Is shaft pulling/replacing as easy as it looks?

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Been reading forums here and watching youtube vids -- is changing a shaft as easy as it looks? I want to replace the shaft in an old Hogan 17* hybrid I picked up cheap, and if that works - change the swap the shafts in my Mashies to Talamonti's.

 

Questions:

 

1. Looks like a heat gun and steady pressure with a shaft pulling crowbar works just fine for removing the head from a shaft. Anything I'm missing here?

 

2. Have no idea how to trim a new graphite shaft. Are they ordered the appropriate length? If not, how are they trimmed, and on which end?

 

3. Have never regripped a club, either - but it looks simple. Any open manholes to look out for here?

 

4. I'm experimenting with inexpensive clubs -- paid a total of $50 for both Mashies. I'm fairly handy with tools from my plumbing days - is this a fool's errand? Looking to do this mostly to have some fun, not to save money...

[BK in TEXAS]

1. Looks like a heat gun and steady pressure with a shaft pulling crowbar works just fine for removing the head from a shaft. Anything I'm missing here?

 

2. Have no idea how to trim a new graphite shaft. Are they ordered the appropriate length? If not, how are they trimmed, and on which end?

 

3. Have never regripped a club, either - but it looks simple. Any open manholes to look out for here?

 

1 - Sounds about right!

 

2 - I use an air cut off tool. Fine-tooth hacksaw works too. You need to find trimming charts online for the shafts, unless it's a taper tip, you'll need to trim "X" amount off the tip, then butt trim to length.

 

3 - Airgun's work great for re-gripping. Don't use sticky tape unless you never plan to remove the grip.

 

PS - you can get both air tools at HF for about $15 total.

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-inch-high-speed-air-cutter-47077.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-blow-gun-with-4-nozzle-68258.html

[BK in TEXAS]

PS - you have my number if you wanna call.

[Matt Saternus]

There's nothing mysterious about how to put a club together. What separates pros from us DIYers is precision, knowing how to deal with the occasional unusual club, and a couple tricks of the trade that make things go smoother.

 

Air gun grip installation is definitely easy, if you've got a compressor. If not, just make sure you use enough solvent. Waiting a little longer for solvent to dry isn't nearly as painful as destroying a brand new grip that got stuck halfway on.

[RoverRick]

Been reading forums here and watching youtube vids -- is changing a shaft as easy as it looks? I want to replace the shaft in an old Hogan 17* hybrid I picked up cheap, and if that works - change the swap the shafts in my Mashies to Talamonti's.

 

Questions:

 

1. Looks like a heat gun and steady pressure with a shaft pulling crowbar works just fine for removing the head from a shaft. Anything I'm missing here?

 

2. Have no idea how to trim a new graphite shaft. Are they ordered the appropriate length? If not, how are they trimmed, and on which end?

 

3. Have never regripped a club, either - but it looks simple. Any open manholes to look out for here?

 

4. I'm experimenting with inexpensive clubs -- paid a total of $50 for both Mashies. I'm fairly handy with tools from my plumbing days - is this a fool's errand? Looking to do this mostly to have some fun, not to save money...

 

That's how it starts, experimenting with old clubs, then moving on to more clubs, better shafts, soon you will be buying beat up clubs and soaking them in acid and refinishing them and putting them on great shafts and you will end up with a whole set of clubs for $200. Nevermind the $1,000's spent getting just the right fit.

 

 

Answers From a DIYer.

1. I prefer the butane torch to the heat gun. Heat guns take forever (a thread last week said it took 8 minutes but never used a heat gun.) and you end up heating a larger area. The epoxy in the hosel melts at about 150* but the resin in a graphite shaft melts at like just a little higher. I use the torch and hold in on the hosel for 15 -20 seconds. Then try the shaft. If it is not hot enough nothing happens, but if it is too hot it ruins the shaft so on graphite, it is best to err on the side of not hot enough and keep adding heat like 5 seconds at a time. And never twist a head on a graphite shaft. Steel you do not have to worry about too much heat or not twisting.

