DIY Workshop in a Apartment???

So gentlemen I need some advice, I am setting out to build my first club making workshop.

The twist is this is on a short budget ($250) and it has to a takedown/mobile style work bench in order to fit in the screened in porch in my apartment.

If anyone has done similar of has something of the sort in their garage etc I welcome your tips and suggestions...

Needs:

1. Gripping station

2. Shaft puller (build a DIY puller if possible)

3. Trimming gauge/ruler for club length. Also should be able to measure loft/lie.

4. Vice clamp

Wish me luck!

***UPDATE***

Wanted to post an update as I have finally got my workshop up and running after Christmas.

Was I able to meet the $250 budget? Well that depends on what expenses count in the budget...

Did I build a bench with a basic grip station and vice grip? Check

Shaft Puller and Swing weight scale? Thanks to Hot Rod 71 and brock9007, Yup

Club Ruler? Check

All well under the budget but once you start counting the other expenses... Solvent, Tape, Ferrules, Torch, paint tray with hose, digital scale, tip weights, shims, epoxy, yada, yada, yada, you know the deal I'm a little North of the budget. However looking back on the goal I set in the beginning I consider it a success and a great start to my first crack at club making. Excited to get started!

I imagine you could do a portable bench suitable for most of your work. Would have to be heavy enough to support what you do with a vice.

Rockler has some benches or parts for projects: [url="http://www.rockler.com/workshop-accessories/workbenches-and-tops"]http://www.rockler.com/workshop-accessories/workbenches-and-tops[/url]

Personally, I use an old oak teacher's desk as a work bench in the garage. The top is stout enough for vice work, supports light equipment like a band sander and grinder.

I am very curious about this as well. I would think the aluminum folding platform from the Rockler site above might work well, as long as there was a way to attach a vise to it.

If anyone has successfully done this I would really like to hear what your set-up looks like.

Edit: Maybe something like this? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Folding-Portable-Work-1000-Lb-Weght-Capacity-Table-Tool-Storage/281828111992?_trksid=p2141725.c100338.m3726&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150313114020%26meid%3D98cb5d27374e48f3b37edc1b92064f7d%26pid%3D100338%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D18%26sd%3D261585108450

Could be tough to get everything else you need though within your budget though, even a basic shaft puller won't be cheap.

The gripping station is a waste of space and not needed. Buy pump bottles of solution and just do it over the sink or a trash can.

Here you go, everything you need and it's portable.

Couldn't help it! I started changing my own grips while in an apartment years ago and did everything on the balcony. You really don't need a "grip pulling" station to do it. The only thing I ever worried about was smell from the solvent going into my neighbors apartments.

Using a torch to pull shafts might be a problem again because of the burning smell that comes with it in heating the head enough to loosen the epoxy. You can buy a fold up work bench for around $40 however I don't know how sturdy they are. Sorry, not much help!

Gripping station = vice with rubber shaft clamp and pump bottle of Bramptons.

Budget for a small torch. Do NOT purchase a heat gun with the intention of using it for pulling shafts.

A swingweight scale is a MUST.

A club length ruler will save you time and improve the consistency of your builds.

For shaft cutting and misc work a dremel with a fiber reinforced cutoff wheel will work. A bench grinder with cut off wheel is a far superior tool for cutting shafts though.

Agree w/below pt. I do re-gripping in the bathroom floor. Cut out the old grip & remove old tape & clean/prep-up near my computer area, then go to the bathroom, set up the bottles near me, use a plastic painter's tray to catch excess solution, put an old towel against the wall to use it as stopper as I start to slide in new grip. Once it becomes a bit difficult to finish sliding in the new grip, I prop it up between my feet (under bathroom rug) & do the final push & grip logo adjustment.
The biggest problem I have right now is finding a decent, affordable shaft puller, as everything else is I should have from regular tools used for fixing washers & dryers (ower of a laundromat).
Found below extractor on ebay, but not sure if it's an "effective" puller:

http://m.ebay.com/itm/Golf-Club-Shaft-Extractor-Puller-More-Powerful-Model-/271978320537?nav=SEARCH

Do a search here in Golfwrx, as someone posted a DIY puller made from metal can crusher/flatner... I'd be interested in building this one.


