Replacing steel shafts

I'm considering replacing the shafts in my MP60's, I've read all the articles on how to do it and it sounds pretty straight forward. But in the real world, with no workshop and very basic tool supply, how easy is it to actually do? And what are the pitfalls? I've seen the shafts I want at £160 per set and grips are £3 each so the materials aren't going to cost much.

I love my MP60's but really need to get my ball flight down, they are in great nick so reluctant to get rid of them.

Has anyone done it before?

D4S, I've done loads of sets with either a blow torch or a gas hob and a tube of shafting epoxy.

It's preposterously easy as long as the tip diameter and hosel size match.

The biggest piece of advice i'd give is don't use too much epoxy or the air won't escape and the shaft will just move up and down like a suspension strut until the epoxy cures.

Cheers s_r, I've checked the tip size and I require .355 so they match the shafts I'm after.

Will still probably go for a new set of bats but really fancy trying this as a little project for a bit of fun.

Some shaft beads are a good idea too, basically they're microscopic glass spheres (looks like illicit drugs) that help centre the shaft and rough up the epoxy, gives the shaft and hosel something extra to strengthen the bond.

super_realist wrote:Some shaft beads are a good idea too, basically they're microscopic glass spheres (looks like illicit drugs) that help centre the shaft and rough up the epoxy, gives the shaft and hosel something extra to strengthen the bond.

It could be just my mindset as i'm on my own at the moment, but talking about love beads and shafts just isn't helping guys please don't get into grips as i'll be over the top

I once found a 3 wood head in a bin so took it home and got my dad to put a new shaft in it. I watched him do it and it seemed pretty simple. The club he took the shaft out of however looked a real mess. I dont know if he did it wrong or just wasn't bothered about the old head getting damaged witht he blow tourch.

Who mentioned head

super_realist wrote:Some shaft beads are a good idea too, basically they're microscopic glass spheres (looks like illicit drugs) that help centre the shaft and rough up the epoxy, gives the shaft and hosel something extra to strengthen the bond.

All S_R's comments are on the money. It's an easy enough job if you're suitably careful; I've done it quite a few times now and none of them have failed on me subsequently. The shaft beads are more to do with making sure the shaft stays centrally located in the hosel rather than extra bonding surface but I'm sure they help with that too. Make sure you get a decent epoxy (~12-24 hour for max cure strength; Gamola Golf online do some decent stuff) and not simply some Araldite from B&Q. Give the hosels a decent clean out once you get the old shafts out and then wipe them out with some white spirit; also give the new shaft tips a decent clean down with white spirit after you have abraded them with some emery cloth (or similar).

I assume your new shafts won't be butt cut for length (you won't need to tip trim as they're 0.355s and you'll have a specific shaft for a specific head) so you'll have to do that after the epoxy has set. A decent hacksaw will do it fine but I like my angle grinder for that.

Have fun!

Navy, Gamola is a first rate retailer isn't it.
The guy is always happy to answer questions, good prices and delivery times. Can't speak highly enough of them.

I too use Gamola for my grips, great prices and very quick delivery.

My Callaway X14 shafts are beginning to look rather tired/dated, heads are still in great condition considering their age. Would like to re-shaft them myself also as a little project, but I believe Callaway have angled the interior hosel so have no idea how to suitably trim the hosel end of the shafts (as I don't know if this will compromise any weighting in the shafts). Perhaps when I get around to attaining a new(er) set of irons I will give it a try.

A friend of mine who sets up clubs for people, says the best piece of kit he has bought is a shaft puller. It ensures a clean extraction. Sorry Doc! whoops too late.

Don't forget you will need to spine the shafts as well D4S. There are a number of utube film thingies on this and all other aspects of shaft changing.

shanker

Yes indeed, I need to research how to do that. It would be nice if the manufacturers put some sort of mark on each shaft to indicate where the spline is, guess it's not that simple

drive4show wrote:shanker

Yes indeed, I need to research how to do that. It would be nice if the manufacturers put some sort of mark on each shaft to indicate where the spline is, guess it's not that simple

You don't need to spine align. Hugely over-rated IMO and makes pretty much chuff-all difference.

S_R

Yeah. Have nothing except positive things to say about Gamola. Always been good when I've got stuff from them.

Well, bought all the bits so now just waiting for them to arrive. Could be interesting next week playing with a 46inch pitching wedge and a 28inch 3 iron

navy...... not sure about this splining malarkey, am I right in thinking that it applies more to graphite shafts than steel ones anyway? Steel shafts tend to be more consistent so I'm hoping you're right

drive4show wrote:Well, bought all the bits so now just waiting for them to arrive. Could be interesting next week playing with a 46inch pitching wedge and a 28inch 3 iron

navy...... not sure about this splining malarkey, am I right in thinking that it applies more to graphite shafts than steel ones anyway? Steel shafts tend to be more consistent so I'm hoping you're right

I can just see you with a PW the length of a normal 3-iron and vice versa!

Spining applies to both graphite (except filament-wound) and steel as far as I'm aware. In fact, I think it's possibly more of an issue with steel. Having said that, I don't think it's really much of an "issue". I've tried spined and non-aligned DGS300 shafts and, TBH, I'm just as inaccurate with both!

Surprised no one has made an extruded steel shaft, e.g. spineless.

There's yer niche s_r - get in there my son.

I have absolute confidence in the fact that a spine out of line would make bu99er all difference to my game. Although, we all seem to have an iron that does not appear to be struck as well as we would like it.

However, if you are changing all of your shafts, I cannot for the life of me think of why you would not spine the shafts. It seems like the right thing to do and from what I've seen, makes perfect sense and seems to be quite easy.

You wouldn't put a grip on askew, so why a shaft?

I was once told that I should use steel shafts instead of graphite ones due to the speed of my swing - was that good advice or nonsense?

19th Hole wrote:I was once told that I should use steel shafts instead of graphite ones due to the speed of my swing - was that good advice or nonsense?

Depends a bit how recent that advice was and depends why it was given. If it was as an aid to slow you down, that would make sense given steel is pretty much always heavier than graphite.