I use a router to cut the throat wedge from bass wood.
I cut the handle wedge ( triangular piece) from bass wood.
I cut the handle pallets (grip sizes) from bass wood.
I sand all the laminated wood strips to correct thicknesses.
I glue laminated strips together.
I glue the wedge and throat pieces together.
I cut fired strips and place them in-between the wood strips. (Strata Bow).
I glue and set in place raw hide leather strips in the frame shoulder.
I place the leather/wooden glued strips in bending table forms and squeeze them with high pressure.
I close the lid on the table press and turn on the heat curing cycle. (17 seconds)
I remove the frame, raw bend, cool, and cut to length.
I cut front and back to approximate thickness with dual blade saw.
I use a bed sander until correct thickness.
I glue on the grip sized handle pallets (bass wood).
I cut handle flakes to correct length and thickness.
I glue handle flakes to the frame.
I rout and trim he handle flakes to shape on the racquet.
I steam bend U-face from maple and or beech depending on lay up.
I sand and trim U-face to correct thickness and length.
I glue the U-face to the frame.
I rout the U-face to fit flush to the frame, and rout the rounded edges to U-face.
I cut the handle grips sizes to the correct handle length.
I rout the handle grips sized to form an octagonal handle shape, sharp edged wood.
I rout the handle flake tip to ensure the shape and edge rounded edge is right.
I drill the grommet holes with a machine driller.
I drill the throat area holes with another drill.
I rout all string holes so that you can hit the ground without cutting the string. ( Ones with slots).
I cut slots between pairs of the string holes.
I hammer the rounded edges on hole edges with chisel tool.
I run an abrasive string through robotically drilled holes to smooth them.
I rout the frame again to round its edges slightly.
I sand the frame again.
I coat with the frame with a first coating of clear sanding prime coat.
I sand lightly to remove all upright "hairs".
I pass the frame through an electrostatic clear coating, using charged electrodes.
The frame is weighed and balanced, and sorted into groups.
Frame is drilled through handle with "handle drill" to obtain the right weight and balance.
Decals are painted on.
Decorative trim cord is applied above U-face tips and handle flake edge.
Frame receives second electrostatic clear coating.
Frame is weighed and balanced again and weight added if necessary in handle hole to achieve standard weight and balance.
Frame butt cap and grip is installed. Trim tape is added to the top of the grip/pallet.
Geoff Williams grew up playing tennis in his hometown of Richmond, California, winning his first and only junior tournament at age 11. Over the years he went on to become a fixture on the Northern California NTRP tournament scene, winning numerous titles at both the 4.5 and 5.0 levels. He accomplished this with a self-taught style, shunning lessons. His recent return to glory was inspired in part by his intensive study of Tennisplayer.net. He claims with a straight face to have read literally every article on the site. An electrical contractor by profession, Geoff lives in the East Bay with his wife Ronda.
Want to swap stories with Geoff or talk Gear Head talk? Email him: bestelectrician@sbcglobal.net
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