Bullseye question

[majic]

Sorry guys I had not seen this Bullseye question.

The original material was a soft brass material possibly one the Michigan foundry was using for faucets etc. I have several pre Acushnet models and are very nice feeling. He moved to Phoenix and I now make a putter from the same foundry. My guess over the years the alloy changed slightly. Brass should patina unless it has a clear coat over. The Cameron versions are remember - his version. Just like his versions of Pings or my putters.

Shaft-Fluted shafts have been around for a long time. As putter makers we were searching for feel. The flutes soften the shaft in that area. True Temper didn’t like making them as the shaft could deform and they would have a defect. The other thing the Bullseye had was the Flare Tip shaft. This is also difficult to make. I loved both of these features. In my frequency matched Maxfli shafts I custom designed a fluted shaft but it was not flare tip so I could tip cut to achieve the feel the Tour Player wanted.

These Bullseye putters were designed to have great feel from grip, shaft and head. Not sure that is even considered by the computers doing today’s designs

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

> @"BIG STU" said:

> > @stixman said:

> > Fluted shafts were available on a variety of racket sports, marketed as 'anti-twist', I had badminton and squash rackets with this feature.

> > I assumed, with my track record probably wrongly, that this was an anti twist/ torque feature on putters as well.

>

> Stix if I remember correctly didn't some Wilson Staff and Haig Ultra clubs have a sort of fluted twisted shaft in both irons and woods? That would make sense on the torque twist idea. Thanks for your insight because I had forgotten that little tid bit

 

That reminds me, I had a single Wilson 6i with a twisted shaft back in the mid to late Eighties. I think the pro had it as a demo, and then was selling it. If I recall correctly, it was a Tour Blade, but I'm not that sure. I do remember it had the "Fluid Feel" stamping because I thought it was a funny expression.

[BIG STU]

> @majic said:

> Sorry guys I had not seen this Bullseye question.

> The original material was a soft brass material possibly one the Michigan foundry was using for faucets etc. I have several pre Acushnet models and are very nice feeling. He moved to Phoenix and I now make a putter from the same foundry. My guess over the years the alloy changed slightly. Brass should patina unless it has a clear coat over. The Cameron versions are remember - his version. Just like his versions of Pings or my putters.

> Shaft-Fluted shafts have been around for a long time. As putter makers we were searching for feel. The flutes soften the shaft in that area. True Temper didn’t like making them as the shaft could deform and they would have a defect. The other thing the Bullseye had was the Flare Tip shaft. This is also difficult to make. I loved both of these features. In my frequency matched Maxfli shafts I custom designed a fluted shaft but it was not flare tip so I could tip cut to achieve the feel the Tour Player wanted.

> These Bullseye putters were designed to have great feel from grip, shaft and head. Not sure that is even considered by the computers doing today’s designs

 

Thanks Mr Moore for weighing in with your info---- Yep I will agree with you I do not think today's computer designed putters take feel into consideration like you and TP Mills and John Reuter did. You also taught me something else with that post about tuning putter shafts. That never occured to me. Thanks again as always when you post I read and learn something

[russad]

> @"BIG STU" said:

> > @stixman said:

> > Fluted shafts were available on a variety of racket sports, marketed as 'anti-twist', I had badminton and squash rackets with this feature.

> > I assumed, with my track record probably wrongly, that this was an anti twist/ torque feature on putters as well.

>

> Stix if I remember correctly didn't some Wilson Staff and Haig Ultra clubs have a sort of fluted twisted shaft in both irons and woods? That would make sense on the torque twist idea. Thanks for your insight because I had forgotten that little tid bit

 

Stu, I have a set of Wilson 1200 with a twisted shaft, the shaft labels call them 'Countertorque'. I think I have seen them on Haig clubs as well but they not on my Haig Ultras.

[stixman]

How often do you get your Bullseyes reset? The hosel is quite slim and the metal fairly soft so it wouldn't take much of a knock to throw it out of kilter. Any redneck short cuts?

[Fellaheen51]

Mr. Stix. Reset?? Never contemplated the neccessity. Falling under the condition of: "What I don't know doesn't hurt me." Suppose one could redneck adjust using the Lee Trevino (IIRC) method. Whack it on the floor a few times until..... "That looks about right". ?

