Beginning Clubmaking 101

[David Hillman]

I never, yet, done any clubmaking at all, but it is obvious that there's a lot of expertise out there on this subject. In fact, there's probably an old thread that'll tell me everything I need to know, so feel free to point me that way.

My first project is to shorten the Slotline putter that my wife is using. Second project is to re-grip the TaylorMade 300s I just bought, and maybe re-shaft one of them. I was inspired by watching a Youtube video the other day showing a guy re-gripping clubs with compressed air, and making it look easier than cleaning a ball. I read a couple old threads here on air re-gripping, but I have a question. Someone, Lyle I think, said that as long as a grip wasn't taped on, using air is the easiest, fastest way to get it off. Okay... how can I tell how it was installed without removing it? Obviously, I didn't put it on.

I have lots of tools already ( vise, all manner of cutting tools, torches, etc ), so until/unless I start messing with graphite shafts, I shouldn't need to spend much money at all. For the putter, all I need to do is get the grip off, either with air or a knife, use a pipe cutter to the desired length, and re-install the grip ( hopefully straight ), right? The weight will change, I know, but she doesn't care yet.

 

[BrandonM7]

You're pretty much set for the grip exercise. You'll want a rubber clamp to hold the shaft in the vise so you don't dent it. Those are only like $2 though. I've never done the air thing (haven't even looked into it - if you feel like linking the video you mentioned I wouldn't mind watching it) so I've always cut the grips off with a box cutter and stuck a new one on with tape and juice. It's plenty easy, so if people are using air to make it easier it has to be cake.

Oh yeah - you can tell if the grip is taped by grabbing the bottom edge and rolling it back. You can probably get back to the tape so that you can either see it or tell that something is sticking it from rolling back farther. Or hell, just try the air. If it doesn't work then cut the grip off. Then you'll know if tape was stopping you or if you just weren't doing the air thing right. Putter grips are cheap. Even super nice ones are less than $10.

 

[MIKE1218]

Using air to do your grips is super easy.
Take one of these:

and press it to the hole in the grip. Turn on the air, pull off the grip. To install new grips, I just use plain masking tape. Slip the grip over the end of the shaft, and blow it on. Never had a slip yet.

 

[indacup]

A few things....

The one thing you'll need to buy is lamp oil....you will use it all the time in club making...

When removing grips with air, we insert a syringe in the butt end of the grip and insert lamp oil in it....then slide a protective cover over the grip and GRADUALLY allpy air pressure...you should NEVER need more than 90ls air pressure.

The air pressure will force the lamp oil to try and escape and the easiest escape is where the grip meets the shaft....regardless if it's taped or not.

It DOES take a technique...and I cannpt emphasise the need for a protective cover over the grip.

If you choose to use a razor blade...do NOT use a std sharp ended blade...go buy a box of the curled tip razor blades (as shown below)

These will prevent damage to graphite shafts and make grip remocal a breeze...if you don't plan on re-using the grips...we use these.

 

[FATC1TY]

If you have steel shafts, the regular blades work fine.

Getting old worn tape off the clubs is a PITA.. They have tools to get it off(around $20), but since I have steel shafts, taking a razor knife and skinning the tape off is no big deal.

Wipe it down with some acetone, and apply the tape.. Or use air.

I've never used air. It's so fast and easy to re-grip anyways.. Cost me around $15 to get a massive roll of grip tape, and a huge bottle of orange smelling solvent specifically for grips. I've seen where you can use anything, but that crap gets everywhere and is greasy as can be.. I personally don't want my clubs smelling like kerosene, or lighter fluid.

Oh, and chances are, the grips on your TM 300's are taped. Air gripping isn't widely used I don't believe, and there's a 95% chance they are taped if the grips are rather old.

 

[David Hillman]

You're pretty much set for the grip exercise. You'll want a rubber clamp to hold the shaft in the vise so you don't dent it.

That's the only thing I need to buy, at least right now.

if you feel like linking the video you mentioned I wouldn't mind watching it)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXcTsZeKpaE[/youtube]

 

[RickinMA]

if the grips are old and you're not interested in saving them, there's a chance you can just apply some air to get them off without much solvent (I've had a couple of clubs with cheap OEM grip tape that after a few humid summers doesn't seem to hold very well)

when using air, use the lowest pressure you can to get the grip on - I'm using around 30psi I think. I crank it up a little higher for Winns and corded grips - the higher the pressure, the higher the risk of stretching the grip out - so take it easy

People have been blowing on motorcycle grips for years and years - it's becoming more popular with golf clubs thanks to the internet and guys who like to tinker.
If you're tinkering, it's foolish to cut off a like-new $7.50 grip just because you want to cut 1/4" off the shaft or add a few grams of lead powder down the shaft

If you're shortening and regripping a putter, a bubble level will probably help - i square the face vertically with the club in the vice using the level, then align the grip with the flat part square horizontally (again, using the level)

If you're looking to reshaft irons, you'll also need epoxy and ferrules. acetone certainly helps too.

You can cut shafts with a pipecutter, but it's much faster/easier to use at $5 cut-off wheel on a chop or mitre saw. While you're at the hardware store for that cut-off wheel blade, pick up a couple of 1/2" clevis pins - you can wrap them in masking tape and insert them into the butt of that putter you're cutting down for a cheap counterweight - I think the one in my putter is 2-2 1/2" long. You can install the putter grip right over it too. If you don't like it, just blow the grip off, remove the pin, and reinstall the grip...

also, always buy an extra grip or two - you never know when you'll get a defective one, or you'll do something stupid

good luck - it gets expensive and time consuming quickly

 

[RickinMA]

A few more thoughts, now that I've watched that video...
I often use an awl to poke through the back of the grip to release any trapped air once I've got it in place.
I also lick my finger and get the first 1/2" or so of the grip wet so it slides on a little easier.
Once it's on, you may need to massage air bubbles out - you'll do this less and less as you get more familiar with it.
Lastly, if you use GP multi-compounds, poke a few extra holes in them before applying any air - they like to blow up like balloons otherwise

 

[David Hillman]

That was feckin' easy!

