Adapters for Babolat machines when stringing oversize frames?

[Hankenstein]

My old Babolat 3001 machine is not able to string larger oversize frames. If my memory is correct there used to be some other parts or adapters when stringing super oversize frames.

Does any of you guys have any adapters for sale or any advice what to use to be able to string this type of frame?`

 

[esgee48]

You might want to ask @Babolat Official . I think you are out of luck. That looks like one of those Head Super Oversized frames. You might try a workaround and cut small pieces of wood that would fit between the standard and the frame. Should be bigger than that spacing since you want to press the wood against the frame. And make sure it just fits between the strings leaving room for the mains to pass thru the grommets. HTH.

BTW, your photo is really dark. Had to cut and paste, then increase lighting and contrast to be able to see anything at all.

 

[Babolat Official]

@Hankenstein, i'm not sure as the 3001 is a rather old machine. You can shoot me an e-mail at msafi@babolat.com, and I can connect you with our Machine team. If you're in the US, you can also call them at 1.877.316.9435 XT 293

 

[Hankenstein]

You might want to ask @Babolat Official . I think you are out of luck. That looks like one of those Head Super Oversized frames. You might try a workaround and cut small pieces of wood that would fit between the standard and the frame. Should be bigger than that spacing since you want to press the wood against the frame. And make sure it just fits between the strings leaving room for the mains to pass thru the grommets. HTH.

BTW, your photo is really dark. Had to cut and paste, then increase lighting and contrast to be able to see anything at all.

I ordered load spreaders on **** and will also cut some hard plastic pieces from old spare parts from an old Neos machine and will use epoxy resin and make the load spreader bigger. I think that will work

 

[esgee48]

If the load spreader is hard plastic, It should work. Just be careful pulling the mains and make sure the frame is supported properly at 12 and 6 and that the device is tight against the frame. You definitely do not want it to slip out or off the supports.

 

[Chotobaka]

I wonder if these parts are candidates for 3D printing? Might be a viable option.

 

[esgee48]

Probably could be done, but it is easier to fashion from a block of wood, file to shape and put a groove in one end for the standards. Hope @Hankenstein reports back whether this worked or not.

 

[Hankenstein]

If the load spreader is hard plastic, It should work. Just be careful pulling the mains and make sure the frame is supported properly at 12 and 6 and that the device is tight against the frame. You definitely do not want it to slip out or off the supports.

Yep, will have a exact fit for the load spreader. Cant be any slippage or not tight enough. With the tension pulled in supermega oversize it must be tight fit

 

[lwto]

I wonder if these parts are candidates for 3D printing? Might be a viable option.

I think the pressure would be to great unless you found one that could be made with metal.
I have an adapter and it doesn't look like it would be to tough to make.

 

[old man stringer]

the 3001 should have been delivered with extending holding pieces for larger frames they also have the yellow plastic protecting pieces so you do not scratch the inside of the frame. the 3001 was very popular all over europe and the extenders should be available. good luck, oms

 

[jhupper]

Sorry to hijack this thread but it's in a similar vein. I have a 2001, a Star 3, and all the spacers you could imagine however on some OS rackets the frame touches the support arms (ie rest directly on top of the arms coming from the post) so if tension was to be pulled I suspect it would be crushed due to the shape of the arms. On some frames you can do adjustments to get just get the required space, but in others it just seems to be impossible.

Any ideas or is this just a case of an older machine not designed for such rackets?

 

[afeller]

I have two adapters. Don't know if one of them is an original.

The left one is relatively easy to build yourself. Just use a aluminum flat bar with around 5 mm (5,20 mm) thickness. The pins have a diameter of 2.95 mm and are 20,85 mm apart.

 

[jhupper]

I have two adapters. Don't know if one of them is an original.

The left one is relatively easy to build yourself. Just use a aluminum flat bar with around 5 mm (5,20 mm) thickness. The pins have a diameter of 2.95 mm and are 20,85 mm apart.

Yeah those are original, have those and some others, but the problem with my machine in particular is the some OS rackets ends up mounted in such away that the frame at the throat ends up pressing on the actual arms that span out to hold the side support (If that makes sense).

If the supports were 5-10mm higher all around it would be fine but the way the arms are formed with a curve means the racket is pressed in the valley of the arms

Ps. Where did you get the white 6 and 9 support pads?

 

[afeller]

I don't really understand it. Some pictures would be nice.

Ps. Where did you get the white 6 and 9 support pads?

You mean the shorter adapter on the right? Don't know. Bought a machine with all those adapters
But very easily yo 3D print it...

