Grinding Kyoei blanks - Follow the journey!

[Mikeski]

This thread is making it very difficult for me to not purchase those blanks. I'm terrified that I will screw up ONE and then I'll have flushed $350.

 

You already have the z545 irons. You don't need anything else.

 

NEED? No. WANT? Absolutely. I emailed TourSpec and they said that the shipping price could be altered because of my proximity. At this point I'm saving my pennies for all the Jordan and AM1 drops coming up. Who knows, might pick them up later in the season. But like you said, I have the z565 irons and I'm hitting them better than i ever have so far this offseason.

That's great they are working with you on the shipping. I didn't need these iron or wedges either but it was fun "making" my own clubs.

[Feltersnatch]

How are the grooves in the wedges? I read they are pressed into the face..... is that any different from your typical vokey wedge grooves?

[tokeyb]

Mikeski and Matt 3 Jab, you guys did great work! This would be a healthier winter project than my BST obsession.

 

Mikeski, I'd put that rust preventer on to start, just so you can show them off shiny in the spring to your buds. Stamps are too cool to rust up.

[sandtrap]

So are you playing with them and how do you like them?

Will they be you go to clubs or just a project and now you will moving on to the next thing?

[Mikeski]

Mikeski and Matt 3 Jab, you guys did great work! This would be a healthier winter project than my BST obsession.

 

Mikeski, I'd put that rust preventer on to start, just so you can show them off shiny in the spring to your buds. Stamps are too cool to rust up.

I actually put the rust preventer on yesterday. I have to treat them a few times throughout the season according to the can.

As long as I wipe any moisture off I should be good to go.

[bushy007]

Just finished my last irons

 

9 and PW

 

All done. Loved the project.

 

Came out better than I thought.

 

Enjoy

 

They turned out awesome Matt!!

[ivygynonc]

Just finished my last irons

 

9 and PW

 

All done. Loved the project.

 

Came out better than I thought.

 

Enjoy

 

How do you make the hosels look so clean with the different metals Kyoei used to meld the club face to the hosel? The tour spec website has them looking distinctly different in the pics. I assume grinding helps???

[Matt 3 Jab]

Just finished my last irons

 

9 and PW

 

All done. Loved the project.

 

Came out better than I thought.

 

Enjoy

 

How do you make the hosels look so clean with the different metals Kyoei used to meld the club face to the hosel? The tour spec website has them looking distinctly different in the pics. I assume grinding helps???

Yeah it seems they machine them to a point but not a whole lot to keep costs down at a guess.

 

The way I did it was to install a shaft and spin them around as I ground them to get the smoothest level I could. Then buffed them.

 

I've seen a few videos where they do this so I just copied.

 

I'm still playing them and they are rusting up well.

 

 

[Mikeski]

Just finished my last irons

 

9 and PW

 

All done. Loved the project.

 

Came out better than I thought.

 

Enjoy

 

How do you make the hosels look so clean with the different metals Kyoei used to meld the club face to the hosel? The tour spec website has them looking distinctly different in the pics. I assume grinding helps???

Yeah it seems they machine them to a point but not a whole lot to keep costs down at a guess.

 

The way I did it was to install a shaft and spin them around as I ground them to get the smoothest level I could. Then buffed them.

 

I've seen a few videos where they do this so I just copied.

 

I'm still playing them and they are rusting up well.

 

 

 

Holy night and day! Wow did they rust up. I sprayed mine with rust preventer. Still haven't gotten out and played with them since they have been finished completely since the weather has been cold. Hopefully this Wednesday I'll get out there.

 

BTW, I messaged Tourspec after seeing the Kyoei blades on their instagram site. They said the blanks we are finishing are the same heads they sell for $1800.00 on their site all professionally finished and chromed by the Kyoei Japan guy.

[bu11dog]

Man this has been a fun thread to follow. Thanks for sharing guys!

[Howard_Jones]

Hello

 

During black friday I bought 4-pw + 52, 56 and 60 Kyoei blanks from Tourspec when they had 20% discount as I thought the idea of your "own" golfclubs would be kinda cool.

 

Some background:

4.5 index Player who plays Titleist 716 blades and SM7 vokeys. Have worked as a custom fitter for 3 years while studying so Im kind of a nerd. Have always loved custom stuff and fancy shafts.

Im a decent clubbuilder who can do the most in a workshop but I have never ever tried to grind a wedge.

 

First I bought a 3/4 HP benchgrinder and the multi-tool attachement, see picture:

 

 

The actual grinding:

As I mentioned I have never grinded in my entire life and I did not have any "practice heads" so I grabbed the bull by the balls and went straight at the 52 degree wedge. I started with that because if it would go to waste I could bend the 56 to 54 and play 54 & 60 as I did last season. For some reason I did not take a before picture so I lend this from Tourspec:

 

 

As you can see it has alot of offset and rounded leading edge and kind of a round shape all over.

