Tool for prince o port
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Lakers4Life
Hall of Fame
You can get boomerangs from Prince. Just call Prince customer service and they will mail you one in a week.
But if you need one right away, an S hook will do the trick, but I have not tried the method, because I have a brake on my machine and I also have a set of boomerangs.
If you want to try the S Hook method, search YouTube.
But if you need one right away, an S hook will do the trick, but I have not tried the method, because I have a brake on my machine and I also have a set of boomerangs.
If you want to try the S Hook method, search YouTube.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
The reason tools are required is so you can hold the cross you are tensioning in the bottom of the port. All you need is something about 1/2" thick to do that. I used a 3/8" ratchet extension at first.
String your racket with a 2 piece 50/50 pattern and you don't need anything but a stringer.
String your racket with a 2 piece 50/50 pattern and you don't need anything but a stringer.
SwankPeRFection
Hall of Fame
Or you could lock your table from turning. A lot of us also just let the handle of the racquet rest against our outside hip to keep it from turning if it's really an issue. Most of the time, with one hand operation of an electric head, I usually just hold it with my other hand and pull tension/clamp with my right. Not too much of an issue, but I don't know a lot of people who play with Princes, so it's not as important for me.
Why they are free
Lakers4Life
Hall of Fame
Pen caps and hip method are for the brake challenged stringers of this world.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
You're an engineer, so I'd like to ask a question. If you're pulling in one direction with 60 pounds of tension at various angles to a string how much tension is on the string?
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Lakers4Life
Hall of Fame
60 lbs, but Not as precise as if you were using a brake. One of the factors we strive for in stringing is consistency. Though the pen cap, socket extension, and S-hook method, are probably more consistent than using your hip and arm to hold the racket. You are also putting undo stress on the handle of the racket.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
I have made some tests before in a conventional racket and the friction of the frame and strings make a big difference but I don't think you understand my question. The direction of the tensioner is always away from the pivot point of the turntable. If you use a brake you will need to turn the racket so that the cross string is perpendicular to the to the center line of the racket and in line with the bottom of the O Port which creates an angle going into the tensioners gripper. That angle will vary depending on which cross string you are tensioning and how far the cross string is from the center line. If the cross string were far enough it so that the string were perpendicular to the line of pull there would be 0 lbs of tension on the string.
When you are tensioning a cross string in a Prince racket (in an O Port) the string always exits the frame in the bottom of the port and when you are string the top half of the racket that port is between the racket and the tensioner so the string naturally wants to pull to the top of the O port. Putting a spacer like a boomerranf or sharpie cap hold the string in the bottom of the port. Or you could use an S hook to connect the string to a lower port which hold it down.
When using a brake the far side of the racket holds one end of the string which goes straight to the gripper in the tensioner and enters that gripper at on angle and that angle varies depending on how far the cross is the the pivot point. The turntable is then locked with a brake to hold e string in the lower part of the port. What I am having trouble understanding is how pulling in one direction enables you to put the same tension on every string because of the different angles of the string.
When you are tensioning a cross string in a Prince racket (in an O Port) the string always exits the frame in the bottom of the port and when you are string the top half of the racket that port is between the racket and the tensioner so the string naturally wants to pull to the top of the O port. Putting a spacer like a boomerranf or sharpie cap hold the string in the bottom of the port. Or you could use an S hook to connect the string to a lower port which hold it down.
When using a brake the far side of the racket holds one end of the string which goes straight to the gripper in the tensioner and enters that gripper at on angle and that angle varies depending on how far the cross is the the pivot point. The turntable is then locked with a brake to hold e string in the lower part of the port. What I am having trouble understanding is how pulling in one direction enables you to put the same tension on every string because of the different angles of the string.
Sure but in case somebody needs to string a racket urgently. Then they can (of course not ideal) I have three boomerangs.
Lakers4Life
Hall of Fame
The string will always want to go where there is least resistance. When you string mains or do a 50/50 Cross, you never have to use a boomerang, because the string will naturally follow the path of least resistance, in this case friction.
Ideally we would like to pull directly straight out of each grommet path, but that rarely happens, because the paths of the string are not always directly inline with the tension head gripper path.
Ideally we would like to pull directly straight out of each grommet path, but that rarely happens, because the paths of the string are not always directly inline with the tension head gripper path.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
Actually the string when it is tensioned will take the shortest path (outside the frame) between the turntable pivot point and the tensioner (the gripper.) the only exception to that will the the bend through the grommets in the frame.
If the ideal condition is to pull straight out the grommet why don't stringing machine manufacturers make stringers so the tension moves around the racket instead of the racket turning in relation to the pulling force?
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Lakers4Life
Hall of Fame
Prince recommends using the brake in conjuction with the boomerang whenever possible. For those without a TT brake, this was a big problem. At one point Prince was out of stock of boomerangs. Before they started producing them again, the stringers without, found other solutions.
Lakers4Life
Hall of Fame
That's true, but in the case of O-ports it does not follow the intended line of the cross, but the path of least resistance. There is no grommet to keep it on it's intended path.
