My New - Old Stringing Machine

[flash9]

I last posted nearly 10 years ago, but I wanted to login and introduce "Oliver" from Down Under.
I purchased Oliver this past week and I have been cleaning it up and getting it ready for its first string job with me.






I hope you enjoy the attached photos.

Our Babolat Star5 is still working flawlessly, and High Strung has never had a better year that 2020.

 

[jim e]

That machine reminds me of my old Serrano machine. I still have that old beast as well. My machine I never got the upgrades to handle the larger racquet of today, and only use it for an occasional wooden racquet once in a great while, and it pulls very accurate. Does your Oliver accommodate the larger frames?

 

[flash9]

Jim E - I strung in High School on a Serrano No-Awl at our Tennis Club in Tyler Texas, and yes they are extremely similar.
I have been unable to find whose design was out first, Sersano or Oliver?
This machine is as original as I have ever seen.
It has not been "modified" to accept larger headed frames, but any racquet that is 12.5" inside head dimension can be mounted.

So - my Prince Graphite will not fit.

 

[Folsom_Stringer_Musa]

It seems hard to operate as the weight is on the other side.
How about accuracy of the machine?

 

[flash9]

It is very easy to operate as you simple step down on the foot level (see my last two initial photos) which lifts the weights and moves the string gripper forward. With the pedal depressed you put the string between the gripper plates and give the small handle a 1/4 turn to tighten the gripper, then you lift your foot to lower the weight, and pull tension.

As long as the earth maintains a gravitational constant of 32.174 ft/s2 this machine will always be accurate.
We have a Star5 and it does its best to keep a constant tension on the string, but nothing does a better job than a well designed drop weight machine.

 

[Folsom_Stringer_Musa]

We have a Star5 and it does its best to keep a constant tension on the string, but nothing does a better job than a well designed drop weight machine.

If you have the patience to achieve proper leveling of the lever.
DW are the cheapest CP machines.

 

[jim e]

If you have the patience to achieve proper leveling of the lever.
DW are the cheapest CP machines.

The original posters Oliver machine, as well as my old Serrano, those drop weight machines do not need to keep the bar level, as it just pulls to reference and keeps it there.

 

[flash9]

The original posters Oliver machine, as well as my old Serrano, those drop weight machines do not need to keep the bar level, as it just pulls to reference and keeps it there.

jim e is correct.
The tension as measured on a digital scale is the same no mater how far up or down the angle of the bar with the weight is attached to. The only time the tension ever varies pull to pull is IF the the bar drops such that the black rubber ring lowers to hit the stop. (see Image Below)

I was going to try to take some photos to show how the tension stays constant no mater the angle of the bar, but I really do not see the need.

 

[jim e]

The Serrano early models were made in the early 1930's . Mine is a very early model, but still pulls very accurate. They are what you would call an automatic drop weight as bar does not need to be level. Just step on peddle, the tension clamp moves to racquet, clamp , release peddle and clamp moves back to reference tension. It would still be useful today if I purchased the kit years ago for the larger frames, but those have been long gone. Like I said, I only use it once in a great while for the occasional wooden racquet. It would be a difficult sell as machine weights a ton.
The Oliver and the Serrano were the machines back in the day.Really had no parts to break down.

 

[joshuadearing]

It looks like a public drinking fountain in all the right ways!

 

[jim e]

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/vintage-stringing-machines.451121/post-7133625

 

[flash9]

@jim e
I was able to find the Patents for both the Serrano (1940) and Oliver (1955).
It is interesting how different yet similar the tension mechanisms are.
The Serrano from the 1940 Patent


The Oliver from the 1955 Patent

 

[jim e]

@jim e
I was able to find the Patents for both the Serrano (1940) and Oliver (1955).
It is interesting how different yet similar the tension mechanisms are.
The Serrano from the 1940 Patent


The Oliver from the 1955 Patent

If you go to tennis machines dot com and got to the about tab, they commented that Edmund Serrano invented the Serrano machine in 1934.

 

[MAX PLY]

^^^ the Serrano was maybe the most revolutionary tennis development of the last century (with apologies to Howard Head).

 

[Jbmgh]

Just inherited one of these machines from a chap at my club who has had enough of stringing. He’s given me a rundown, but a link to the original user manual would be very useful if anyone has access to it? Thanks!

 

[jim e]

Those machines are a heavy beast. I still have my Serrano, but have not used it for some time now. I should get rid of it, as at this time, it is just taking up space. Amazing it pulls very accurate, as I put a calibrator on it, and was right on.

 

[Jbmgh]

It’s beautiful bit of machinery alright. I get Sputnik vibes from it!

 

[MathieuR]

We have a Star5 and it does its best to keep a constant tension on the string, but nothing does a better job than a well designed drop weight machine

Exactly.
This kind of "automatic dropweights" are the true constant pull stringers; a modern variation is the Stringway .

 

[USMC-615]

Interesting and cool machine, no doubt about it!