How to make a table tennis base. How to make a table tennis racket
The base usually consists of 5 or 7 layers of veneer glued at 90 degrees to each other. Base weight from 60 to 90 grams. The weight of the racket assembly is 155-190 grams. Base thickness 5-8mm. Weight requirements are determined by the use of the least dense wood species. These are balsa (7 times lighter than birch), hinoki, abachi, silvery poplar and some others.
So what I wanted and what I had. The weight of the finished racket is 165-175 grams. A universal foundation, not quick, but also immediate. 3 mm birch plywood and veneer (thickness 0.7-1.1 mm) of mostly dense (heavy) species were available. Oak, beech, mahogany and other exotic species. This veneer is used in furniture and door cladding. There is very little information on the Internet on this subject. However, I found a blogstumpof . blogspot . en a wonderful person who made a guide to modern grounds with indication of characteristics. In the same place, a person shares his experience in making home-made bases and gives 2 ready-made drawings of bases of famous brands. In order to have something to push off from, I dismantle an old amateur racket. I take off the lining, the cheeks of the handle. Base weight without cheeks 72 grams + cheeks 20 grams, total 92 grams. I have a belt sander, a vibratory sander, a hand router, a flat press, and PVA wood glue (long setting time).
I cut out the base 170 * 290mm from 3 mm plywood. Sanding on both sides up to 2.5mm. I select the lightest and thinnest veneer. I cut out with the same size one pair with a transverse arrangement of fibers and one with a longitudinal one. Long side of plywood - fibers along. We glue the veneer on both sides at the same time with fibers across (for layers inside the base, you can pick up a shirt from two parts of the veneer). After drying (2-3 days) sanding, removing dust and gluing another pair of veneers (fibers along). We spread the glue with a thin layer on all surfaces prepared for gluing. After gluing is completed (24 hours), the workpiece must be kept for at least a week under a light load to avoid warping. Next, grinding on both sides, transferring the base pattern to the workpiece and processing to size. I'll tell you more. The pattern was made from two layers of drawing paper glued together. Outline on the pattern on the blank with a black helium pen. Next, you need to carefully (without chips) cut off the excess, leaving a small allowance (1-1.5 mm) for further processing. It is most convenient to cut off the excess with a stationary band saw or a circular saw, be sure to place fiberboard or thin plywood under the workpiece (from chips). To process the base in size, I had to make a special tool. It is a cylinder made of plywood with dimensionsd50*60mm. Mounting hole inside the cylinderd20. Ond50, sanding paper with a grit of 100 was glued on. The size of the outer diameter was selected from the need to process the interface between the handle and the head of the base, and the inner one from the available equipment. That is, the grinding head turned out. It was also convenient to process cheeks with this tool (bevels in the upper part under the finger). The result was a 7-layer base with a thickness of 5.1 mm and a weight of 95 grams, which, taking into account the weight of the cheeks (plus 20 grams), became unacceptably heavy. I began to think how to lighten the base. The first option: on birch plywood (3mm) drill rows of holes in the play area (5-6mm), then gluing the veneer. The second option was more interesting. In addition to the base, I needed to make cheeks for the handle. Here, too, there were two options. One is traditional. Set thickness (7-9mm) with layers of veneer. The second one came to my mind when looking at the ready-made bases of well-known companies. For example, the firm« Donic » many bases with handles (cheeks) made of cork. I found a roll cork 2mm thick for the walls. By weight, it turned out that a 2mm cork weighs like a 0.7mm veneer of the same area. The alternation of layers of cork (4) and veneer (3) gave a thickness of about 10mm. The dimensions of the blank for the cheeks are 120*35*10. After processing, the weight of two cheeks is 15-16 grams, that is, I reduced the weight of the racket by 5 grams. But what if you use a cork at the very base? Or maybe someone already makes them? I searched a little on the Internet ... and found it. The Chinese are already doing it! There are few of them, they are in the middle price category, universal. And nothing more is known. I decided to do it with a cork. There are again two options! Here are some sandwich options:
- Veneer-along; veneer across; cork; veneer-along; cork; veneer across; veneer-along.
