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Homemade racket. How to make a table tennis racket. It's Easy! Step-by-step instructions - how to glue pads to a tennis racket

A table tennis racket is a purely individual sports equipment, which is selected depending on the player’s style.

To get the ideal 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 the rubbers on a tennis racket in this article.

Choosing the best glue for tennis racket pads

In sports stores you can find special types of glue for gluing rubbers to the base of the racket. All of them cope with the responsibilities assigned to them, however, there are special nuances that you should pay attention to when choosing glue for assembling a professional racket.

The fact is that the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) imposes certain requirements not only on the rubber material itself, but also on the adhesive composition.

In particular, it is prohibited to use toxic types of glue at official international and domestic competitions (participants' rackets are checked for toxicity with a special device).

In this regard, representatives of the sports federation have no complaints about water-based glue for table tennis.

Among the most popular brands of environmentally friendly glue are the following:

Tibhar CLEAN FIX is a special water-based express glue. It contains no toxic solvents, and 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 needs.

A small bottle with a volume of 25 milliliters (costs about 650 rubles) is enough for several gluings, since glue consumption is minimal (applying one thin layer is enough for gluing). Drying time for Clean Fix express adhesive 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 glues any pads to the base of a tennis racket.

Elastic fixation (the 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 you don’t get your hands dirty when doing the work.

Immediately after gluing, the product is ready for use. Joola X-Glue Green Power is available in small 37 ml bottles. Costs about 800 rubles.

Butterfly Free Chack is another ITTF approved adhesive. As with Joola X-Glue, the kit includes foam swabs and a clip holder for convenient application of glue to the base and overlays.

Water-based glue will firmly glue the pads to the base of the tennis racket, and subsequently allow you to carefully remove them for replacement. Butterfly Free Chack is available in 37 and 90 ml packs. The price for 37 ml is about 700 rubles.

All of the above types of glue are not cheap. If the racket will not be used in serious competitions, then the most common rubber glue for table tennis rackets will be suitable for gluing the pads. Universal glue is sold in a hardware store and costs about 50-70 rubles.

Step-by-step instructions - how to glue pads to a tennis racket

To begin with, it should be noted that the rubber can only be replaced on a professional assembled racket. The finished equipment has a completely different glue and the pads are “tightly” attached to the base.

Usually, there are no difficulties in dismantling the old working surface; you just need to be patient and do the work slowly and as carefully as possible.

To make the dried glue softer and more pliable, experienced tennis players recommend slightly warming up the surface with a regular household hairdryer - this will make removing the old pad from the tennis racket much easier.

To glue the overlays you will need the following materials and tools:

glue;
sponge for applying glue (if not included);
a special roller for rolling (or rolling pin);
sharp stationery knife or blade.

Step by step we glue the pad onto the racket

The result of gluing the pad to a table tennis racket

To ensure high quality glue pads onto a tennis racket, we recommend using step-by-step instructions (using the example of working with water-based glue):

Apply a small amount of glue to the base of the racket and spread evenly;
Apply the same layer of glue to the inner surface of the pad;
Wait for the glue to dry completely (a barely noticeable film will appear on the surface);
Place the rubber on the base of the racket, starting from the handle side, and straighten it carefully;
Roll out the overlay with a special roller or a regular rolling pin (without strong pressure);
Trim off excess material with a razor blade or sharp utility knife;

The racket is ready to use!

VIDEO INSTRUCTION

Tips for choosing overlays. Players who master a wide arsenal of technical 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 ones for an aggressive attacker. Rubbers are often selected using a trial method, since the base of the racket is designed for long-term use.

Recommendations for gluing. There is no need to apply a very thick layer of glue. In most cases, one thin layer of adhesive is sufficient to achieve a strong connection. In this case, it will be much easier to remove the cover for replacement.

The included sponge applicators are for one-time use only, do not attempt to clean them.

If someone is thinking of making a homemade table tennis blade, two ready-made templates may be useful. Not so, as it turned out, brands have complex patterns. Essentially, the base can be drawn with circular arcs. My first experience was with the TSP Balsa/GlassFiber 6.5 mm base template (the 5.5 mm has the same template). I simply traced the base with a pencil, placing it on a piece of paper, and then used a compass to pick up the pieces of the circles. After that, it’s just a matter of carefully documenting everything. The second template is the base from Butterfly Timo Boll ALC.

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Unfortunately, I was unable to make a pdf that would retain the dimensions of the drawing when printed. But, anyway, the next step should be to transfer the drawing onto the template itself, which can be made from some thin durable plastic. I used foil fiberglass laminate 1 mm thick.

Making a table tennis base at home is not at all difficult. There would be something to make from. The only minimum tools you need are a hacksaw (can be used for metal), a sharp knife and all sorts of skins. You can glue the layers without a press, placing them between two even pieces of chipboard (you need to place a thin piece of foam rubber or polyethylene foam packaging for uniform pressure) and pressing the entire cake with a bucket of water. It turns out very well. Titebond (II) glue 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” - attach a metal corner to a piece of plexiglass and clamp sandpaper under the same corner. Then use it by pressing the plane of the blade against the plexiglass

Two years ago I bought balsa for the central layers and birch plywood at the Termic store. Now you can order the desired “pie” at Aerobalsa, made from abacha, balsa, both together, and even from poplar. I assume that if you contact the owner of the company, then walnut or mahogany veneer can be glued onto the cake to order. Carbon fabric is also available in the catalogue. The difficulty is that you need to determine the thickness and weight in advance. This may require several iterations, which is troublesome. And so, offhand, five-layer abacha plywood 6 mm thick is a ready-made Donic Baum SawTec base :-) without cheeks.

