Neck cracks in M70Ws

[SteveNZ]

A couple of the M70Ws I’m getting ready to do up have cracks in the neck. Anything to be worried about here? I want to play them if I can but would prefer to avoid the whole shaft removal palaver if possible.

 

 

 

 

[augustgolf]

I know that you've worked on enough clubs to be able to "fix" those problems, and should be no problem playing them.

 

Properly epoxied, and whipped tightly, they should be fine.

[wkuo3]

I know that you've worked on enough clubs to be able to "fix" those problems, and should be no problem playing them.

 

Properly epoxied, and whipped tightly, they should be fine.

 

Yes, I had seen worse been restored and played.

But, it also depend on the golfer whom swings it. I would not let a young buck swing anything that's aged.

BTW, a question regarding the dried up hardwood, is it advised to use some type of preservative to treat the wood once every few years ? Just to keep the moisture content level off ? Like some treat the cedar shacks with mink oil ?

Second question, is, I had seen persimmon and hard wood cracked due to temperature and moisture change. Would the "oil treated/harden head " last better ?

[SteveNZ]

Heading off down the rabbit hole...

 

 

[robert horneman]

Those neck cracks are not bad at all. It is an easy fix. Pull the shaft, abrade the tip up to the ferrule. I put a piece of wood dowel in the tip of the shaft , the same diameter as the tip. I put a piece of tape over the back screw hole. Use high shear strength epoxy, coat the shaft and push ,pull and twist the shaft as you install it. You should see epoxy come up thru the cracks. A good whipping job should hold the club together for many years.

 

Good luck. Keep the pics coming as you progress with your project.

[SteveNZ]

Those neck cracks are not bad at all. It is an easy fix. Pull the shaft, abrade the tip up to the ferrule. I put a piece of wood dowel in the tip of the shaft , the same diameter as the tip. I put a piece of tape over the back screw hole. Use high shear strength epoxy, coat the shaft and push ,pull and twist the shaft as you install it. You should see epoxy come up thru the cracks. A good whipping job should hold the club together for many years.

 

Good luck. Keep the pics coming as you progress with your project.

 

Thanks Robert. Yes, pulling the shaft is next and that’s the part that has me a little nervous. I’m going to have one more try at removing the backscrew by hand, otherwise I guess I’ll need to drill through it via the bore-thru.

 

Also - is is possible to re-use the bore screw? I’d like to keep it all original if I can.

[SteveNZ]

Success!

 

I'm not a handyman's shoelace so this is pretty exciting haha :)

 

 

 

(Trying to ignore the amount of chrome that has come off the shaft...)

[robert horneman]

Did you drill the back screw out? With todays epoxy you don't need to replace a screw. Just fill the hole with wood filler.

 

If you were able to save the back screw then replace it. In about 30 years of refinishing woods, I think I was able to save 1 or 2 back screws.

 

Your shaft is toast! Unless you want to re use it for sentimental reasons your only option is to replace it. The tip of the old shaft is probably .277 or .294. You most likely will not be able to find one. So a .335 is acceptable. You will need to drill , sand ,etc the hosel to accept the new shaft.

[robert horneman]

Heading off down the rabbit hole...

 

 

Be sure to check to see if the red bar on the insert is tight. Often that will be loose.Try to put the tip of a utility knife under it and pry it up.

[SteveNZ]

Did you drill the back screw out? With todays epoxy you don't need to replace a screw. Just fill the hole with wood filler.

 

If you were able to save the back screw then replace it. In about 30 years of refinishing woods, I think I was able to save 1 or 2 back screws.

 

Your shaft is toast! Unless you want to re use it for sentimental reasons your only option is to replace it. The tip of the old shaft is probably .277 or .294. You most likely will not be able to find one. So a .335 is acceptable. You will need to drill , sand ,etc the hosel to accept the new shaft.

 

Yeah, I just drilled the backscrews out. A couple of them actually unsrewed from the shaft OK, but I wasn't able to get them all the way out of the head, so i just went ahead and drilled them out too.

 

I was worried you might say that about the shafts! Pulling shafts from persimmon was something I thought was beyond my skill level, so re-boring might be pushing my luck! I was keen to re-sue them as, mas well as them being the original silver label True Tempers with original leather grips, I like a softer flex and I thought the fact that M70s are a half inch shorter than M75s would suit me too. Oh well, I do have a bunch of old woods lying around that i will never do anything with, so I will pull the shafts out of those and see what I have.