2 cork layers 2mm - 4mm
Total: - 7.5mm
- Veneer-along; veneer across; veneer-along; cork; veneer-along; veneer across; veneer-along.
1 layer cork 2mm- 2mm
Total: - 6.2mm
The weight of the finished base with cork cheeks (option 1) turned out to be 86 grams, thickness 7.2 mm.
The weight of the finished base with veneer cheeks (option 2) turned out to be 88 grams, thickness 6mm.
In addition to these bases, two more bases with "crooked" handles were made. I was interested in the unusual foundations of a Japanese firmNittaku. I thought that changing the angle of the handle from vertical would cause the racquet to contact the ball earlier, which could increase the spin (debatable, hard to explain). Especially according to the rules.IITF the size and shape of the base is not regulated. The angle of inclination of the handles from the vertical of my bases is 7.5 degrees.
Now about making cheeks. I don't have a flexible wrist (long class times barbell), so I prefer rackets with a straight handle. Sometimes the game has to change the grip position and doing it with a cone-shaped handle is inconvenient. Depending on the thickness of the base, the thickness of the cheeks is selected. A finished racket with a straight handle usually has dimensions (in section) - 28-29 * 21.5-23 mm. For example, the base is 6mm, 22-6=16, 16:2=8mm. That is, before further processing, the cheeks must be entered in the size of 110 * 30 * 8-8.5 mm. Next, on a milling cutter with a cutter of the desired radius (6-8mm), the edges are processed. In the upper part of the cheek, a bevel is made under thumb. The base handle is also machined to a size of 30mm. After sticking the cheeks, the handle is processed into a size of 28-29mm. It is better to glue the cheeks on the handle at a time. So that they do not move, it is necessary to center them on the “fingers”. To do this, two holes are drilled in the handle (between centers 50-70mm) with a diameter equal to the diameter of a wooden toothpick. The cheek is applied to the handle in the desired position. On previously drilled holes, holes are drilled in the cheeks to a depth of 5mm. We do the same with the other cheek. We cut off two toothpicks of the desired length (in the example 6 + 4 + 4 = 14mm), insert them into the holes on the handle, grease with PVA glue (I used Titebond2), we center both cheeks on the “fingers” and squeeze them with clamps through the spacers. In a day, you can process the handle in size. Before sticking the overlays on the base, you can apply diluted varnish (any). It's done to prevent tearing of wood fibers when removing the overlays.
I will give the characteristics of the resulting rackets.
Base 86 gr., thickness. 7.2mm, 7 layers (5 veneer, 2 cork), overlaysRITC 729 SST, 1.8mm black and red. The weight of the racket is 173 grams. The base is fast enough (despite the cork, the use of dense veneers affects). Rubbers are not fast, but fasterRITC 729 FX. Good control. good racket for beginner athletes.
Base 87 gr., thickness. 7.2mm, 7 layers (5 veneer, 2 cork), curved handle, overlaysRITC729 802, short spikes, 2mm black and red. The weight of the racket is 162 grams. I currently play with this racket. The racket is universal, good both in attack and defense (worse). Particularly good are flat blows right through on oversized swords. The curved handle is peculiar, but there are positive points.
Base 88 gr., thickness. 6mm, 7 layers (6 veneer, 1 cork), veneer cheeks, overlaysRITC 729 FX, 1.8mm black and red. The weight of the racket is 173 grams. Slow racket with excellent ball control. For beginners. My daughter is learning to play with this racket.
Base 89 gr., thickness. 6 mm, 7 layers (6 veneer, 1 cork), veneer cheeks, curved handle, overlaysRITC 729 Xi Enting, 2 mm black and red. The weight of the racket is 167 grams. Much faster than the previous version. I haven't played much, so I can't say much.
I think that I made excellent bases from improvised material. And, if you wish, I invite you to try out new rackets.
racket for table tennis- purely individual Sports Equipment, which is selected depending on the style of the player.
To get the perfect professional racket that meets the needs of a tennis player, you should opt for prefabricated options.
Such a racket consists of a base and separate rubber pads, which, depending on the density and thickness of the material, have different speed characteristics.
We will tell you how to properly assemble a new ping-pong racket and how to restore pads on a tennis racket in this article.