Results:

Balsa comes in different hardness and density. The hardest and densest balsa covers the lower limit of the density of abacha (ayous). Therefore, if you have dense balsa, you can make the entire racket from balsa. It will be light and slow. Below is a sample. In addition to the birch aircraft plywood, the Thermik store bought three-layer and rather dense balsa plywood (Graupner). The result was a fully functional lightweight (75 g) base, with a thickness of 9.5 mm - not at all flexible, with a very soft rebound. In terms of speed - ALL, and in meaning - DEF.

Another example is a 15-layer base. The inner layers (9 pcs = 3x3) are the already mentioned three-layer balsa plywood, and the outer layer is three-layer thin aviation birch plywood. While reading some website about tree species, I think I saw a phrase that birch is not much different from limba. The base turned out to be heavy (110 g), but the speed was OFF+. TSP Balsa 6.5 is faster, but TSP Balsa 8.5 is slower. 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 at 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 aircraft plywood. According to the rules (or GOSTs), if plywood has an even number of layers, the inner layers are glued together 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 more urgent to try, so I hardly played with these blades. The exception is the last base UM-6, which has a handle with a winding. With the LKT PRO XT on the left and PRO XP, I got something so controllable (with good OFF-/OFF speed) that I played for a couple of months and then came back to compare with other (branded) blades. It's as if the racket has short spikes glued on it - the ball can be directed to any point. However, the base turned out to be heavy, so the cavity and template in the handle were smaller than the standard one - I made it as light as I could. All these bases - by design - are absolutely not for rotation. They are for blocks and flat shots. Or under a short spike.

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Results:

And a couple more reasons, to complete the picture. UM-5 - the speed is somewhere at ALL++/OFF-, the rest is written on the photo.

UM-6, handle wrapped in leather. OFF-/ OFF.

Instructions

When choosing a racket, you need to consider the following characteristics: weight, material, balance, head size, handle size and rim thickness. Children's rackets weigh from 200 grams, and rackets suitable for a professional weigh from 400 grams. 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 technology of their products. Goal: to make rackets lighter, more comfortable and more “obedient”, more maneuverable. And yet, in order to make a tennis racket as “customized” as possible, it would be useful to consult a specialist.

When choosing a tennis racket, you need to start with the handle. In this case, it is necessary to take into account its size; how it lies in your hand, how comfortable your grip is, whether the racket slips out of your hand. In other words, it should be comfortable for you to hold in your hand. The racket is then selected 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. Such rackets allow you not to overexert your hand and hit the ball comfortably, due to the so-called. "big gaming spot". Women's rackets are usually somewhat lighter than men's. As your playing technique develops, you can change the racket to a more “advanced” one, which requires more serious technique from the player.

To begin with, you will only need two rackets with the same tensions. One of them is a spare one. As for professional players, they come to training and tournaments with the precaution of having 5-6 spare rackets with them, since 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 (once every 10-15 workouts) change the winding on the handle. By the way, today's manufacturers supply rackets with special devices, thanks to which the rackets extend their service life. These are, for example, protective tapes on the rim that protect it from chips and scratches, “vibration dampers” that reduce vibration of the strings, etc.

Video on the topic

note

When choosing a tennis racket, you must decide why you are purchasing it: play several times a month with friends or dream of conquering the “tennis Olympus” by working out with a professional trainer. Amateur rackets are suitable for both beginners and 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 child’s height. Junior rackets also fall into this category.

If you are not a professional athlete and have no one to consult with, then making a racket yourself can be quite difficult. With our instructions, you can easily assemble it yourself.

Two methods for assembling a racket.

There are two most popular assembly methods. There are no particular differences between them. The only difference is that in the first case, all the pads along the base are cut off first, after which the glue is applied. In the second case, the overlays are first glued to the base, and then the edges are cut off. Both assembly methods have their pros and cons. So, let's take a closer look at all the details. Method one. Prepare the base, two pads, one tube of quick glue, a utility knife and tape. For the second method you will also need a base, two pads, a tube of quick glue, a sponge, a knife and end tape. Place the pad on the base. Press it firmly with your hand, and then trim off any unnecessary edges. You can make a racket alone, or you can enlist the help of a partner. Behind

Then you should apply glue to the sponge. Distribute the glue over the entire surface area. Make sure it lays down evenly. Because The glue dries quite quickly, so it is better to do this procedure as quickly as possible. Don't apply too much glue. It is better to apply a thin but even layer. Wait until the glue is absorbed. To do this you will need to wait a couple of minutes. The sponge should appear dry. After that, let's move on to the foundation. We also apply glue to the base and then let it soak. Once the glue has soaked in, the base should look completely dry. Glue the overlay onto the base, only very carefully. Iron the decal firmly onto the base. That's it, the overlay is ready.

The same procedure must be carried out with the second overlay. Apply a thin layer of glue, let it soak in and glue the second overlay. The tennis racket is almost ready. Apply end tape around the entire perimeter.

That's it, she's ready. It turns out that the question of how to make a table tennis racket yourself is not so difficult. It is only important to know in what order everything should be done.