Below you can see the result of my first grinded wedge:

 

 

 

 

 

What I did was remove the offset and then straightening (spelling?) the leading edge. I then went on the topline to give it a more of a tear drop shape. Overall I am very happy, and Im looking forward doing the 9 clubs that are left :)

Right now there is about 7-9 grams left to be removed. I assume those will dissapear when I smoothen things out and give it a brushed/satin finish.

 

I will update this thread as soon as I have done some progress. In the meantime, please, if you have any questions, tips or whatever I´d be happy to answer and take feedback.

 

i love it when someone "just do it"....

ive done a few blanks, so i know where you started from, but here is a few tips, and a TOOL you shopuld get...

 

https://www.ebay.co....tm/292371579553

 

Get one of them, and where ever you go, bring it together with a note book.

Measure sole radius both heel to toe and leading edge to trailing edge on wedges you know have worked ok for you, and any other interesting wedge you see, in your friends bags or where ever, and you get the idea of what properties and profiles they had in common. Just looking at stuff like static bounce and "shape in general" want to it

 

After you have "stolen the profile" draw in in the sketch book with the same "system" for all, where you also add your comments and brand name, models, loft bounce etc...this way you get your own archive of sole profiles you will be able to copy when needed.

 

i ended up making 2 "models" for most players, where the visual "looked" the same, but both heel to toe ratio, leading edge to trailing edge ratio, the leading edge ratio itself, AND both static and effective bounce was different and "personal" for each player.

When you done a few hundred wedges for different swing styles and surface conditions, you will no longer need the profile archive, but the tool is still good, so if you just "set it right" using the paper drawings before you start, you will better be able to see if you progress in the right direction or go wrong before its to late to adjust.

 

Buy 2-3 of them, so you can use them as "gauges" on more than 1 spec at the time while you work on a head.

 

VCOG

Vertical center of gravity on wedges is for most against the heel side, DONT do anything who can move it further heel side.

Start by finding VCOG, and mark it on the face, and when you progress your grinding job, measure "now and then" to see if it moves and where. Pay attention to both height above 1 groove, and distance from the hosel and out.

 

Here is how to measure VCOG

Use a VISE and a standard pen of the type we need to push a button on the back to get the tip out

With the tip IN for now, place the pen TIP UP in the wise as strait up and down you can align it, an make sure you have access to the button on the back. Now place the head FACE DOWN on the pen tip, and move it around until it can rest on the pen tip without your support. Thats VCOG, and when found, hold the head in position, and push the pen button to set a DOT on VCOG

 

Toe shape (axe , tear drop) and Top line is 2 places we can adjust "BIAS" and weighting without changing the sole, and we can also grind of some from the part where the hosel goes over to the head, and we can hosel drill below BBGM in the hosel to take weight down.

 

A thing i did on most wedges was to make a ANGLE on the top line where about half of its wide becomes invisible from address so the head looks way thinner in that position. We do this by grinding a 30* angle from the back side (for a 60* head = 90* angle = invisible from address when the shaft is strait up and down, we need forward shaft lean to see that angle, so we make a optical illusion, making the heads look thinner and more delicate). I stole the idea from Roger Cleveland and what he did with Callaway X-Tour 2005 Forged to make that "fat Callaway top line" to look like it was something expensive from Japan in address position....

 

Here is my first grinding project 10 years ago, look at whats done to the head in the middle on the top line, it looks cool from all angles.(IMO).

 

 

[Moomitch]

I took the plunge last week and have now put them all together and played some with them. I'm pretty happy with the results, especially in regards to how they play. I did the whole thing with an angle grinder and an orbital sander, so they are definitely rougher looking than the other ones seen here. They do all look good from address though, and have a homemade charm about them. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

[Pwood28]

Anybody else giving this a shot? I just bought a multitool sander and some forgings. I'm going to play around with some old wedges before diving in, but am excited to give this a shot.

[dmbrill719]

> @Pwood28 said:

> Anybody else giving this a shot? I just bought a multitool sander and some forgings. I'm going to play around with some old wedges before diving in, but am excited to give this a shot.

 

Did you wind up doing this? Winter is setting in, I'm thinking this could be a fun project as well.

 

[Pwood28]

I haven't started yet, but I did buy a set of the blanks and the equipment to grind them though. Unfortunately, with a 12 week old and a 3 year old, even my weekend time seems to be spoken for lately.