 

2. As with all shafts, trimming the tip will change the characteristics of the shaft. Generally, it will make it play stiffer and launch lower. But this depends on the shaft and you can usually find trimming instructions on the Manufacturer's website, or in the case of Talamonti, send an email to Phil. You can not find better service than him. Butt trimming generally does not effect performance. So typically with a hybrid shaft they well tell you that for a 16-18* hybrid trim 1/2" for a 21-23 trim 1 1/2" or whatever the numbers are. So you trim that much to get the flex right and then trim the butt end to get the length that you want. I always put a wrap of masking tape around the are to be cut and then mark the masking tape. This is so that the saw blade teeth do not pull the fibers apart. I also use a miter saw because that is the one I found when I was searching the garage.

 

3. I personally like the blow on grips but it does require a lot of equipment. I am about to as Matt a question that you may find interesting.

 

4. Of course, it is a fool's errand. There is probably nothing wrong with the equipment you have. Not only that it probably will not change the number of strokes you make on your next round, but who cares. It is fun. For me it is as much fun to experiment with equipment as it is to play golf. I think it brings a whole level of enjoyment from researching the equipment base on analyst of you own swing and finding the perfect equipment for yourself. And you can do that when it is dark or the weather is too bad to play.

[RoverRick]

If not, just make sure you use enough solvent. Waiting a little longer for solvent to dry isn't nearly as painful as destroying a brand new grip that got stuck halfway on.

 

Are you saying that if you use solvent and get one stuck half way, let it dry before trying to get it off?

 

I have not had one stuck in years because I use a lot of solvent, and they simply slide on in one motion, however, years ago I did ruin a grip by not having enough solvent.

[RoverRick]

3. Have never regripped a club, either - but it looks simple. Any open manholes to look out for here?

 

 

 

On regripping with solvent.

 

I put the club in a vise and apply the tape. I use much more tape than most people. Bubba uses 12 wraps under his lower hand and I just use 8. but I put a paint roller tray under the butt of the club to catch the solvent and reuse it. You can reuse it as many times as you want. So I put my finger over the hole in the bottom and fill the grip with solvent so that it is totally wet inside.

 

I then allow the solvent to run out of the hole in the end as I move it up and down the shaft and even use my other hand to ensure that all of the tape is sopping wet. Then I put it over the end and slide it into place. This is very easy to do if you have enough lubricant. If not, this is a very difficult task. But with enough lube you can shove a telephone pole up a gnat's butt. That is the mental image you need. Who cares how much you use because once you are done, simply use a funnel and put the solvent back in the bottle and it is ready for the next time.

 

On regripping with airguns.

 

I even use a lube with the blowgun. I use regular water and wet the inside of the grip and the shaft (I have a lot of tape on the shaft but I use regular one side sticky masking tape to build up the shaft.) I found that using the gun it was easier to mess up a grip than solvent. But by using the same method of lube with water vs solvent (sans the saving of it) and short bursts of air it is easier than without water. Once the grip is in place I give it an additional squirt of air and it blows any residual water out of the grip.

[Matt Saternus]

Are you saying that if you use solvent and get one stuck half way, let it dry before trying to get it off?

 

I have not had one stuck in years because I use a lot of solvent, and they simply slide on in one motion, however, years ago I did ruin a grip by not having enough solvent.

 

No, just meant that if you really soak it, it will take longer before you can use it. That waiting is annoying, but it beats wasting a grip. Sorry for being unclear.

[RoverRick]

No, just meant that if you really soak it, it will take longer before you can use it. That waiting is annoying, but it beats wasting a grip. Sorry for being unclear.

 

No problem, I agree with what you said, I just did not know if there was a trick, like waiting for it to dry and then blowing it off or something. The trick is to get it wet first.

