Golf Club making/repair for fun

In 1994, I discovered the wonderful world of golf club making and repair. While there is no substitute for professional knowledge for some procedures, club making and repair can be a rewarding hobby for many active golfers, and the materials and tools are inexpensive and readily available. The best internet resource on the topic is the Dave Tutleman's clubmaking guide . What follows are my personal notes on club making for the ammateur hobbyist

Basic Supplies and Tools

Materials

What got me into this was discovering that it was possible for anyone to buy the components to make a club. These are

Component Club heads -- Both iron and wood heads are available from many suppliers. One can buy club heads that resemble popular brands, or designs unqiue to the manufacturer you buy from. Each vendor offers their own line of clubs. Club heads are available in a variety of materials and designs. Cavity back iron heads run $7-$15, with Forged blades (limited suppliers) somewhat higher. Simple metalwood heads are $15-$25, with oversize and composite designs running $30-$50, and solid Titanium as high as $125.
Shafts -- Each supplier sells shafts from the same name brand companies (e.g. True Temper, Aldila, Brunswick, etc.) that supply shafts to club manufacturers. Shafts run from $4 for simple steel to $75 for high performance ultra-light graphite.
Grips -- Again, you buy the same grips that are used by club makers and pro shops. They range from about $1-$4. Again, an amazing variety are available.
Ferules -- That's the technical term for the little plastic doo-hickey that goes on the end of the shaft above the clubhead on some clubs. These are purely decroative except on graphite shafts, where with some heads they are needed to absorb some of the stresses where the shaft joins the clubhead. They cost a couple of bucks for a bag of 10.

The beauty of component club making, is that you can mix and match and make a club that looks and feels exactly the way you want it. The Dunkin archives list a wide variety of suppliers. For the most part, the components are very standard (i.e. all iron heads accept one or two shaft diameters, and all grips likewise), allowing you to make up millions of combinations.

How to order

With millions of combinations, the key is finding something you like. With Clubheads, the considerations are cosmetic and matching your game. Here are some considerations:

Size -- The bigger the head, the harder it is to miss, but big heads may not benefit a low handicapper who already swings predictably.
Perimeter weighting -- Likewise perimeter weighting on irons expands the sweet spot and improves results on poor shots, while generally reducing feel and ability to work the ball for the better player.
Offset -- This is the distance by which the shaft leads the club face. More offset is theoretically better for high handicappers and slicers.
Bounce -- A consideration mainly on wedges. More bounce is better for soft sand, and worse for hardpan and close cut fairways. Pick what matches your course.
Loft -- This is the face angle to the ground (actually to vertical). Oddly enough there is no universal standard on what loft goes with what number club. As a result, some 7 irons play like 6 irons or even 5 irons in distance and ball flight. Consider the loft on the heads you choose and your general flight path. Manufacturers will bend clubs to adjust loft up to 2 degrees on most iron heads, but this is not an ideal solution. Also, note that heads with lots of weight low to the ground supposedly produce higher shots naturally, thus a 26 degree bottom heavy 5 iron may produce the same shot as a 29 degree blade.
Lie -- this is the angle of the shaft to vertical. Again, there is some variability. In general, longer clubs require a flatter lie, but it is also effected by the golfer's height, arm length, and swing type. You can get a cheap lie measuring device to help you decide. Again, clubs can be bent up to 2 degrees.

Shafts are probably the most important component. Critically important is to buy the right tip style (unitized or constant diameter is far more common but some heads take tapered shafts). Here are some of the critical components

Flex -- Flex is measured by a letter (L,A,R,S,X) or a number(4.5-8.5) Flex ratings by different manufacturers are not necessarily equivalent. Flex is generally geared to swing speed and tempo, and you will find many ways to rate it. You can buy a simple swing speed measurement device for about $15, if that helps in making your decision.
Materials -- Steel is cheap, durable, and very consistent. Graphite is lighter weight, can be made in a wider range of flexes, but is more expensive and less consistent. Aluminum and Titanium are both available as specialty materials. Graphite shafts are most useful on over-length drivers, and clubs for slower swingers.
Bend point -- A mysterious rating of where the shaft flexes. Low bend point gives you more "kick" from the shaft (higher shots and a little extra distance), but less control. Most PGA tour pros still use high bend point steel shafts on their irons.
Length -- Some come pre-cut, but most have to be trimmed on both ends (a simple operation, but get the measurements right!) If you are building very long clubs, you may need longer shafts than normal, but this is unlikely. Remember that the hosel in the clubhead makes up 1-2 inches of the club length, so a 43 inch shaft will make a 45 inch club, usually.

With grips, cosmetics are the main issue. Be sure, however, you order a grip that is compatible with your shaft diameter. You can install mismatches (and get bigger or smaller grips) but installation is tougher. Grip size is about the only real technical issue. All catalogs tell you how to measure your ideal size, but personal preference is a large part of it. Using weighted or lightweight grips to impact swingweight is bogus, don't worry about it.

Tools

Here is what I bought/used to start club making:

Grip tape -- two sided tape is essential
Grip tape solvent -- a $5 can lasts forever since you recycle the excess. You can use lots of other household fluids, but the real stuff is cheap, effective, and smells better.
Epoxy -- Get a modest supply of shafting epoxy. It's cheap. The little plastic tubs that powdered drinks come in are ideal for mixing it.
Pipe cutter -- You use this to cut steel shafts (DONT USE IT ON GRAPHITE) If you have one for plumbing work, it will work fine. You can buy one at a hardware store or from a golf supplier at about $7.
Grip cutting knife -- I bought one with hooked blades that works nicely for cutting off old grips. You can get them from hardware stores as well, about $5.
Sandpaper -- Use fine grained sand paper for roughing up shaft tips to epoxy them. Don't rough up graphite very much.
Dimpling jig. I made a simple jig by drilling a 3/8 inch hole in a block of wood, with an intersecting hole in which I could insert a nail set. This is used to put dimples in a steel shaft to help it hold epoxy better.
Shaft clamp -- a $2 piece of rubber to hold club shafts in a vice. Note that I found holding clubs in a vice necessary only rarely.

I later bought, since I was interested in this as a hobby, a swingweight scale ($50), lie check mat ($10), swing speed indicator ($15), and lead weighting tape ($3). Not necessary for simple assembly and repair.

Assembly tips

Here are some things I learned that were helpful