[quote name='rcain1us' timestamp='1447772263' post='12609922']
The gripping station is a waste of space and not needed. Buy pump bottles of solution and just do it over the sink or a trash can.
[/quote]

Haha I live in a small apartment and do everything on the kitchen counter. No vice, no shaft puller. Just a butane torch, an oven mitt, a tape measure and a digital scale. Oh and a pipe cutter, wire brush, sandpaper w/ various grits, and scraping tools (mini screwdriver) for removing epoxy from hosels, epoxy, tape, and mineral spirits. I keep in all in a box under the sink.

Saving for a house now, can't wait to have a full blown shop, but I am able to get by with limited space.

[quote name='DaRiz' timestamp='1447778408' post='12610412']
Haha I live in a small apartment and do everything on the kitchen counter. No vice, no shaft puller. Just a butane torch, an oven mitt, a tape measure and a digital scale. Oh and a pipe cutter, wire brush, sandpaper w/ various grits, and scraping tools (mini screwdriver) for removing epoxy from hosels, epoxy, tape, and mineral spirits. I keep in all in a box under the sink.

Saving for a house now, can't wait to have a full blown shop, but I am able to get by with limited space.
[/quote]

Same thing for me. I have all the tools I need, expect for loft and lie, and swingweight. I don't worry about swingweight too much, because I usually add lead tape based on feel for irons, and I have a hotmelt gun and a digital scale to adjust the weights of woods. I hope to have a full shop one day when I own a house, but until then, the kitchen and patio work fine.

Here's a couple of cheap DIYs...

Hydraulic Shaft Puller: [url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/611269-can-someone-do-step-by-step-diy-hydraulic-puller-construction/"]http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/611269-can-someone-do-step-by-step-diy-hydraulic-puller-construction/[/url]

Club Length Ruler:[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/550805-diy-club-length-ruler/"]http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/550805-diy-club-length-ruler/[/url]

[quote name='DaRiz' timestamp='1447778408' post='12610412']
Haha I live in a small apartment and do everything on the kitchen counter. No vice, no shaft puller. Just a butane torch, an oven mitt, a tape measure and a digital scale. Oh and a pipe cutter, wire brush, sandpaper w/ various grits, and scraping tools (mini screwdriver) for removing epoxy from hosels, epoxy, tape, and mineral spirits. I keep in all in a box under the sink.

[/quote]

This sounds a lot like me. I have purchased a swingweight scale, a 48" metal ruler. I too use a butane torch and oven mitt for head removal. As others have said, I have just regripped over a garbage can. I ultimately would like to get a loft/lie machine, but finding a budget (read, cheap) one will take some time. I have done some searching, and am likely to buy a small magnetic tripod bubble level and use a clinometer app on the phone to try to at least measure loft, and possibly lie.

Agreed, gripping station a waste of space and money, unless you're in the business. Shaft puller for graphite, Golfworks and Golfsmith sell a low end puller that I use that works just fine, for part time use. Most critical for you is finding a way to secure a decent vise. You don't need one for holding a shaft puller if you go the hydraulic route, but they are somewhat to very expensive, and I assume you don't have access to a shop for DIY. A vise is not mandatory for regripping, but it does make the job easier and safer. Same with pulling steel shafts. Home Depot and Lowe's sell work tables that will work, depending on your space. Good luck.

[quote name='Ayoung19' timestamp='1447769595' post='12609732']
I am very curious about this as well. I would think the aluminum folding platform from the Rockler site above might work well, as long as there was a way to attach a vise to it.

If anyone has successfully done this I would really like to hear what your set-up looks like.

