Questions about stringing natural gut

[Posture Guy]

This coming week I'm going to be stringing gut for the first time in a long time. Just doing it in the mains in a hybrid job. Here's what I was planning to do, would love any suggestions or comments.

I'm stringing up a Volkl V1 Classic MP, so my mains are 18'. So the first thing I figured I'd do would be to find the midpoint of the string and cut there so when I prestretch I'm leaving the unstrung half still coiled for easier storage until I'm ready to string that part up.

Then I'd take the 20' I'm going to string and do what I used to do years back when I was last stringing regularly: tie about 4 inches around a doorknob, then take the other end and hold onto it with a starting clamp and then wrap about 3" or so around the starting clamp, then simply walk backwards from the door until the string was taut and then gently pull/release/pull/release, until the coil memory starts to come out.

Then when I'm ready to string, basically it's like stringing any other string but I want to be extra careful about kinking or getting the string tangled up around some part of my Neos.

re pulling (I'm on a lockout Neos 1000), I'm debating about using Irvin's double pull method or just a nice slow smooth single pull. Anyone double pull gut on a lockout?

then when stringing the crosses, maybe go a little slower in terms of pulling the string through, making sure I'm fanning across as wide an area of the mains as possible.

knotting them up, be firm but don't overcrank and risk breaking the string.

anything else I should be considering or watching out for?

 

[jdunnie014159]

When you said "crank" when referring to tightening knots, I hope you weren't talking about using the tension head of your Neos to "crank" your knots tight. Most of the veterans on these boards discourage that.

I wrap gut around the handle of my refrigerator with a dish towel between the string and the handle as a pad, and then wrap the 2 ends around the handle of an old racquet ten feet away to prestretch.

If you're using cheap gut or uncoated Klip, Drakulie has a youtube video I utilized showing us how to weave crosses with reduced friction. I know you're using it only in the mains, but it's worth looking at anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpfwDvF3Buk

Check your grommets too, especially with gut in the mains. Gut will certainly expose a sharp grommet faster than other string material. And certain Prince racquets with O Ports need protection on main grommets as they're sharper than those found in normal racquets--not sure which models in particular.

I'm sure you'll be fine stringing the way you normally do. This is all just added precaution to ensure your gut and time doesn't go to waste.

 

[Posture Guy]

yeah, when I said 'crank', I didn't mean literally. I would never pull knots that way. I meant how vigorously I pulled on the knot with the starting clamp I usually use to pull knots tight.