Hey guys, sorry it has been so long since my last post, exams and training have taken over for a bit, however I am back now and will try to post as much as possible. If you have any queries or ideas for posts, please don't hesitate to leave a comment below!
There are hundreds of different ways to string, using hundreds of different tools, and for a novice stringer starting out all of this information can be very overwhelming! In this post I will try and consolidate all of this information into 1 simple list of tools that any new stringer should have to hand at all times.
The main tool that any stringer cannot live without is a good set of snips or cutters. Cutting an angle of the end of the piece of string is extremely useful when trying to feed the string through a blocked or shared grommet.
A decent set of pliers are also very useful when trying to slowly feed string through a tight grommet. A good set of pliers and cutters will probably cost around £20, which is a reasonable price for tools that you will use multiple times during a single re-string.
An awl is another must have piece of kit. It can be used in a whole variety of ways, including moving blocked strings, using it to stop friction when pulling excess string through, and a whole host of other tasks.
f your machine comes with two movable flying clamps that are attached to the base of your machine then there is no need to buy any other type of clamps, including free flying clamps or starting clamps. I may put a video on youtube to show how to string a racket without the need for starting clamps. If I do I will post it on here straight away.
The only other tool/accessory that is necessary to be able to string consistently is a tension calibrator. This will be the most expensive tool that you will require, usually costing around £25 for a manual one. This can be used to check that the tension the machine is reading is actually the same as the tension that is being pulled on the string. This is of paramount importance when trying to produce a consistent string job.
There are hundreds of other different tools available, however, no matter what type of racket you are stringing you cannot fail to go wrong with these tools. For a novice starting out this is a good guide to what tools are necessary without going overboard.