Edit: Maybe something like this? [url="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Folding-Portable-Work-1000-Lb-Weght-Capacity-Table-Tool-Storage/281828111992?_trksid=p2141725.c100338.m3726&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150313114020%26meid%3D98cb5d27374e48f3b37edc1b92064f7d%26pid%3D100338%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D18%26sd%3D261585108450"]http://www.ebay.com/...sd=261585108450[/url]

Could be tough to get everything else you need though within your budget though, even a basic shaft puller won't be cheap.
[/quote] True I'm looking into making my own puller with a hydraulic jack...We'll see how that goes.

A lot of great feedback here! Thanks Guys!

I want to clarify a couple things...

1. By "gripping station" I mean a vice with rubber clamps and a painter's tray attached underneath to catch the solvent and drain it back into the container. Done grips like this before in my dad's garage and it was perfect.

2. I'm curious why a heat gun is a bad idea? I have always used one for changing blades in hockey sticks over the years (similar process) and it's worked better than a torch?

[quote name='Nessism' timestamp='1447773217' post='12609996']
Gripping station = vice with rubber shaft clamp and pump bottle of Bramptons.

Budget for a small torch. Do NOT purchase a heat gun with the intention of using it for pulling shafts.
[/quote]

3. Fumes/Debris Etc. - The porch is completely screened in on one side from floor to ceiling with a cement floor, also I am on the top floor as long as I keep a fan circulating the air I don't see a problem with fumes or dust falling below.


4. Club ruler - Was hoping to fab some sort of jig to sit clubs into and paint/draw the ruler right onto the work bench to save space.

5. Puller - Been looking into similar DIY pullers that ppl have made online and am going to give it a shot because they're so expensive for fundamentally a very simple machine.

6. [b]"Budget is $250".... [/b]Always negotiable ....ultimate goal is a kick a** shop for DIY clubmaking.

7. PingEye that is a pretty sweet bench haha

If the heat gun has a small funnel tip it's okay to use, but most heat guns have a large diameter outlet and heat is spread over far too large an area where the shaft and head is needlessly heated. A torch on the other hand allows you to pinpoint where the heat goes, on the hosel, so much less overall heat goes into the shaft and head.

Playoffbeard - I have a puller/vise idea for you. But it depends on what kind of car you drive haha. More specifically, does your vehicle have a receiver hitch?

[quote name='pcs11' timestamp='1447796800' post='12611918']
Playoffbeard - I have a puller/vise idea for you. But it depends on what kind of car you drive haha. More specifically, does your vehicle have a receiver hitch?
[/quote] HAHAH no the VW Passat will not be pulling any shafts.

[quote name='playoffbeard23' timestamp='1447797064' post='12611946']
[quote name='pcs11' timestamp='1447796800' post='12611918']
Playoffbeard - I have a puller/vise idea for you. But it depends on what kind of car you drive haha. More specifically, does your vehicle have a receiver hitch?
[/quote] HAHAH no the VW Passat will not be pulling any shafts.
[/quote]

Hahaha darn! I use a vise mount that goes into a receiver hitch. It works perfect. For a shaft puller I use the economy puller from Golfworks. It does the job so maybe that puller might be something to look at.

Also, I don't know how much you care about swing weight, but I use the economy swing weight scale from Golfsmith. I have used way more than I ever thought. They usually have coupon codes so you can get it on sale.

[quote name='pcs11' timestamp='1447797919' post='12612038']
Also, I don't know how much you care about swing weight, but I use the economy swing weight scale from Golfsmith. I have used way more than I ever thought. They usually have coupon codes so you can get it on sale.
[/quote] Would absolutely like to have a swing weight scale, don't think that is something I can make myself haha. Thanks for the tip, any problems with that scale or major difference between the expensive ones?

I think to do things right I'd need a lot of stability and space. Based on what I had going on in my workshop over the years I would not undertake such project in a rented apartment.

