Stretching nylon-a-like strings

Kalimna

Greetings folks,
A couple of nights ago I decided it was finally time to sort the nuts out on a few guitars I'd built that worked but were in the could-be-better-I'll-get-around-to-it-sometime category. One of these was the double-neck uke I made a couple of years ago. Nut's nicely fettled (and saddles shaved back so action as good as it's going to be), and time to re-string.
However, it just reminded me how much the synthetic strings seem to stretch and stretch and stretch - each day I was needing to tune up about 1-2 rotations of the tuner post. I dont think it's because the uke top is about to pop off/implode either.

So, what's the trick to winding a new nylon string so that it is neat, like an electric string is, and not taking up the full tuner post with wraps?

Cheers,
Adam

ICBM

Pull the string as tightly as possible before tying on and wind from there. They will inevitably stretch a long way even then.

Kalimna

So, effectively, there's not a lot I can do about it? Just suck it up

Mattharrier

ICBM said:

Pull the string as tightly as possible before tying on and wind from there. They will inevitably stretch a long way even then.

I find, particularly on the E and A strings, that leaving a little slack like you would with a guitar string is the wrong move. Feed the string through the tuner, pull it tight, tie it off/secure as you prefer, and wind. If the bridge is a knotted bridge, make sure the knots are as tight as possible as any slippage will need to be taken up at the other end (this also applies if the bridge is slotted, and you need to tie a knot in the end to catch in the slot, although nowhere near as much).

Depending on your instrument, putting the palm of your hand on the bridge and pulling the end of the string before feeding it through the tuning peg will help as well, but I'm yet to find a way that makes the wraps as neat as anything else, I always end up with more turns than on the G and C string.

more

I pull new  strings hard as  I can , like others have suggested , and and tie them at  both ends . So  ,you can eliminate slippage entirely.  How much the strings stretch depends on what the strings are made of   . The original DuPont nylon is stiff and not easy to obtain. Fluorocarbon strings don't  stretch as much , but not everybody likes the tone . Aquila Nylgut don't  stretch much  I would say , from your description,  you might need to buy better strings 

ToneControl

never change nylon strings just before a gig!

Kalimna

Thanks for the advice, folks. It would seem that I just have to suck it up
I don't think it's the strings - Aquila baritone uke and Martin half-size classical should be 'good' enough, I'd have thought.

And as yet, this is not a gigging instrument - though it does naturally play into George Ezra's Shotgun

Adam