I can understand what you are saying as far as the string having 0 lbs tension when it is pulled perpendicular out of the grommet. That's basically 90 degrees or more. How often does that happen in stringing? When stringing O-port rackets, I will usually try to set the brake where the string is barely touching th side of the O-port. I try to reduce the angle as much as possible.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
If you use your brake the cross string will follow the intended line of the cross straight across the racket out the port and into the gripper. There is no bend anywhere except for the slight bend (the smile) from the opposing force of alternate mains.
Now if that cross were equally distant from the pivot point of the turntable as the entry point into the gripper of the string there would be a 90 degree bend going into the gripper and it would be impossible to tension the string without moving the tensioner farther away from the pivot point (or moving the pivot point of the turn table away from the tension) which is impossible. If the angle of the string going into the gripper is 90 degrees to the direction of pull there is no tension, if the string goes into the gripper without having an angle the tension on the string is the same as the pull of the tensioner. If there is any angle it seems to me the tension on the string is not reference tension and that is what happens when you use a brake.
you both understand each other. Irvin is being anal about actual tension (a fine argument, if you must based on angles etc..) whereas L4L is going with consistent, repeatable stringing,
IN THE REAL WORLD.
edit: everyone knows, grommets, turns, angles, etc take away from actual tension being pulled.
next.
IN THE REAL WORLD.
edit: everyone knows, grommets, turns, angles, etc take away from actual tension being pulled.
next.
I have never heard of using a brake in conjuction with boomerang. If brake is used that is all needed. I don't use a boomerang. I string my share of racquets, and the boomerang increases more friction.I used the boomerang just one time, and that was enough. Brake works just fine, no issues and stringing as normal.
If you have a good brake system, that is all that is needed.
Lakers4Life
Hall of Fame
It's stated in most recent Prince stringing instructions for O-port rackets. I believe that using the brake in conjunction with the boomerang puts less stress on both the boomerang and brake.
Some brakes are not as strong as others, like on the older Gamma machines like the 5003. It's brake consists of a brass pin against the center shaft of the turntable. When I had my 5003, the TT would slip with the brake fully engaged. The 6004 of the same production years used a hard rubber brake pad, that contacted a gear like center shaft. The later model of both machines have switched to the turnstyle and pin brake.
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Tennusdude
Semi-Pro
Please forget about getting the tools. I got all them myself from prince and they work extremely poorly causing substantial tension loss on the cross strings.
Use 50/50 method for stringing the crosses. I believe Irvin has a video explaining how to do this. It is relatively easy and trouble free.
mikeler
Moderator
I use the 50/50 method and do it the way Irvin does in his YouTube video.
Lakers4Life
Hall of Fame
50/50 crosses requires a starting clamp for swivel clamps machines. It can be done on a glide bar machine like a Neos 1000 or with floating clamps. Though a NEOS 1000 does have a brake, so it's not necessary to do a 50/50.
COPEY
Hall of Fame
Right on the mark. Jim, I think everyone understands that if you have a good brake inquiring about alternate methods is moot. If you don't have a good brake (or your machine isn't equipped with one), then find out what the alternatives are and pick the one that suites you best. Mikeler likes the 50/50, some like boomerangs, I prefer the s-hook. A simple answer to a very simple procedure.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
Glide bar machines also require a starting clamp, floating clamps do not.
Lakers4Life
Hall of Fame
Exactly!
To each his own. I'm not a big fan of 50/50 crosses, mainly because, like Jim, I have a good brake (though not the best) system. The OP never stated what machine they have, thus the jump to conclusions of alternate methods.
I respecfully disagree. Normally on a glide bar machine, the crosses are strung with one glide bar, but if you are doing a 50/50. You can used both glide bars, without using a starting clamp.* Though like COPEY said, it's moot since the NEOS and the like have a good brake system.
*-Any good stringer should have a starting clamp.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
You're right I was thinking 50/50 not 2 piece 50/50, but I'd still use a starting clamp to start the crosses just like I do mains.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
Tbuggle I am going to have to respectfully disagree with you. When pulling normally at 60 lbs the tensioner and the racket pull with opposing forces to stretch the string and add tension in the string up to the point of the pulling force(s) assuming neither the tensioner, the string, or the racket breaks. When you start adding angles into the equation you add another force into the mix. Normally that force is friction at the racket, boomerrang, sharpie cap, S hook, or whatever and reduces the reference tension applied to the string. (I think) When that angle is at the tensioner gripper (or diablo) that force increases the tension on the string. Most of us have seen the picture of the Wise unit in this forum with the head twisted off that was caused by stringing a Prince racket with a break. When using a break the racket is twisted and locked with the break so the string goes through the port in the correct position. This creates a side force on the gripper. As long as the string, the racket, or the tensioner does not break many think it is ok. I think the side force plus the reference tension is the resulting force exerted on string.
http://dev.physicslab.org/Document.aspx?doctype=3&filename=Dynamics_ForcesActingAngle.xml
EDIT: also the higher the cross in the racket the greater the angle and the higher the tension on the string. Normally (with conventional grommets) the greater the angle the greater the friction and the lower the tension.
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If I would have bought my machine a year or two later, I'd have the new Gamma brake design and would be using it now.
i don't find the new brake to anything special. but it does work, just as disc brake does.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
The old brake worked like a disc brake the new one is a has a mechanical locking mechanism.
yes, i have one.
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