 

[jhupper]

Hope pics above show how the V of the throat is against the support arms. It's not properly mounted but gives the idea. You can see it would be worse if side arms were tightened down as it would push it down. Only way to avoid that I can see is shift the racket up so thinner part of the throat V is over the arms but no spacers will achieve that so I assume there is no way round it.

 

[afeller]

Uh. The only idea I have is to drill some new holes with threads into the towers on the downside. That you can move the towers a little bit to the outside.

 

[jim e]

Just wondering, have you mounted racquet other way around, switching head end to throat end mounting on machine? You possibly have it mounted backwards?

 

[jhupper]

Just wondering, have you mounted racquet other way around, switching head end to throat end mounting on machine? You possibly have it mounted backwards?

No, always mounted correctly for the machine. I have tried reversing it for some rackets and it does give marginally more space (not sure why), but it really is marginal and not nearly enough to fix the problem.

Some rackets can be accommodated with a lot of fiddling and spacer trial and error. I suspect some are just out with the machines capabilities though.

 

[jim e]

Seems rather strange, as you have an older machine and those older frame racquets are wider as well, so you would think the machine would handle it fine. You may want to contact the Babolat rep that posts on these boards.
Possibly someone here with same machine as yours will respond.

 

[jhupper]

Seems rather strange, as you have an older machine and those older frame racquets are wider as well, so you would think the machine would handle it fine. You may want to contact the Babolat rep that posts on these boards.
Possibly someone here with same machine as yours will respond.

Thanks, yeah I was assuming someone might have had the same issue. Personally I'd ban all super OS rackets but that might not be agreeable to all. @Babolat Official any thoughts very welcome!!

 

[SME]

I have the Star 3 and would like to know the outcome from the OP.

 

[esgee48]

Same solution as I posited to OP. Try 3D printing your own or make something that extends out from the side support. 0.5" extension on all sides should be fine.
@Hankenstein - how did it go?

 

[Irvin]

No, always mounted correctly for the machine. I have tried reversing it for some rackets and it does give marginally more space (not sure why), but it really is marginal and not nearly enough to fix the problem.

Most frames are wider at the head than at the throat of the racket specially fan type rackets. Heads on most frame are egg shaped with the pointed end in the throat area. So the side supports are made to open farther apart for the top side supports.

 

[Irvin]

@jhumper how much farther out do the side supports go? Will the side supports go out far enough so the throat supports do not rest against the side support arms?

It looks like your only real problem is the throat supports are hitting the side supports arms. That raises the racket and side supports are too low. If you can mount the racket higher maybe the throat supports won’t hit and then you only need a spacer for the 12 o’clock support.

 

[Irvin]

Here is a video that shows a spacer you may be able to fabricate to assist in mounting the racket higher. Of course you would be using the spacer at 12 o’clock and not the 6 o’clock support. I’m assuming mounting the racket higher will move the tip of the racket over the 12 o’clock standard.

 

[jhupper]

The arms do spread further. Ideally I would shift the racket so it moved up towards the head so at the throat it moved to a narrower point of the V, but that all depends on the strung pattern and adaptors allowing that. On some rackets it just doesn't.

The issue is the beam thickness of the racket, so when it's in the side supports it will be forced down into the side support arms. My previous pics show the points of contact and that's it not properly secured down so it would be worse in reality.

Raising the racket 5mm would resolve the problem but the side supports are fixed to the offending support arms and these are the limiting factor so I don't see any way it can be achieved.

 

[Irvin]

Raising the racket 5mm would resolve the problem but the side supports are fixed to the offending support arms and these are the limiting factor so I don't see any way it can be achieved.

Raising the racket up will not resolve your problem. Look at your first picture raising the racket will bring it to the top of the V support. You need to lower the racket so it first in the V supports. Mounting the racket higer up toward 12 o’clock will resolve you problem because the throat won’t hit the arm allowing the racket to be lower.

if you raise your racket higher by 0.5 cm it will be at the top of the side supports for the lower supports and be level for top supports. This will mount your racket lopsided.

raising the side supports will resolve you problem but there is no easy way to do that because you’ll then have to raise up all 6 supports.

 

[SME]

Suggestions for a stringing machine that can easily string oversized racquets at 125" head size? Will all the newer machines accommodate the oversize racquets?

 

[Irvin]

@SME I just strung a Wilson Ultra XP 125 on my Star 5 with no issues.

 

[SME]

@SME I just strung a Wilson Ultra XP 125 on my Star 5 with no issues.

Thank you. I have the same problem as OP with my old Star 3.

 

[struggle]

Seeing as how there is WAY more "meat" than needed on those arms for what they actually do,
a man could easily remove some of that material with no ill consequences and achieve the desired clearance.

