In the world of refinishing, this is by far the most important preliminary step. After years of use, golf clubs will get beat up, and in order to make them appear “new,” it is important to remove these signs of use. When I first began learning how to refinish golf clubs, it took me a while to learn how to do this. There aren’t many tutorials out there specific to the technique that is shown in the video below. Anyways, this is the first step in ANY refinishing process.
Before Starting This Tutorial, Your Club Must
Materials Needed
- Protective Gloves and Eye-wear
- 6″ Bench Grinder/Buffer
with 1/2″ arbor holes (the cheapest and most readily available deburring and polishing wheels fit are 6″ in diameter with 1/2″ arbor holes)- I linked to a Buffer on Amazon, which I don’t currently use, but looks like a good setup for what we are trying to accomplish here. I already owned a bench grinder when I got into this, so didn’t bother to buy the proper “buffing” grinder.
- 6″ x 1/4″ x 1/2″ fine deburring wheel (You might have to look around for this one. These aren’t very common)
- 6″ x 1/2″ x 1/2″ fine deburring wheel
Note: when finding a bench grinder, the size of the grinder doesn’t matter. A 6″ or 8″ grinder will work, but be sure to match the wheel sizes to the grinder size! I recommend purchasing the bench grinder first, and then purchasing the wheels that will fit it. The materials listed above are the materials that I have. Yes, they are expensive, but all the materials listed above will last a long time. I have been using the same bench grinder and wheels for three years now, and expect to use them for another year at least!
I’m trying to restore an old Ping brass L-blade I found in my grandfather’s garage. It’s probably not worth anything, but it will be a good one to begin learning with. I’ve watched your “how to remove nicks and dings” and “Sandblasting 101” videos. Thanks for those! I will probably get a bench grinder to begin the process.
3 questions:
1. With these brass putters will I need to do sandblasting? In your bench grinding video, that brass putter was looking pretty smooth and shiny.
2. I won’t be able to reach the cavity behind the putter face with the bench grinder very well. I guess there’s not really any nicks or dings there, but it sure looks old and has that greenish layer over the brass. Any tips?
3. Any tips on how to remove the shaft of these Ping putters with ball bearings?
Hey Ben,
That is a great putter to get started on! To answer your questions:
1. No, you shouldn’t need to do any sandblasting for that. Sandblasting (more specifically beadblasting) will make the metal have a “satin” finish and you will not get much shine. If you are looking for shine, you’ll just need to use a deburring wheel followed by a sisal wheel and finally a polishing wheel.
2. There is not a great way that I know of other than using a Dremel tool and some abrasive attachments like these.
3. Great question, and no, there is nothing that I have found that makes this easier. I use a lot of heat (propane torch) and a secure vise with heat resistant gloves and just twist is hard. It might take a while, but you will eventually be able to get it out!