Every badminton player strives to take good care of the top badminton racket. However, accidents do happen, giving birth to broken racquets. For instance, the clashing or checking in the plane with a racket wrongly packaged may break it.
But that shouldn’t mean the end of your valuable equipment. When you know how to fix a broken badminton racquet, it can still serve you for a couple more matches as you plan on securing a brand new one.
Most rackets develop cracks or break on the head. It’s vital to note that sometimes the damage can be beyond repair. But when it snaps or breaks at just one point, you can try to salvage the equipment through the following steps.
Table of Contents
Steps to Fixing a Broken Badminton Racket
Step One: Spread Out a Sheet of Paper on Your Work Surface
Your work will involve using an adhesive. You can prevent accidental glue drips from sticking onto the table by spreading out a thick sheet of paper on the table.
Step Two: Remove the Thread
You cannot repair the racket with the strings intact. So, first, remove the existing cords. At the same time, remove the grommets around the broken point.
Step Three: Clean the Area Round the Broken Point
Having removed the strings, you need to take away the coating around the disjointed area. There are two ways of accomplishing that. You can either use a mini hand grinder or file it manually. But whichever way you use, exercise caution not to eat away the mainframe.
Step Four: Drill Two Holes on Both Ends of the Broken Frame
When joining the two broken ends, you’ll have to reinforce them with small iron nails. So drill double holes on both sides of broken ends. That will help hold the small nails and adhesive. Ensure two holes on one end faces the other pair on the opposite side.
Step Five: Apply a Strong Adhesive to the Two Ends with Holes
The next step is applying a strong adhesive such as epoxy resin or super glue. Spread it generously on both sides. At the same time, use a sharp-pointed object to force some adhesive into the pre-drilled holes.
Step Six: Insert the Nails or Strong Wires Into the Holes
Before the adhesive dries, insert the two nails into their respective holes. However, remember to remove the nail heads. The nails should take a posture such that it allows the broken ends to snap back into place.
Step Seven: Join the Ends and Apply an Adhesive
Join the two ends of the frame and ensure each nail fits into its opposite hole. Push them together so that it hides the two nails.
Next, apply the strong adhesive on the previously cleaned outer area of the frame. Then wrap a strip of cloth tightly on top of the cracked area where the epoxy resin is.
Step Eight: Reinforce with Heat Shrink Tape
The setup needs to stay tightly joined. So the best way is to wrap a heat shrink material around the joint. Then allow it to dry for a day or two.
Step Nine: Remove the Heat Shrink and Underlying Fabric
When the joint has dried completely, carefully remove the heat shrink material. You can easily do that by cutting it with a razor blade then unwrapping the rest.
Since the fabric is stuck on the frame, unwrapping it is demanding. So, take a hand grinder and carefully eat away the fabric. Then file that area to leave a smooth finish.
Step Ten: Bore the Holes for the Grommets
As you were fixing the badminton, you probably blocked some grommet holes. So identify their positions and re-drill. Here is how to go about it.
Once you have bored the hole on one side, place a piece of paper on top of the holes and mark the holes position.
Turn the racket to let the holes face down. Carefully position the marked paper to let you know the exact position of the holes. Use a pen to mark the location where you’ll bore the holes to coincide with the other end.
Step Eleven: Smoothen the Holes and Insert the Grommets
Once you have finished drilling, smoothen the ends of the holes with a file. Then insert new grommets into their exact positions.
Step Twelve: Restring the Racquet
When the repair is over, proceed to stringing the badminton racket manually or with the aid of a machine. Although a stringing machine simplifies the task, you can as well do without it. That’s especially the case when you mainly use the racket for recreational purposes.
A minor crack, on the other hand, isn’t so involving to repair. Let the adhesive drip into the thin crack all around.
Allow the setup to dry up undisturbed for about 15 to 30 minutes. Then apply the last thin layer of an adhesive on top of the previous one.
Conclusion
Although it’s somehow demanding, fixing a broken racket gives you a second chance of using the prized racquet. Beginners or recreational players can benefit more from the steps highlighted in the post. Although it won’t be as sturdy as before, the racquet may last you a few more months and matches.