I went to Golf Galaxy last week and picked up a shaft clamp, some grip tape ( just in case ), and a nice pink Winn putter grip. After a couple days of procrastination, I cleaned off the workbench tonight and got to work. Less than an hour later I had a re-gripped and shortened Slotline putter for my wife!

I did fail to blow the original grip off, and it did turn out to be (lightly, only the top half) taped on. Once I abandoned the idea of saving it, it only took 2 minutes to remove. One cut at the base, and the rest just ripped off. Tape came off easy, too, I guess I got lucky there.

It's hard to believe that people use anything but a pipe-cutter on shafts. It took about 30 seconds to cut, but more importantly, it left a professional-looking cut-end that needed no cleanup at all. It look longer to measure.

Blowing the new grip on was the most time-consuming part. You guys scared me, and I screwed around with 25-30 psi for a while, accomplishing nothing. Finally I cranked it up to 45, slid my home-made-PVC-pipe protector on, and it went on easy as pie.

This may not be good Thanks for the help. I will probably have more questions soon.

 

[BrandonM7]

Very cool, glad it worked out for you. Yeah, you're pretty much screwed now. Go ahead and make a Christmas list full of components you don't really need.

...It's hard to believe that people use anything but a pipe-cutter on shafts. It took about 30 seconds to cut, but more importantly, it left a professional-looking cut-end that needed no cleanup at all. It look longer to measure...

You'll see if you end up doing a bunch. The pipe cutter works fantastically well, but if you're cutting a dozen shafts at both the tip and the butt you'll get mighty tired of that thing. Not to mention the hand cramps you'll have. If you start to do more the little chop saw and sander combo they sell at GolfWorks is so freaking cool for cutting and prepping.

 

[David Hillman]

Very cool, glad it worked out for you. Yeah, you're pretty much screwed now. Go ahead and make a Christmas list full of components you don't really need.

Probably not for Christmas, but obviously I will succumb to the occasional eBay temptation.

I did buy eight 300 series grips, and a pack of four shaft extensions ( I thought I might need something to practice on, turns out I don't ).

Luckily I don't have a lot of question marks in my bag right now. I have never changed putters, and never will. My Wishons ( driver and 3 wood ) are both the best I've ever hit. My 588 wedges are the same. That just leaves the two sets of 300 irons, and all I need to do is grip-up the stiffer shafted ones and the pick which shaft I like better. The only question marks are what to do between the 3 wood and 3 iron? I could see re-shafting my 1 and 2 irons so they match the 300s, but now that I'm hitting my driver, it scarely matters since I'm never that far back, and don't need to hit them off the tee.

Of course, there is my wife's bag which could keep me busy in the garage. I picked her up a couple Wishons that she hasn't hit yet, and tried to give her my old irons, but she likes the 300s better. May have to pick up some 5.0 Rifles for those, or something.

Yeah, I guess I see what you mean

 

[David Hillman]

Next question: determining hosel size.

I have some TaylorMade irons I may want to re-shaft ( both 300 model, and LT2 ). Other than searching online ( already tried without success ), how I can determine the hosel diameter on them while they are still assembled? Can I measure the OD just above the hosel and get an accurate-enough number, even though the shafts have an increasing diameter?

Thanks.

 

[BrandonM7]

Next question: determining hosel size.

I have some TaylorMade irons I may want to re-shaft ( both 300 model, and LT2 ). Other than searching online ( already tried without success ), how I can determine the hosel diameter on them while they are still assembled? Can I measure the OD just above the hosel and get an accurate-enough number, even though the shafts have an increasing diameter?

Thanks.

If you have a caliper you can measure right above the ferrule - the tip of a shaft is the same size for a certain number of inches. When you shop for shafts you'll see that listed as "parallel tip section" or "PTS." So when you're looking at shafts and the PTS is listed as 11" for example, that means the first 11 inches of the shaft is the same diameter. That's so you can cut some off for appropriate flex with that particular head weight and have the shaft still fit in the hosel. So like you say the shaft is increasing but not until a ways up from that section. If you look at one now that you know this you'll be able to see where it starts growing.

The above info is vaild for most hosels -- .335, .350, and .370. I don't know shit about the ".355 taper" that some irons have - the stuff I just typed may not apply at all in that case, or it may. Honestly don't know.

If you really want to be sure the info is right you can call or e-mail TaylorMade and ask what they are. I've e-mailed Nickent and Cleveland to ask before and both answered within a couple of hours. I've heard TM has good customer service so I'm sure they'd answer.

 

[BrandonM7]

According to this -> http://www.golfworks.com/images/art/TaylorMade.pdf

the 300s are .355 - the one I don't know about :ugly25: So all that mess I typed up there is useless info for you to store away in your noggin.


They don't list "LT2," but they have LT and it's .370.

This page is mighty handy, I've never run across it before - OEM Shaft Replacement Guide - The GolfWorks

 

[SiberianDVM]

Your wife is capable of flexing 5.0s in a swing? Damn.

I had a set of Hogan Apex custom made by Dana Upshaw for me a couple of years ago, and he used Rifle 5.0s. They are still the sweetest feeling irons I own, but the heads are relatively unforgiving.