how do i get the tension on my stringer to be correct

[gugafan05]

I recently purchased a Silent Partner "Swing" strining machine. It has a drop weight that enables it to go to "80" pounds. In the past 2 days I have strung the same racquet 4 times with this stringer and I cannot figure out why the stringer won't give me the correct tension. I strung my Babolat Aeropro Drive with the "Swing" and set the tension to 58 lbs., but when I took the Aeropro out for a hit, it felt like 38lbs. I have restrung this racquet 3 times since then with the same result. I was wondering if anyone could help me to figure out why I am getting such a low tension and how to fix this problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone knows that equation for figuring out the position of the dropweight to achieve a certain tension please tell me.
Thanks Gugafan05

 

[nViATi]

make sure you use BOTH weights andmake sure the weight is horizontal before u clamp the string. also, tension your knots.

 

[gugafan05]

How would you tension a knot if it is tied?

 

[nViATi]

How would you tension a knot if it is tied?

tie it then tension it to make it tight

 

[tennis4losers]

Use a calibrator to be sure if your machine is accurate.

 

[Craig Sheppard]

make sure you use BOTH weights andmake sure the weight is horizontal before u clamp the string. also, tension your knots.

Uh.... One of the big stringing no-no's is to use the tension head on a knot. Don't do it.

 

[nViATi]

Uh.... One of the big stringing no-no's is to use the tension head on a knot. Don't do it.

Really? What's the problem ?

 

[Gaines Hillix]

Really? What's the problem ?

This puts excessive stress on the anchor string and can lead to it snapping. It also puts excessive tension on the tie off knot itself and the knot can break. The best way to adjust for tension loss on the tieoff string is to increse the tension on that string by about 6 lbs. before you tension it, then tie it off normally. The formula for calculating the points on a drop weight arm for each weight was posted on the s t r i n g f o r u m dot net website.

 

[diredesire]

a. get a tension callibrator
- make sure your weight is pulling at the correct tension
- if it isn't, make sure:
b. make sure your clamps are tight, but not too tight.
- When clamping, you should have a firm clamping action, but not a hard one, you'll get the adjustment quickly.

Make sure you are using the correct weight and in the correct position. Double check your manual for the procedure.

Don't tension knots, Gaines explained it.

You can "over tension" the strings that are going to be knotted, but IMO this doesn' tmake a big difference, and plays worse (tighter strings on the outside of the frame = stiffness on the outside = less torsional stability, IME).

 

[Valjean]

I recently purchased a Silent Partner "Swing" strining machine. It has a drop weight that enables it to go to "80" pounds. In the past 2 days I have strung the same racquet 4 times with this stringer and I cannot figure out why the stringer won't give me the correct tension. I strung my Babolat Aeropro Drive with the "Swing" and set the tension to 58 lbs., but when I took the Aeropro out for a hit, it felt like 38lbs. I have restrung this racquet 3 times since then with the same result. I was wondering if anyone could help me to figure out why I am getting such a low tension and how to fix this problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone knows that equation for figuring out the position of the dropweight to achieve a certain tension please tell me.
Thanks Gugafan05

First, you need to determine what the actual tension in the racquet truly is. Get a Stringmeter. As this device's instructions say, for any number of reasons you aren't going to get the same tension you pulled, to begin with. Depending on the string you've tensioned, it can be as much as 20 lbs. lower, and (in the case of kevlar, for example) can even be above, the pulled tension number. So you need to know your string type.

Third, use the Stringmeter to check the tension as you're pulling it. There are instructions with it for how to do that; basically, you apply the Stringmeter to the string while it's being held by the tension head. Conventional calibration tools are not designed for your dropweight machine, anyway, since they require the use of fixed clamps.

Get accustomed to using the Stringmeter to check your stringwork; it will tell you many tales you need to absorb, friend!

 

[jbs24]

A stringmeter won't tell you if your dropweight is calibrated correctly. It tells you what the relative tension is on your racquet head after being strung. For any number of reasons, the string tension will be lower in the racquet head after stringing. It may read 40 or 50 lbs even if it was initially strung at 60, so stringmeters have a use, but not for this.

Get a string tension calibrator, put some weights on it to make sure it's correct, otherwise open it up and adjust. Then check your dropweight to make sure it's correct, if not adjust the scale or remark as needed. This way you know any tension loss occurs during stringing or after stringing.

 

[Valjean]

You don't seem to know all the things Stringmeters are for, that the instructions tell you they're for--nor do you explain how a string tension calibrator works on a dropweight that lacks a fixed point to tension with.

Try working with one, why don't you...

 

[Valjean]

You don't seem to know all the things Stringmeters are for, that the instructions tell you they're for--nor do you explain how a string tension calibrator works on a dropweight that lacks a fixed point to tension with.

Try working with one, why don't you...

 

[jbs24]

You don't seem to know all the things Stringmeters are for, that the instructions tell you they're for--nor do you explain how a string tension calibrator works on a dropweight that lacks a fixed point to tension with.

Read the posts on stringmeters. If you need an explanation on how to tie off the ends of the tension meter, maybe you don't quite get it all. Don't have any fixed points in your house?

For you open-minded folks, there is one hole on each end of the tension meter. You can put a BIG starting knot in one end or use a starting clamp or flying clamp to keep the string from pulling through. Tie off one end to your stringer or some fixed object, and the other end to your tensioning head.