[quote name='Nessism' timestamp='1447796703' post='12611912']
If the heat gun has a small funnel tip it's okay to use, but most heat guns have a large diameter outlet and heat is spread over far too large an area where the shaft and head is needlessly heated. A torch on the other hand allows you to pinpoint where the heat goes, on the hosel, so much less overall heat goes into the shaft and head.
[/quote]

I'll add to this and say that you'll get better and faster results with a torch. I started with a heat gun and it takes a long time to heat the epoxy enough to pull a head. As Nessism said, having the heat disperse can and has caused some discoloration for me when I used it before switching to a torch.

Watch the insane smoke detectors they have in apartment buildings. They are sometimes very sensitive and can be heard for miles. Not good when you're building a computer late one night, and unknowingly pin a molex cable wrong (red X black) ... turn it on at 1 AM only to catch the dvd burner on fire and wake up the entire block ... bring in the fire trucks etc.

not my finest moment... lets move on


With club building, there are smells, smoke, fumes and all kinds of bad stuff. Ventilation is most important. When using the torch keep a fan blowing out and have a bucket of water and fire ext nearby. I do that even in the garage... Don't drop the f*****g torch.

Grips are one thing but i would not want to pull heads inside in an apartment. I used to work on cars which is dirty, but golf club building is actually kinda dirtier in a different way. Lots of chemicals and bad stuff involved... grip solvent ironically being one of the more dangerous ones. You should search this section for "safety", there's a few good threads about it.

My nephew has a nice set up in his college apartment. He has a spare bedroom that he and his roommate have put a small bench with a pegboard back and pull out drawers in the closet. The pulled the the doors are off the closet so the bench is recessed in the closet keeping it out of the room until they need it and then it rolls out on locking casters. They have a interlocking diamond plate looking floor overlaying the original floor for protection and easy clean-up. They work on everything from golf clubs and bikes to computers it looks like a professional space that I believe they set up for about $500.00 including bench, vise and flooring. From the pics my brother in-law share with me it looks great with racks for clubs and bikes and shelving for all the other stuff with a 60" flat screen to catch the away games, the Golf Channel and playing video games. I am sure the TV is not included in the $500

How about a Workmate? You can fasten a vise to it, they're cheap and fold up. Handy to have around, even if you move. As I and one other suggested, the cheap puller from Golfworks will work just fine, and Ness is spot on about the torch.

[list]
[*]as mentioned, WorkMate - has built-in shaft vise for gripping, although grips can be installed with one hand.
[*]low odor solvent
[*]water activated grip tape
[*]Armour All (for shining ferrules)
[*]tube cutter
[*]waterless soap/wipes
[*]Tom Wishon Hand Select Lie/Loft Bends
[/list]
hope this helped a bit
M60

apartment grip station
- clamp on vice
-welders vice grip (the thin jawed grip that looks like a big circle)
- rubber shaft clamp
- cake pan


I use a clamp on vice attached to the kitchen counter, then go buy a cheap metal 9x11 cake pan (can even be from goodwill). Use the welders vice grip to clamp cake pan under butt end of the shaft. the cake pan will catch the solvent so it can even be reused if you like. i use a little extra solvent to make the grip slide on really easy.


any other vice work i have a cheap black coffee table i got from target or walmart. i just clamp the vice onto there if i need something sturdy. handles most work other than pulling graphite which i have done professionally.

Harbor freight tools is your friend. Look for sales and use coupons. You can get 4 foot rulers, calipers, grinders, and just about anything else you'd need. The heat gun is very useful for removing stickers and grip tape in one piece. ...then use mineral spirits for cleanup and for gripping.

Just found this, cheaper and compact solution for a shaft cutter. Thoughts?
[attachment=3040814:Capture.PNG]

OP, I have a Golfsmith economy swing weight scale I can sell you for a good price. PM me if you are interested.