 

[jim e]

Thank you. I have the same problem as OP with my old Star 3.

Is the issue only at the throat end of racquet?
If it is only on that throat end, try mounting other way, placing throat end at head end mount of machine and where the head of racquet is now, then move that tower end out to hopefully clear the side arm interference.Just a thought, may not work, but worth a try. Surprised the Babolat rep did not reply with a definite answer.

 

[Irvin]

Thank you. I have the same problem as OP with my old Star 3.

I assume you mean the 6 & 12 supports too close together? The only thing I can think of is getting a longer support pad for either or both of the supports or having one fabricated.

 

[jhupper]

Thank you. I have the same problem as OP with my old Star 3.

If don't have the spacers in post 12 I'd look to see if you find them, or have some machined. They are necessary for quite a few frames.

But, in terms of my issue even having those adapters doesn't mean all OS frames will be able to be mounted, especially where the beams get thicker.

 

[Irvin]

Suggestions for a stringing machine that can easily string oversized racquets at 125" head size? Will all the newer machines accommodate the oversize racquets?

@Babolat Official are there by chance any of the extenders still available for OS rackets?

 

[Irvin]

If don't have the spacers in post 12 I'd look to see if you find them, or have some machined. They are necessary for quite a few frames.

But, in terms of my issue even having those adapters doesn't mean all OS frames will be able to be mounted, especially where the beams get thicker.

be careful having the made like those in post 12. Because of the thickness of the support, it may interfere with installing the bottom or top cross in they extend into the string bed to far.

You should be able to get a machinist to make 2 spaces from 1/4” plate. drill 2 holes on each end and install pins in the holes on one end. Remove the pads from the supports and install your extenders between them. Or if you know someone with a printer they should be able to print ax extended pad.

 

[jhupper]

be careful having the made like those in post 12. Because of the thickness of the support, it may interfere with installing the bottom or top cross in they extend into the string bed to far.

You should be able to get a machinist to make 2 spaces from 1/4” plate. drill 2 holes on each end and install pins in the holes on one end. Remove the pads from the supports and install your extenders between them. Or if you know someone with a printer they should be able to print ax extended pad.

The images in post 12 are the original ones that came with the machines.

I think there may another one also, but don't have mine to hand to check.

 

[jhupper]

I also use load spreaders (like you can pick up on the bay). They buy you about 10mm at either end so can be helpful.

 

[Geoff]

The images in post 12 are the original ones that came with the machines.

I think there may another one also, but don't have mine to hand to check.

I was able to pick mine up from Babolat as @Babolat Official recommended

 

[Irvin]

Thank you. I have the same problem as OP with my old Star 3.

Correct me if I am wrong but don’t the 6&12 towers move back in and out to support OS rackets? At the 6&12 widest point what is the widest distance where the supports support the racket?

 

[SME]

I emailed Dennis O'Reilly who sells the "Weed" OS racquet, and he thought the Star 3 was the only machine that did not support the OS racquet. However, he did state that Babolat released an adaption kit for the Star 3 six months to a year later.

 

[Babolat Official]

@Babolat Official are there by chance any of the extenders still available for OS rackets?

Hi Irvin,

We still have two adapters available. One is the small one shown in post 12, the other is the longer one, but it is a solid piece of metal without the u-shaped cutout. I have never heard of the adapter kit for OS racquets, but I know we don't have any.

Josh

 

[Irvin]

^^^ @SME

 

[SME]

Josh, I sent you a PM.

 

[ohlesl1e]

@Babolat Official are there any adapters for smaller racquets? Star 5 had the badminton kit, but I couldn't find any for sale. If I remember correctly, the 12 and 6 for Star 5 also fit on my Star 3?

 

[Babolat Official]

Hi Ohlesl1e,

I actually don't know if the billiards from a Star 5 will fit a Star 3 or not. I do know we don't have any other adapters though. We don't have any Star 5 badminton kits either, but I can see if France has any left. They are roughly $500 as they also include the clamps.

Josh

 

[Irvin]

Hi Ohlesl1e,

I actually don't know if the billiards from a Star 5 will fit a Star 3 or not. I do know we don't have any other adapters though. We don't have any Star 5 badminton kits either, but I can see if France has any left. They are roughly $500 as they also include the clamps.

Josh

Not interested in badminton.

 

[Rabbit]

?

 

[struggle]

?

I’m not interested in badminton either, but clearly the response wasn’t directed toward me, but rather someone who IS interested in such. Call me crazy!!

 

[Rabbit]

Crazy

(you asked for it)