Sanding a .350 shaft

[bames]

Someone advertised that you can sand a .370 shaft to fit a .355 hosel. If so would the same work for a .350 shaft into a .335 hosel? Or is this just a bad idea to begin with? Is there any viable solution to fitting a .350 shaft into a .335 hosel?

[Eracer]

I'm pretty sure you would destroy the integrity of the graphite fibers if you sanded .015 in. from the OD. I doubt steel shaft wall thickness is much more than .015 in.

I think your only option is to have someone with a drill press and a boring jig bore the hosel to .370 in..

[Rockford35]

Originally Posted by Eracer

I'm pretty sure you would destroy the integrity of the graphite fibers if you sanded .015 in. from the OD. I doubt steel shaft wall thickness is much more than .015 in.

I think your only option is to have someone with a drill press and a boring jig bore the hosel to .370 in..

Yep.

I mean, you can do it. However, the question that should be asked is "should you do it".

IMO, no. Others might say otherwise, but I wouldn't.

R35

[LyleG]

Its actually common practice for .370 to .355 and can be done without any harm to the shaft. In fact all .355 taper tip graphite shafts are .370 sanded down. However it is not recommended for .350 to .335 as you may end up with too thin shaft walls as .335 shafts are built specifically to those dimensions.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by LyleG

Its actually common practice for .370 to .355 and can be done without any harm to the shaft. In fact all .355 taper tip graphite shafts are .370 sanded down. However it is not recommended for .350 to .335 as you may end up with too thin shaft walls as .335 shafts are built specifically to those dimensions.

Why then is there all the lit that says, "don't sand any more than the finish off the tip, or you'll break fibers, weaken it, and risk breakage?" Is that just meant for .335 shafts (and aren't most driver shafts .335 anyway?)

[LyleG]

Mainly for driver shafts (.335) as they are very thin walled. Take too much off and they will snap.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by LyleG

Mainly for driver shafts (.335) as they are very thin walled. Take too much off and they will snap.

Gracias....

[David Hillman]

Reviving thread from the dead to ask a quick question...

What is the approximate wall thickness of a graphite wood shaft?

I was looking at doing what the original poster asked about, a .350 shaft into a .335 head, because, well, that'd only require taking .0075" off the OD of the shaft.

That's a tiny distance! It's about 1/4 of the diameter of your typical grain of sand, for example. I don't think I have anything that can even measure that precisely.

Out of curiosity, has anyone sanded the tip of a .350 shaft for a normal installation and then measured it again, precisely? I cannot believe that people apparently use belt-sanders with this level of precision, but I am new to all of this clubmaking.

Thanks.

[ezra76]

I thought it was 15 thousandths? Which is actually quite a bit.

[David Hillman]

Originally Posted by ezra76

I thought it was 15 thousandths? Which is actually quite a bit.

It's a circle, so in order to drop 15 thous from the diameter, you take half that from whole circumference. That's .0075", unless my calculator is broken.

(.0075 * 2) + .335 = .350

That's a precise operation. More to the point, that's less than the double the tolerance that the shaft was likely manufactured to;

"Most steel shafts are produced to a tip diameter tolerance of +/-.002″, while graphite tip tolerances are +/-.004″
- How Come My Golf Components Don’t Always Fit Together?

[LyleG]

Many people make every aspect of golf more precise than need be, including club making. So NO dave, you arent crazy at all. In fact you may be one of the few sane ones.

[packwood]

I have sanded shafts and that didn't work out very well and shafts broke.

I have drilled out the hosel with a titanium drill bit and seated a 350 shaft in a 335.

[ezra76]

Originally Posted by David Hillman

It's a circle, so in order to drop 15 thous from the diameter, you take half that from whole circumference. That's .0075", unless my calculator is broken.

(.0075 * 2) + .335 = .350

That's a precise operation. More to the point, that's less than the double the tolerance that the shaft was likely manufactured to;

"Most steel shafts are produced to a tip diameter tolerance of +/-.002″, while graphite tip tolerances are +/-.004″
- How Come My Golf Components Don’t Always Fit Together?

Sorry man, you lost me. I failed Algebra 3 times in HS and 4 times in College. I don't know anything about the Pie unless it's Blueberry Pie, Apple Pie, Meat Pie or Hair Pie.

[David Hillman]

Originally Posted by David Hillman

What is the approximate wall thickness of a graphite wood shaft?

I can't stand un-answered questions, so I got out my digital caliper and the five graphite shafts in my garage...

The shafts are (3) Penley Platinum .370s and (2) Penley Graphite Light .335s. All brand new. The Platinums have a factory tip-prep, but the Lights do not.

Shaft           Min Wall   Max Wall    Min OD    Max OD

Platinum 1    .0930       .1075         .3765      .3810

Platinum 2    .0940       .1045         .3695      .3745

Platinum 3    .0940       .1135         .3650      .3760

Light     1   .0750       .0830         .3375      .3390

Light     2   .0750       .0780         .3395      .3415


 

   Of particular note, the smallest Platinum, #3, slid right into the .355T head (TaylorMade 300 5 iron) I tried.  Neither other .370 shaft would go in more than 1/4".  Unfortunately, I don't have any .350 shafts to measure ( email me for my address if you'd like to send me one  ).
 

   I think where the rubber meets the road is this; in order to remove .015" from a shaft's OD, you have to take off an inconsequential amount from a .370 that is less than the variance in wall thickness.  If a .350 is built with a similar wall-thickness, it should be okay, but if it has the 25% skinnier walls of the .335, you're asking for it.
 

   Also, my outer diameter measurements appear to confirm the quote below, that tip diameters vary by +/-.004, although the Lights were much more consistent than the Platinums.
 

   I'm shocked that the wall thickness variance approached 20%.  That makes taking off 2% ( .0075/.350 ) seem trivial.

[IrishGolfer]

So I am a stoopid Irish boy, but I will ask this anyway.

I bought a set of .370 steel shafts and .355 heads. Initially I had considered drilling the heads, but how about sanding the shafts to make 'em fit? I'm worried about the integrity of the final clubs.

I know the answer is just to get 0.355 shafts, but interested as always with replies / thoughts.

Cheers
IG