 

I have a few old wedges that I going to grind on first. I want to get a feel for the multitool sander before starting in on my blanks. Ended up going with the multi tool linked below as it was the best deal I could find.

 

https://www.eastwood.com/multitool-2-x-36-inch-with-3-4-hp-belt-grinder.html

 

[Wristaction]

I have also picked up a set 4-P.

No previous grinding experience. Started with an old callaway wedge to get some feeling for it. And before starting up the work I of course had a spreadsheet prepared with the specs for the build nailed down.

Some difficulties in finding the time for my project but man this is fun!!! I'm on my first head right now. (#4 iron). Slow and steady and have placed the head on the scale throughout the process to keep weight under control. So far so good. Have not made up my mind yet for potential stamping. Have a kit since before. Leaning towards having the number and my initials stamped on each.

Looking forward to the rest of the journey!!! ?

 

[tmai18]

I love this thread. I’m starting too and it’s a lot of fun (Even though I have a feeling I’m doing something wrong). Are y’all using a swing weight scale or just a regular scale to weigh the heads?

[Caverla2]

nice!!

[Wristaction]

Scale + swing weight scale here.

?

[Andystinker]

I love this post and all the follow amateur club grinders out there

 

Having read this post and the various others on here... I bit the bullet and bought the blanks myself during Black Friday.

With no tools other than bastxxx files and a lot of Zoom meetings I have a set ready for polishing. Below is what the 4 iron looks like. Need to remove around 0.5 - 1g more from each club then onto assembly. 

Any advice from those who have around the best way to get a polished finish? 

[dmbrill719]

Just got a package from Japan. I now know what I'm doing between Christmas and New Years...

 

 

[ksible2]

Just ended up pulling the trigger on a set. I think the coupon code was HOLIDAY20 so it was $325 shipped for a 4-PW set.

 

Looking forward to the build!

[haakzilla]

6 hours ago, ksible2 said:

Just ended up pulling the trigger on a set. I think the coupon code was HOLIDAY20 so it was $325 shipped for a 4-PW set.

 

Looking forward to the build!

 

CODE: SAVE25 works for 25% off as well

[ksible2]

7 hours ago, haakzilla said:

 

CODE: SAVE25 works for 25% off as well

 

Ah man, could've saved a little bit more! Oh well, it was still $325 and no sales tax. I went with the 2-3 week shipping option as I'll be out of town for New Years and the week after. I ordered Monday and got my tracking info this morning

[mogc60]

I pulled the trigger on raw blanks too over the holidays. Should be here in the next few days. I’ve always wanted to do this and have had some grinding experiences on wedges and my irons so it should be fun. I have a very clear picture of what I want to create and hoping to combine the best features of several of my favorite irons ever into one set. Been going crazy ordering sanding belts and discs, stamps, g paint, dremel attachments and I’m going with a plum brown finish so ordered that too. Getting pumped to start 

[ksible2]

I'm still working on mine and need to flatten out the soles on a few of the heads. This is the four iron.

 

So far each head has went through 80,120,600, and 1000 grit passes on the belt sander. Been a fun project so far!

[mogc60]

I went with the cavity back model from Tourspec and they are coming along nicely. I will do a full review once they’re done. A few before and some current pics of the 7 and 9 irons 

Edited February 3, 2022 by mogc60

[Howard_Jones]

@mogc60....very nice, but i would have added the angle cut to the top line, who makes them look as thin as "after 8 mint chocolate" from address...it cost less than 1 gram.

Its the angle cut you see on the 56 in the middle here. It makes a illusion from address where we can make the top line look as only half of the thickness it actually has. (idea stolen from Roger Cleveland and his Callaway X-Tour 2005 iron models where the target was to NOT make them look like a Callaway). It also gives a nice look on the back side of the club in general.

Edited February 3, 2022 by Howard_Jones

[mogc60]

1 hour ago, Howard_Jones said:

@mogc60....very nice, but i would have added the angle cut to the top line, who makes them look as thin as "after 8 mint chocolate" from address...it cost less than 1 gram.

Its the angle cut you see on the 56 in the middle here. It makes a illusion from address where we can make the top line look as only half of the thickness it actually has. (idea stolen from Roger Cleveland and his Callaway X-Tour 2005 iron models where the target was to NOT make them look like a Callaway). It also gives a nice look on the back side of the club in general.

Here is a close up of my top line. I beveled the front and back. Also a pic of the blunted front edge. Hard to get good pics of those details 

Edited February 3, 2022 by mogc60

[blink3665]

@mogc60 Did you hand file to finish those bevels, or use a grinding wheel? I'd be afraid that I'd make one bad move and then the bevel would be uneven.

 

Looks great!