 

I had a belly putter shaft that I apparently got too wet, but because of the length I did not want to have to fight a 21" in grip, because for 2 weeks after I put the grip on every time the temperature increase above 100 more solvent would seep out through the hole. I would have to wipe it off before I could use it. However, it went on.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Wow! Thanks for the help! Rick - you're dead on as to why I want to do this - for the fun of it! Gotta keep myself occupied this winter and this will be one of two projects I have going. The other is using a USB turntable to turn my vinyl into MP3's...have > 1,000 LP's from a bygone era and there's a ton of good music in there to salvage.

 

I get the idea of installing grips with lots of lube (thanks for that mental image -- it will make sleep very difficult) - I like the idea of an air gun, since I have a compressor. Will post pictures of the progress!

[Shambles]

That 8 minutes report was more likely a mistype that we decided to play around with.

 

A Heat gun takes pretty much the same amount of time as a torch when properly used. The disadvantage is that you have no visual aid as to where you are applying your maximum heat and applies a bit wide. The advantage is that it stores safe easily and rarely runs out of fuel. The torch lets you see where you are applying your heat so it's more attractive to new hobby guys. It's really reassuring to see and know that you truly applied the heat to that spot or area and now truly need to pull that head off. The disadvantage is that it does not store safe easily because of the fuel. You have to define a safe place to store that fuel where, in case of accidents, you do not damage the house or other people.

 

You don't need much to get started. A bench vise is better than a wife because it holds the club more steadily for a longer period of time. It also allows you to tap the heads off with a piece of wood and a hammer, which I find easier than pulling and possibly safer for the shaft. I don't have a shaft puller. I never got around to buying or making one. When you use the right tools, the job gets done too quickly.

 

 

Shambles

[RoverRick]

You have so motivated me that I am changing the shaft in my irons out tonight. I have removed and cleaned all the old epoxy and am about to glue the heads on. I was planning on doing this anyway. I have two sets of KBS Tours one chrome and one Black. I have a set of MP62's that are shinny chrome that were on the black shafts. But now I have a set of MP32's that I will strip and refinish in gun blue and put on the black shafts. I actually decided to do this tonight because a. Wife was not home so I could use the kitchen;) and b. I am going Christmas shopping with my wife and mother tomorrow so they have time do set with standard epoxy.

 

As I said in another thread, I prefer to use boiling water with steel shafts because it makes getting the old epoxy off easier.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

RR - I know you've done some work on Hogan hybrids. My test club is an Edge CFT 17* -- am having trouble getting a definitive answer on tip diameter online. Is it .355 or .370?

 

Also, did find specs that say the club is 41.75" in steel, which is what's in there now, and 42.25" in graphite, which is what I'm looking to put in. Most of the hybrid shafts I'm looking at online are 41" long - my tape measure is telling me the length from the butt of the grip to what looks to be the depth of the hosel is 41". Don't think I'd mind this club being a tad shorter - does trimming the tip get me to the right length?

[RoverRick]

RR - I know you've done some work on Hogan hybrids. My test club is an Edge CFT 17* -- am having trouble getting a definitive answer on tip diameter online. Is it .355 or .370?

 

Also, did find specs that say the club is 41.75" in steel, which is what's in there now, and 42.25" in graphite, which is what I'm looking to put in. Most of the hybrid shafts I'm looking at online are 41" long - my tape measure is telling me the length from the butt of the grip to what looks to be the depth of the hosel is 41". Don't think I'd mind this club being a tad shorter - does trimming the tip get me to the right length?

 

The Hogans are .370. Trimming the tip will make it stiffer. Butt trim if you only want to shorter.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

The Hogans are .370. Trimming the tip will make it stiffer. Butt trim if you only want to shorter.

 

Got it! Thanks....

[GolfSpy WD]

Very good advice here. One thing I'll add is pulling iron shafts is stupidly easy, so it's a great place to start.

 

Having installed grips the traditional way and with an airgun, I highly recommend the airgun. It's much easier to install it perfectly and not screw it up.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

1 - Sounds about right!

