clamp outside the frame, pulling tension on the opposite main and then placing a fixed clamp on the main with the starting clamp as far away from it as it will go (starting clamp at head, fixed clamp as throat). Then I repull the opposite main and go from there. This has pretty much become SOP for me.
I’m assuming you meant you pull tension on the same main the starting clamp is on or the starting clamp will be as close to the clamp as possible. I was using a starting clamp inside the frame on the second main w/leather pad between the SC and frame while I pull tension on the 1st main. That way I not pulling directly against the starting clamp.
Sorry, let me be clear for you. In this example, the mains start at the head. I string in the first two mains. I put a starting clamp on R1 outside the frame. I then pull tension on L1. I clamp R1 at the throat. Then I release tension on L1. I then repull tension on L1.
I assume you meant "Buy".