Choosing the best adhesive for tennis racket pads
In sports stores, you can find special types of glue for gluing pads to the base of the racket. All of them cope with the duties assigned to them, however, there are special nuances that you should pay attention to when choosing an adhesive for assembling a professional racket.
The fact is that the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) imposes certain requirements not only on the lining material itself, but also on the adhesive composition.
In particular, it is forbidden to use toxic types of glue at official international and domestic competitions (participants' rackets are tested for toxicity with a special device).
In this regard, the representatives sports federation no complaints about water-based table tennis glue.
Among the most popular brands of environmentally friendly glue are the following:
Tibhar CLEAN FIX is a special water-based express adhesive. It contains no toxic solvents, the adhesive fully complies with ITTF requirements.
It is used for long-term gluing of rubbers of any type, however, if necessary, the rubber can be easily separated from the base in order to assemble the racket for new requests.
A small bottle with a volume of 25 milliliters (costs about 650 rubles) is enough for several gluing, since glue consumption is minimal (one thin layer is enough for gluing). Drying time for Clean Fix express glue is 5 minutes.
Joola X-Glue Green Power is a water-based "fast" glue that meets all the requirements of the International Table Tennis Federation. Reliably sticks together any slips with the basis of a tennis racket.
Elastic fixation (glue remains sticky after drying) allows, if necessary, to remove the overlay without damaging the base and sponge. The kit already includes foam swabs for applying glue and a convenient clip-holder so as not to get your hands dirty when doing work.
Immediately after gluing, the product is ready for use. Joola X-Glue Green Power comes in small 37 ml bottles. It costs about 800 rubles.
Butterfly Free Chack is another ITTF approved adhesive. As with the Joola X-Glue, the kit includes foam swabs and a holder clip for easy application of glue to the base and overlays.
The water-based adhesive will firmly adhere the pads to the base of the tennis racket, and later allow you to carefully remove them for replacement. Butterfly Free Chack is available in 37ml and 90ml packs. The price for 37 ml is about 700 rubles.
All of the types of glue listed above are expensive. If the racket will not be used in serious competitions, then the most common rubber glue for table tennis rackets is also suitable for gluing overlays. Universal glue is sold in a hardware store and costs about 50-70 rubles.
Step-by-step instructions - how to glue pads on a tennis racket
To begin with, it should be noted that the lining can only be replaced on a professional team racket. The finished inventory has a completely different glue and the linings are attached to the base “tightly”.
Usually, there are no difficulties with the dismantling of the old work surface, just be patient and do the work slowly and as accurately as possible.
To make dried glue softer and more accommodating, experienced tennis players recommend slightly warming up the surface with a regular household hair dryer - this will make it much easier to remove the old pad from a tennis racket.
To glue the overlays, you will need the following materials and tools:
- glue;
- sponge for applying glue (if not included);
- special roller for rolling (or rolling pin);
- sharp clerical knife or blade.
Glue the pad on the racket step by step 
The result of gluing pads on a table tennis racket To qualitatively stick patches on tennis racket , we recommend using the step-by-step instructions (using the example of working with water-based glue):
- Apply a small amount of glue to the racket base and spread evenly;
- Apply the same layer of adhesive to the inside of the lining;
- Wait for the glue to dry completely (a barely noticeable film will appear on the surface);
- Attach the pad to the base of the racket, starting from the side of the handle, and gently straighten;
- Roll out the overlay with a special roller or a regular rolling pin (without strong pressure);
- Trim excess material with a blade or sharp utility knife;
The racket is ready to use!
VIDEO INSTRUCTION
Tips for choosing overlays. Players with a wide arsenal techniques, are very demanding on the quality of the working surface of a tennis racket.
Softer rubbers are suitable for a calm defensive style, hard rubbers for an aggressive attacker. Often, rubbers are selected by trial and error, since the base of the racket is designed for long-term use.
Bonding recommendations. No need to apply a very thick layer of glue. In most cases, one thin layer of adhesive is sufficient to achieve a strong bond. In this case, it will be much easier to remove the overlay for replacement.
The sponge applicators included are for single use only, do not attempt to clean them.
