Anybody ever used JB Weld to glue the shafts into the heads? I'm thinkin' it will do just as good a job as the expensive shafting epoxy and it comes in such a small quantity, you don't feel bad about throwing away the tubes when you're done..

I've made 3 or 4 sets with the cheap epoxy and none have broken yet. 'Course I swing like a three-toed sloth so I guess bubble gum would work just as well. I think anything that sticks two pieces of metal together would work. If your clubhead flies off you'll know it didn't do so well.
kh

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If your clubhead flies off, you'll know it didn't do so well.

I did a bit of web-research on it after I made that post. Seems shafting epoxy has a bit of flexibility that allows it to handle the shock. JB doesn't flex, so it isn't really applicable to the task. Damn...

I've made 4 drivers ans 2 sets of irons and always use the reccomended epoxy because it does flex. Always: the right tool for the job at hand!!

I've built a few sets and my father has built a few dozen sets. We use the 5 minute Loc-Tite epoxy. Never had any problems

Just curious. How much do you have invested in a set of clubs you assemble yourself?

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Originally posted by Kensco:
Just curious. How much do you have invested in a set of clubs you assemble yourself?

Not much different than guns, you can build an inexpensive set or go top of the line. Just depends on the components you use.

The last set I built was a set of Snake Eyes forged blades 3-PW with True Temper steel shafts and Golf Pride grips cost me about $400 not including epoxy, grip tape, ferrules. This was by far the most expensive set I have ever built, them being forged blades. I'll say every other complete set of irons I have built has been well under $200 US all in.

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Originally posted by Kensco:
Just curious. How much do you have invested in a set of clubs you assemble yourself?

Depends on how much you want to spend. The shafts can kill you, if you choose graphite. I like steel-- grew up on it. I have a few graphite shafts, mostly on my driver and my 1-iron. Never did put one on my 3-wood. I just recently got into hybrid irons. Have a 1- and 2-iron equivalent because I bought a set of clubs off craigslist.com that did not have the 1-iron and 2-iron. Hybrids are supposed to be easier to hit than blades. We'll see once the weather gets better.

I started doing this in the early 1980s. I think I built my first set in 1982. I've since built five or six sets, every one better than the last. By better, I mean with tighter swingweights across the set, better control of the length of the shaft prior to gripping, better control of the diameter and better installed length of the grip. I made up a little tool that finds the true bottom of the club for accurate cutting to length. I sprung for a swingweight scale years ago when they were only 80-some bucks. That same scale is now kissing 125 bucks. I have a little tool that allows me to drop lead or tungsten powder and a small cork down the shaft to add weight in the tip to bring up the swingweight if I need to do that-- even if the club is already gripped. Once I've dropped in the powder and the cork, I use a long, thin steel rod that tamps down the cork, and I've tip-weighted the club. Problem is, too much lead moves the sweetspot upward and toward the hosel, almost begging a shank to hit it sweet. If I need to lower the swingweight, I have to remove the grip, install a small cup in the butt of the shaft and backweight the club. I usually put on a new grip because I have found that reinstalling a used grip is usually a loser. The grip has been stretched by being on the shaft, and will soon get loose. Best to just put a new grip on and be done with it.

Making your own golf clubs is like handloading ammo-- you know what you have and it's great fun to see what you made perform better than what you can buy...

What amazes me is how overpriced factory clubs are. It dawned on me when I was living in India and you could import Chinese knock-offs; Pings, Nikes, Titleists, Callaways, etc. The cost for a full set 3-SW plus 1,3, and 5 woods, plus a putter, plus a factory bag with brand logo, plus a small utility bag with logo (for shoes, etc.,) and a soft, wheeled, travel bag; the whole lot for $256.

You could tell the difference if you looked closely at a Ping G-10 versus a Chinese "Ping" G-10, for instance; but they didn't hit any different that I could tell.

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What amazes me is how overpriced factory clubs are.

You're paying for the advertising on TV during big tournaments like The Masters, United States Open, et cetera...