 

2 - I use an air cut off tool. Fine-tooth hacksaw works too. You need to find trimming charts online for the shafts, unless it's a taper tip, you'll need to trim "X" amount off the tip, then butt trim to length.

 

3 - Airgun's work great for re-gripping. Don't use sticky tape unless you never plan to remove the grip.

 

PS - you can get both air tools at HF for about $15 total.

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-inch-high-speed-air-cutter-47077.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-blow-gun-with-4-nozzle-68258.html

 

Bk -- you said don't use sticky tape -- is that the 2-sided tape? There's some water-activated tape on Golfsmith's website I'm looking at. Also read about a guy who uses plain old masking tape. Any thoughts?

 

Picked up a cheap air gun at Northern tool -- took off a few grips on my old set. They bulged and popped on me -- then I saw that using some plastic pipe over the pipe will help. One of them came off perfectly. Also used a heat gun to take a head off an old thrift store iron. Piece of cake...

 

Going to take apart my Hogan 17* steel shafted hybrid this weekend...will order one of those Excaliber shafts from Golfworks -- great buy!

[BK in TEXAS]

I don't use anything under my grips, but if you want to build it up a bit then yes, regular masking tape is the way to go. I've never had grips twist......but some guys say they have......and I suppose if you're using the grip as an alignment aid that might be a problem. You can use a small band (1" or so) of the water activated tape right at the end (head side) if you are worried about twisting. Of the hundreds of grips I've removed......I'd say 4/5 grips put on fully glued are destroyed when removing them with air......while 100% of them just blown on come off perfectly.

[Super Tuna]

Bk -- you said don't use sticky tape -- is that the 2-sided tape? There's some water-activated tape on Golfsmith's website I'm looking at. Also read about a guy who uses plain old masking tape. Any thoughts?

 

Masking tape only here. Easier for on and off. Equally reacts well to WD40 if one happens to be using that as one's lubricant to slide the grips on (no room for an air compressor here)

[Blade]

Masking tape only here. Easier for on and off. Equally reacts well to WD40 if one happens to be using that as one's lubricant to slide the grips on (no room for an air compressor here)

I'm glad you put your advice here ST. I've used two sided tape for fear of grips twisting. If I can trust they won't twist without tape, I'll never use it again. I do use WD40 for lube. I've managed to take grips off with air that I wanted to save. If they haven't been on too long, even with tape, it can SOMETIMES work. I use a piece of those tube inserts they sell for dividing your clubs in a bag to keep the grip from blowing up. Even then it can stretch them out and make me not want to reuse them. Installing them with air, do you use lube at all or slide them on dry?

[Super Tuna]

Depends on the grip Blade. Pure's for example react perfectly to the compressor. Even with a bunch of tape layers, I've found I don't need any lube. Iomic's on the other hand, don't seem to take to that well, at least in my experience.

Most golf prides seem to be ok with the compressor as long as you're careful with how much pressue you're using. Haven't worked with Lamkin's in that capacity and I deal with Winn's on the time frame of never.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Success!!!

 

 

 

Bought the grips - Lamkin Crossline prototypes - on ebay - 13 for $35. Needed some air, some elbow grease and a utility knife to get the old grips off my backup set of Hogans. Tape was intact on 4 or 5 of them so I left it on, used a bit of water and air-powered the new grips on. Sheesh! Am putting masking tape on the others -- this is wicked simple.

 

Also, took the head off my Hogan hybrid (steel shaft) -- am ordering up a new graphite shaft tonite and will put it together next week. This is kinda fun!!!

[BK in TEXAS]

Awesome!!

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Did my first "real" pulls tonite...used a heat gun and a modified "crowbar" (actually, a leftover Ikea tool -- a little steady pressure in the vise and it worked just fine...

 

 

 

 

Shaft tips appear whiter than they really are due to the flash.

 

Anyone want a couple of Miyazaki C. Kua 59's?