In my understanding, Stringmeters are great for measuring tension loss from the time the racket is strung. What Gugagan wants to know is if the tension on his machine is correct before stringing. You could in principle tension one string with the dropweight and put the stringmeter on that string. IF the Stringmeter is spot on, you'll see if your drop weight is calibrated. You could also hang 50 lbs. in weight from a string and put a stringmeter on that to see if the stringmeter is accurate.

And Gugafan, to answer your original question on how horizontal it must be, it's the cosine of the angle. Look at the post at http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=55843&highlight=cosine
10 degrees off means you're only 2% down in tension which is probably close enough for most people.

 

[Valjean]

If being 2% off horizontal is to be thought "close enough for most people," I wonder how a Stringmeter needs to be so "spot on" when testing a tensioned string? Gugafan05 is worried about what he suspects is a 20 lb. tension discrepancy.

Those calibrators can be twice as much as a Stringmeter, and until there's a comparison available that compellingly says otherwise, a Stringmeter is a better choice for someone with a casual interest in determining how stringing his own racquet is turning out. As you seem to know, it even lets him test his strung tension, something a calibrator does not do.

Actually, none of the previous posting on Stringmeters has been concerned with verifying a machine, although that is a function the device has, according to the manufacturer.

 

[Gaines Hillix]

Using a calibration tool on a dropweight with flying clamps can be a challenge, but it can be done. Mount a racquet on the machine. Remove the thick strings that came on the calibrator and replace them with regular strings. Thread one of the strings on the calibrator through a grommet hole that is as far away from the tension head as possible and tie a starting knot on it. This is to provide clearance between the frame and the tension head for the calibrator. Loop the string on the other end around the tension head and lower the arm until it's level and take a reading. If it's off, you have a dilema on your hands. First, you need to make sure the calibrator is set correctly by using certified weights on it. I use barbell weights that have been checked. If the calibrator checks out, but the machine is still off, you need to contact SP. A dropweight machine shouldn't ever need calibration if it was set properly at the factory.

 

[jbs24]

Valjean, you're a belligerent idiot. We're merely stating opinions which people can leave or take. 2% of horizontal? that's not what was written, you should read before having diarrhea of the mouth. Do you even know what a cosine is?

A tension calibrator can be had for under $20 and only has to be done once on a drop-weight if done correctly. Can a stringmeter accurately calibrate a tension head? i don't know.

Nice thing about gravity is it doesn't change, anything with a spring needs to recalibrated occasionally.

 

[spirit]

Gravity doesn't change?

Nice thing about gravity is it doesn't change, anything with a spring needs to recalibrated occasionally.

Brings up a question: Does it matter when using a drop weight machine whether I'm stringing my racquet while I'm at Hilton Head Island, SC or at while I'm at Aspen, CO?

My guess is probably that the difference in gravitational pull is so slight that it makes no practical difference, but it would if I were stringing it while on the moon.

 

[Valjean]

Valjean, you're a belligerent idiot. We're merely stating opinions which people can leave or take. 2% of horizontal? that's not what was written, you should read before having diarrhea of the mouth. Do you even know what a cosine is?

A tension calibrator can be had for under $20 and only has to be done once on a drop-weight if done correctly. Can a stringmeter accurately calibrate a tension head? i don't know.

Nice thing about gravity is it doesn't change, anything with a spring needs to recalibrated occasionally.

You have to be relying on no one reading what's said, and accepting your characterization in place of it. That's how terms like yours enter conversation.

You misconstrue what a Stringmeter does, now what's made Gugafan05 post here. He's interested in how the tension in his strung racquet has felt lower than he thinks it should. Why then make him get hung up on getting a calibrator right off, when he doesn't even know, to begin with, how flexible a string he has in it? Nor what the actual tension in his racquet is, and whether it's reasonable to expect it to be so after pulling his tension numbers? Should he want to check his machine, what means suits him better--a one-time use item he should borrow then, if anything, or the multi-use one that will continue to reward him, whether he ever ultimately needs it to calibrate with or not? He's not contemplating a product return at this point in time, just figuring out how he got what he thinks is too low a tension in his strung racquet--for which there are any number of explanations short of a defect in his machine. In point of fact, you've got some hobby horse you're riding, that has nothing to do with him--hence his discussion topic--at all.

 

[SW Stringer]

spirit asks: " . . . Does it matter when using a drop weight machine whether I'm stringing my racquet while I'm at Hilton Head Island, SC or at while I'm at Aspen, CO?"
The difference in the gravitational constant between Charlotte and Denver for a 60 pound pull amounts to 1.75 grams. The tension in Denver is higher. Probably the thinner air would have a greater effect on the ball than the increased stringbed tension.

 

[hadoken]

Could be the string. I cannot string Kevlar with a drop weight reliably and multifills are a problem if not prestretched.

 

[spirit]

spirit asks: " . . . Does it matter when using a drop weight machine whether I'm stringing my racquet while I'm at Hilton Head Island, SC or at while I'm at Aspen, CO?"
The difference in the gravitational constant between Charlotte and Denver for a 60 pound pull amounts to 1.75 grams. The tension in Denver is higher. Probably the thinner air would have a greater effect on the ball than the increased stringbed tension.

Wouldn't the tension in Denver/Aspen be lower than in SC, since in Denver/Aspen you will be stringing further from the center of earth's mass? Which makes be think, I could lose weight if I were to move from an east coast sealevel location to Denver/Aspen.

But as you point out, the difference in the gravitational pull is so minor that we can safely ignore it. This was just for fun.

 

[SW Stringer]

spirit asks: " . . . Wouldn't the tension in Denver/Aspen be lower than in SC . . . "

You'll have to direct your question to the editors of the "Handbook of Chemistry and Physics."