If someone is thinking of making a homemade table tennis blade, perhaps two ready-made templates will come in handy. Not so, as it turned out, brands have complex patterns. In fact, the base can be drawn with arcs of circles. My first experience was with the TSP Balsa/GlassFiber 6.5 mm base template (5.5 mm has the same template). I just circled the base with a pencil, putting it on a sheet of paper, and then picked up pieces of circles with a compass. After that, it remains just to document everything neatly. The second template is the base from Butterfly Timo Boll ALC.
You can open it in a new tab and see the full size
Unfortunately, I was not able to make a pdf that would preserve the dimensions of the drawing when printed. But, all the same, the next step should be to transfer the drawing to the template itself, which can be made from some kind of thin, durable plastic. I used foil fiberglass with a thickness of 1 mm.
Making a table tennis blade at home is not at all difficult. It would be something to make. Of the tools at a minimum, only a hacksaw is needed (it is possible for metal), a sharp knife and all sorts of skins. You can glue the layers without a press by placing them between two even pieces of chipboard (you need to put a thin piece of foam rubber or polyethylene foam packaging for uniform pressure) and pressing down the whole cake with a bucket of water. It turns out very well. Glue Titebond (II) for wood, there are several types, any will do. To make the end of the racket strictly perpendicular, it is advisable to build a "perpendicular file" - fix a metal corner on a piece of plexiglass and clamp sandpaper under the same corner. Further use by pressing the plane of the blade to the plexiglass
Balsa for the central layers and birch air plywood I bought two years ago in the Thermic store. Now you can order the desired "pie" in Aerobalsa, and from abacha, balsa, both together, and even from poplar. I suppose that if you contact the owner of the company, then walnut or mahogany veneer on the cake can be glued on an individual order. Carbon fabric is also available in the catalog. The difficulty lies in the fact that you need to determine the thickness and weight in advance. Here, it may take several iterations, troublesome. And so, offhand, five-layer plywood made of abachi 6 mm thick is the finished base of Donic Baum SawTec :-) without cheeks.
Results:
Balsa comes in different hardness and density. The hardest and densest balsa covers the lower limit of abacha density (ayous). Therefore, in the presence of a dense balsa, you can make a racket from the balsa entirely. It will be light and slow. Below is a sample. In the Thermal store, in addition to birch air plywood, a balsa three-layer and rather dense plywood (Graupner) was bought. It turned out to be a fully functional light (75g.) base, with a thickness of 9.5 mm - completely inflexible, with a very soft rebound. By speed - ALL, but by meaning - DEF.
Another sample is a 15-layer base. The inner layers (9 pcs = 3x3) are three-layer balsa plywood, already mentioned above, and the outer layer is three-layer thin aviation birch plywood. When reading some site about tree species, I think I saw the phrase that birch is not much different from limba. The base turned out to be heavy (110 g), but the speed is OFF +. Faster than TSP Balsa 6.5, but slower than TSP Balsa 8.5. The thickness of the blade is 9.5 mm, so there is zero flexibility, but the rebound is soft, the base is not glass.
And a couple more reasons to complete the picture. UM-5 - the speed is somewhere on ALL++ / OFF-, the rest is written on the photo.
UM-6, handle wrapped in leather. OFF-/OFF.
UM-6 9-layer base, this is not a mistake. It uses 2mm 4 ply birch plywood. According to the rules (or GOSTs), if the plywood has an even number of layers, the inner layers are glued with fibers in one direction (and not at 90 degrees).
Here I must honestly admit that in fact I did not really study the properties of my homemade balsa bases. There was always something that needed to be tried more urgently, so I almost never played these bases. The exception is the last UM-6 base, which has a handle with a winding. With LKT PRO XT rubbers on the left and PRO XP it turned out to be something so controllable (with good OFF-/OFF speed) that I played for a couple of months and then came back to compare with other (proprietary) blades. The impression is as if short spikes were glued on the racket - the ball can be sent to any point. However, the base turned out to be heavy, therefore, in the handle, the cavity and the template are smaller than the standard one - it made it as easy as it could. All these bases - according to their structure - are absolutely not for rotation. They are for blocks and flat shots. Or under a short spike.