 

But yeah, suppose they could get out of whack (pun intended) quite easily do to the soft metal.

 

[stevehj]

Bullseyes are indeed very soft and easy to bend. It is a very bad idea to slam one on the ground after a bad three putt (speaking from experience as a hot headed juvenile). But sticking the neck in a vice and hitting it with a 2 by 4 usually got it back to where it looked ok. Not the most elegant way to fix it, but effective. :)

[BIG STU]

> @stixman said:

> How often do you get your Bullseyes reset? The hosel is quite slim and the metal fairly soft so it wouldn't take much of a knock to throw it out of kilter. Any redneck short cuts?

 

Honestly I have not gotten to that point yet. I would say they would be fairly easy to bend. More than likely I could use my " bending bar" I made for flow necks like a Ping Zing etc. I made a bending bar out of a 7/16 wrench with a slot cut on the boxed side to just slide into the hosel. I attach a piece of old jack handle for leverage. Now do not misconstrue the jack handle deal. It is not a big jack handle like a floor jack but a section about 8" long like came with a cheap bottle jack. I also wrap a piece of copper tubing flattened out to help prevent scaring. I have a couple of putter holding jigs I made that clamp into my loft and lie machine. Now I can not get an accurate reading for loft and lie on my machine. But I can eyeball it and feel it pretty close. I will check it for sure with my clamp board and manual protractor. I have bent a couple of Zings and my rusty Scotty with my Rig and have bent countless Ansers. Like I said I have not tried it with a BE yet but feel I can do it with no problem

[BIG STU]

> @stevehj said:

> Bullseyes are indeed very soft and easy to bend. It is a very bad idea to slam one on the ground after a bad three putt (speaking from experience as a hot headed juvenile). But sticking the neck in a vice and hitting it with a 2 by 4 usually got it back to where it looked ok. Not the most elegant way to fix it, but effective. :)

 

Yep another effective way and a rubber hammer will work too. I have seen the old school club craftsmen clamp a head in a vise between a couple of 2x4 boards and give it a whack with a hammer

[stixman]

> @"BIG STU" said:

> > @stixman said:

> > How often do you get your Bullseyes reset? The hosel is quite slim and the metal fairly soft so it wouldn't take much of a knock to throw it out of kilter. Any redneck short cuts?

>

> Honestly I have not gotten to that point yet. I would say they would be fairly easy to bend. More than likely I could use my " bending bar" I made for flow necks like a Ping Zing etc. I made a bending bar out of a 7/16 wrench with a slot cut on the boxed side to just slide into the hosel. I attach a piece of old jack handle for leverage. Now do not misconstrue the jack handle deal. It is not a big jack handle like a floor jack but a section about 8" long like came with a cheap bottle jack. I also wrap a piece of copper tubing flattened out to help prevent scaring. I have a couple of putter holding jigs I made that clamp into my loft and lie machine. Now I can not get an accurate reading for loft and lie on my machine. But I can eyeball it and feel it pretty close. I will check it for sure with my clamp board and manual protractor. I have bent a couple of Zings and my rusty Scotty with my Rig and have bent countless Ansers. Like I said I have not tried it with a BE yet but feel I can do it with no problem

 

Thanks, Stu. That's what I was looking for. When I got mine it was bent a long way out, and I sort of did by eye. Love the puter but there is that worm of doubt about whether I did it right, or I could do it better.

[Fellaheen51]

Giving this one a bump as I'm hoping for some insight. Picked up a Bullseye Pat Pend John Reuter Jr. putter today. A thicker blade width and more rounded toe than the other Pat Pend I have. Also, this one has a satin, non-fluted shaft. Trying to determine if it's the original shaft. I'm suspect, thought all Bullseyes were chromed and fluted. But sleuthing around, found a mention of a Pat Pend Bullseye with such a shaft. And the satin shafted models were early vintage. IDK. Couldn't find a confirmation from another source. At first glance, thought it had a generic non-standard brown rubber grip. Upon closer examination, think it's a leather grip. But of the one piece slip on variety. Marks with a fingernail like leather. No end cap, or other identifier.

As a pre-Acushnet, must be before the 1960 (or 1958, or 1962 depending on the source) acquisition of Bullseye. One of these days, would like to find a Bullseye with a provenance that goes back to the Sault Ste. Marie era. TIA for any information.