Stringing 1 piece vs 2 pieces

[Wes]

@tennisbike,

Although I use racquet lengths (+ measuring tape when needed), instead of just hoop lengths and widths, you can see how I use the same method described by @am1899 above.
Just thought it might be easier if you saw it in actual use. The portion I'm referring to begins at 4:45

 

[am1899]

@am1899 Thank you again for your explanation.

Let me see if I am picturing what you wrote: (using 16x19, 6 mains in the throat as example)

1. Thread "short end" of string through 1RM from head to throat. And push through about enough string for the rest of the short side.
2. Thread 1LM through throat grommet. Hold the end, pull string to line up to the head. Repeat 7 more times to reach the "center spot/mark".
3. Without moving the string (the mark), carefully lace the short side/LM, or begin stringing starting from LM.

In step 1, I would omit “And push through about enough string for the rest of the short side.” In the example, once you’ve laced 1RM, as soon as you enter the grommet for 1LM...stop - don’t pull anymore string through just yet. It is at this very point that you’re going to measure your short side. If I was stringing a natural 1pc on a 16 main racquet, I would measure off 8 lengths from throat to tip, and an extra 1/2 length for the short side tie off. Then my short side is measured, so now I lace in 1LM (being careful not to pull any additional string from the long side). Now both 1LM and 1RM are laced, and my short side is precisely measured...time to start the mains.

Other than that one little change in order, I think you’ve got the idea.

Do watch Wes’s video - how I described starting with the first main on the long side and then measuring the short side...is perfectly depicted in his video (thanks @Wes). He does measure a little different that me (using racquet lengths instead of throat to tip/head)...but that doesn’t matter. As long you can measure the short side fairly accurately - that’s all that really matters.

 

[tennisbike]

Thank you both Wes and am1899 for your patience and explanation/video. Your help is invaluable to home stringer hacks like me to advance our skill/knowledge. I really admire the amount of thoughts that went into the sequence to route the ATW to avoid the blocked holes. When I started a couple of years ago, I spent hours sketching out the route/sequences to avoid bottom up 1 pc. And I kind of do that still just to rehearse the process in my head before cutting out the string.

About step 1, my question is: if there is no slack outside the throat, won't the string get caught going from the LM1 and through RM1 grommet at the throat? (Against assuming 6 hole throat, 16x19) In the video just shared by Wes, he did pushed a lot of string through LM1 at throat and has the slack at the throat. Or I guess that I can put a finger right at the grommet and let the string slides over.

 

[am1899]

Thank you both Wes and am1899 for your patience and explanation/video. Your help is invaluable to home stringer hacks like me to advance our skill/knowledge. I really admire the amount of thoughts that went into the sequence to route the ATW to avoid the blocked holes. When I started a couple of years ago, I spent hours sketching out the route/sequences to avoid bottom up 1 pc. And I kind of do that still just to rehearse the process in my head before cutting out the string.

About step 1, my question is: if there is no slack outside the throat, won't the string get caught going from the LM1 and through RM1 grommet at the throat? (Against assuming 6 hole throat, 16x19) In the video just shared by Wes, he did pushed a lot of string through LM1 at throat and has the slack at the throat. Or I guess that I can put a finger right at the grommet and let the string slides over.

You’ll have to keep an eye on where the string enters the grommet at 1RM - as you are pulling string over to 1LM and measuring the short side, that the string isn’t getting tangled before it enters 1RM.

As I eluded to, Wes measures a little different in his video than I do. He starts the string like I do - through the long side 1st main. Then he pulls a length of string through to the throat - such that he has some slack at the throat. I think this is the slack you’re taking about? Then he measures his short side from within that slack. His method is fine - this is really just personal preference.

I omit pulling the extra string through to the throat side like Wes did. Instead, i pull just enough string through from 1RM that just the tip (I can’t wait to hear the jokes) of the string protrudes through the throat side 1LM grommet. Then I measure the short side by pulling lengths of string from throat to head, until I have sufficient string for the short side. Either way will get the job done.

Does this make sense / answer your question?

 

[tennisbike]

@am1899
Once more thank you for your clarification. I think I DO get the idea, just how to pull it off smoothly like you can will take years of practice.

I actually finished stringing an ATP Bronze Fox earlier this morning, without too many surprise. I got this stringless stick for free and without the center throat grommet. From the little information/pattern I found on the forum and my observation, I thought it would worked both 1 pc and 2-pc. I chose 1-pc and glad I took the trouble to go through the mental gymnastic when I realized that the large grommet hole at 10T was actually a shared hole not a tie-off hole near the end of the stringing.
Anyway, I had to use nylon tube and a piece of leather grip/powerpad for the missing grommet. The tube is kind of a snug fit so it helped holding the string in place. But because of the tube, instead of pulling string through LM1, I was pulling string through the tube, and pushing the string/tube through the throat after measuring 8x tip to throat length. I also had to changed my starting procedure, since I cannot pull tension on the section inside the tube, not a big deal.
I used the pattern posted by DD I think. SS goes to 2nd cross. Long side to 3rd cross then down. After 18th cross then short side last main, top cross, then last long side main, lastly 19th cross. (The reason is that I do not have to thinking about which way to weave the bottom crosses first.)

Con: The biggest challenge was the clamp dance after 7th main having only one starting clamp. I had to back track to free the FC. One thing I did not like was the mess of three strings on the outside of LS around 1st and 2nd cross.

Pluses:

• The hard weaves were not too bad with the Kirschbaun SG string I used.
• I used a version of proportional stringing.
• Used Parnell lock in combination with marking the string with marker at crosses for transition and tie off. All except 2nd cross were pretty spot on. (why didn't I use the cam plier?) knot tying is so much easier now.