People who go in for sports, according to statistics, are less likely to suffer from chronic diseases, always have good mood and excellent physical form. But we all know how much sports equipment costs now. Sometimes the price of sports equipment exceeds the price of a blouse from a famous fashion designer. Why limit yourself to active movements and sports, if you can independently make any sports equipment at home. Take a small item to start with, such as a sports racket.
If you are interested in making your own table tennis racket, then watch the video.
To make a tennis racket, we need:
- plywood;
- silicone foam;
- thin strips;
- electric jigsaw;
- file;
- cutter;
- Super glue;
- paint with brushes;
- PVC tape;
- pencil;
- corner;
- sandpaper;
- roulette.
We need a piece of plywood in order to draw the outline of the racket on it. Dimensions should be closer to the standard, namely 28 by 16 centimeters. No need to draw a racket arbitrarily, this threatens that one edge you can get more or less than the other. Draw cages or horizontal and vertical stripes on the plywood and draw your racket on them.
Now we take a jigsaw and cut out a racket. It is best to use a jigsaw with an infrared beam, on it you will see in which direction you need to move the jigsaw.
We process the racket with sandpaper. It will hide all the bumps and remove burrs that can seriously injure your hands.
For the handle, we need lining from a thin rail. Carefully measure the length of the rail, it should be no more than 11 centimeters.
We grind the upper part of the lining with a file at an angle of 30 degrees.
Now the silicone foam will come into play. From it we cut out the outline for the top of the racket, but before that we need to paint the racket itself. Paint one side of the racket one color and the other side a different color.
While the racket is drying, we cut out silicone foam along the contour of the racket.
We got 2 blanks from silicone foam, now we need to glue them on both sides with super glue.
Now glue the strips on the handle and wrap everything with PVC tape.
Instruction
When choosing a racket, you need to consider the following characteristics: weight, material, balance, head size, handle size and rim thickness. Children's rackets by weight weigh from 200 grams, and rackets suitable for a professional - from 400 grams. The materials from which rackets are made: aluminum and its alloys, graphite, composite materials based on graphite and other materials. Carbon and titanium are also used. The main tennis manufacturers are Head, Babolat, Prince, Yonex, Wilson and Dunlop, which compete with each other in the manufacturability of their products. Purpose: to make rackets lighter, more comfortable and "obedient", more maneuverable. And yet, in order to make the tennis racket as "for yourself" as possible, it would be useful to consult a specialist.
You need to start choosing a tennis racket with a handle. In this case, it is necessary to take into account its size; how it lies in the hand, how comfortable its grip is, whether the racket does not slip out of the hand. In other words, you should be comfortable holding it in your hand. The racquet is then chosen based on the player's height, experience and playing style.
Beginning tennis players usually use club-style rackets with a large head and a weight of 250-290 g in the game. Such rackets allow you not to overstrain your hand and comfortably hit the ball, due to the so-called "big game spot". Rackets for women tend to be somewhat lighter than those for men. As the technique of the game develops, you will be able to change the racket to a more "advanced" one, which requires a more serious technique from the player.
For starters, two racquets with the same tension will be enough for you. One of them is a spare. As for professional players, they come to training and tournaments with the prudent presence of 5-6 spare rackets, as there is a fairly high probability that the strings will break unexpectedly.
Now about how to care for a tennis racket. With careful care, the racket will serve you for a long time. To do this, you need to keep the racket in a dry and warm place; carefully inspect the strings; from time to time (1 time in 10-15 workouts) change the winding on the handle. By the way, today's manufacturers supply rackets with special devices, thanks to which rackets prolong their service life. This, for example, protective tapes on the rim, which protect it from chips and scratches, "vibration dampers" that reduce the vibration of the strings, etc.
Related videos
note
When choosing a tennis racket, you must decide what you are buying it for, play several times a month with friends or dream of conquering the "tennis Olympus" by practicing with professional trainer. Amateur rackets are suitable for beginners and for those who play tennis according to their mood, from time to time. Children's - rackets for children from 3 years old. Such rackets are selected according to the height of the child. This category also includes junior rackets.
