Next go-round

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

This is getting to be some fun! Decided to make a 3-wood for a buddy...bought an XCaliber FW shaft on sale from Golfworks, and combined it with a Dynacraft Avatar 3-wood head from Hireko. Shaft and head were $20 each. Instructions said no tip trimming was needed, just cut to length -- will do that once the epoxy cures. Here are some pix...

 

 

Thanks to the previous thread, realized this mark shows the spine. Confirmed with my $20 spine finder!

 

 

They also mark the shaft 45* from the spine to show where the clubhead should be aligned. At least I think that's what it means...

 

 

Not bad for a $20 head...

 

 

 

Tip prepped and ready...

 

 

Now dry, dammit, dry!

 

 

it's going to get a white Pure grip tomorrow...will post pix when it's done! Will then learn how to "turn" a ferrule and clean it up with some acetone.

[BK in TEXAS]

Ahhhh...the building bug has bitten another one

[GolfSpy WD]

Looks good! Next time if you want to avoid sanding down the ferrule, they make fairway wood ferrules that aren't as bulky as driver ferrules.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Looks good! Next time if you want to avoid sanding down the ferrule, they make fairway wood ferrules that aren't as bulky as driver ferrules.

 

Sanded and wiped it down with acetone. Actually had it looking pretty sharp when I figured I could take it down just a little more.

 

It was an unwise decision. It's sized okay -- just looks a little rough.

[The Dansome]

one day I'm gonna have a workshop and do this....

 

Nice job barbajo

[Manbropig]

I'm guessing when building your own club, it is a lot cheaper and you get more bang for your buck. This sounds too good to be true, what's the catch? Of course either than spending your time passionately nursing and caressing a new club into tip top shape.

[GolfSpy WD]

I'm guessing when building your own club, it is a lot cheaper and you get more bang for your buck. This sounds too good to be true, what's the catch? Of course either than spending your time passionately nursing and caressing a new club into tip top shape.

 

Hireko clubs are very good, but not quite as good as the OEM stuff. With component woods, they are often forged rather than cast. This is cheaper, but doesn't allow for very interesting designs. The welding is probably not plasma, so there is more weight at the seems.

 

Component companies don't have the same test facilities as the big guys, so aerodynamics suffers a bit. Finally, this sort of club is made of 17-4 stainless steel rather than carpenter steel, which allows a thinner face, but costs a lot more. Both of these factors do cost the club some distance compared to the latest and greatest from the big guys.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Hireko clubs are very good, but not quite as good as the OEM stuff. With component woods, they are often forged rather than cast. This is cheaper, but doesn't allow for very interesting designs. The welding is probably not plasma, so there is more weight at the seems.

 

Component companies don't have the same test facilities as the big guys, so aerodynamics suffers a bit. Finally, this sort of club is made of 17-4 stainless steel rather than carpenter steel, which allows a thinner face, but costs a lot more. Both of these factors do cost the club some distance compared to the latest and greatest from the big guys.

 

Personally, I'm doing it to keep busy with golf-related stuff during the Minnesota winter. Am in the middle of reshafting my hybrids, and made this club for a friend just for fun. He needed a 3-wood, I had time, it seemed to work. This was a pretty inexpensive head, we'll see how it performs but it's better than the 3-wood he had - which was non-existant.

 

Not sure what this club could sell for in the real world. It is SS, not Titanium, so there's that. Between the head, head cover, shaft, grip and sundries I probably $55 bucks worth of material and overall about an hour of actual labor. For this to be a business it would have to sell for about $150-$175 to make it worthwhile - and you can get a decent name brand OEM for that. Of course, if this was a business you could get the materials wholesale - not sure how much less $$ it would be - let's say half, putting the cost at around $28. At that point you could sell the club for $90 to $100...but you'd have to be a master-club fitter/builder to be able to pull it off.

 

That's why it's a hobby

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Finished product:

 

 

 

 

[Bobtrumpet]

Good job!

 

I built my driver and 4 wood from Xcaliber shafts (months before the current sale) and Hireko Acer XF heads, driver = 44" and 4 wood = 42.5". Added tip weights as needed to get the SW right. I forgot to tip trim the shaft for the 4 wood, but it plays great anyway.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Good job!

 

I built my driver and 4 wood from Xcaliber shafts (months before the current sale) and Hireko Acer XF heads, driver = 44" and 4 wood = 42.5". Added tip weights as needed to get the SW right. I forgot to tip trim the shaft for the 4 wood, but it plays great anyway.

 

Thanks Bob -- going to build a driver for another friend next -- maybe the XF head is the way to go. Which Xcaliber shaft did you use?