 

EDIT - I may be able to get my hands on some TT Rocket green bands. Given their vintage, these would be the correct tip size, right?

 

As far as the whole project goes, I've now disassembled all four heads, with only one broken screw to show for it (see pic, broken screw at top-right). Any thoughts on how to handle that? I've kept the top half of the screw - can I just re-epoxy it back in its hole? I'd prefer not to put some kind of odd screw in as a replacement, obviously.

 

Thanks for the ongoing interest and advice!

 

 

[TimV]

You're doing a fantastic job Steve!

Yes, You can simply epoxy the screw head back in if you wish.

[robert horneman]

The broken screw should be removed. I use a hollow #1, 1/4", screw extractor. They should be found at industrial supply stores. Midway USA has them.

If you can't do that then use a 1/6" drill bit and drill around the screw make enough space to use long nose pliers. Use an old screw driver, heat the tip red hot hold it on the screw for a few seconds then twist it out. Use a 1/4" bit to widen the hole then put in a piece of 1/4" dowel coated with epoxy. You should use a 3/32" drill bit for the new #4 screw. I assume you do not have Reed and Prince screws, so I would use Brass #4 Phillips so all the screws look alike.

The TT Rocket shafts were .335 so you will need to increase the hosel bore to accept them. You can clean the hosel with small piece of sandpaper. I cut a slit in a piece of 1/8" square steel rod then wrapped the paper around that ,put it in an electric drill and run it down the hosel. Once should be enough.

After you epoxy the inserts and before you install the screws tell me and I will explain how to saw the face lines.

[teevons]

How about this for a neck crack?

[Bella Woods]

How about this for a neck crack?

 

That's a neck crack good & proper.........

[SteveNZ]

Insert and soleplate reset with epoxy. Unfortunately one of the screws didn't quite co-operate on its way back in :( It needs filing down flush so hopefully that will mask it a bit.

 

Later today once the epoxy is fully cured I'll clean the head up with some sandpaper - 180 and 220 as per Dave Wood.

 

All contact surfaces cleaned and abraded :)

 

 

 

 

[SteveNZ]

And here we are after hitting it with the sandpaper. Probably should have waited until after I re-shafted, but hopefully, that will just be a matter of cleaning up the neck a little. It's just that much easier to do the sanding work without having the shaft getting in the way. Feels nice and smooth now, and think I have a nice epoxy seal round the insert. Face screws don't look flush, but that's just the camera angle, they're fine. (It's a pity the stampings have been rendered so shallow by previous work done by someone else though)

 

I have a question (or questions) about the use of filler paste. I have some, but I can only get water-based. It dries super-quick and seems to sit on top of the wood, rather than soak into the grain, so I basically have to repeat the whole sanding step again to get the wood back to the point I can paint it! Is this what I should expect, or might I be better to maybe skip this step altogether? Or am I just doing it wrong?

 

Happy to get any suggestions for fashioning a ferrule too!

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

 

[SteveNZ]

Oops! Need a better scratch pattern on the sole plate!

[majic]

I have .294 taper tip S shafts. Working on getting R

[SteveNZ]

I have .294 taper tip S shafts. Working on getting R

 

Happily, the green band Rockets seem to fit just fine :)

[RobotDoctor]

edited

Edited December 25, 2023 by RobotDoctor

[BenjaminP]

Great project here, and I'm just curious; would reboring .294 to .335 tip become a significant compromise of the original design? I wouldn't want to weaken an otherwise well intact persimmon. Just wondering for future restoration projects.

[teevons]

repaired neck cracks looks a little better now

[SteveNZ]

And here we are after hitting it with the sandpaper. Probably should have waited until after I re-shafted, but hopefully, that will just be a matter of cleaning up the neck a little. It's just that much easier to do the sanding work without having the shaft getting in the way. Feels nice and smooth now, and think I have a nice epoxy seal round the insert. Face screws don't look flush, but that's just the camera angle, they're fine. (It's a pity the stampings have been rendered so shallow by previous work done by someone else though)

 

I have a question (or questions) about the use of filler paste. I have some, but I can only get water-based. It dries super-quick and seems to sit on top of the wood, rather than soak into the grain, so I basically have to repeat the whole sanding step again to get the wood back to the point I can paint it! Is this what I should expect, or might I be better to maybe skip this step altogether? Or am I just doing it wrong?

 

Happy to get any suggestions for fashioning a ferrule too!

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

 

Anyone got any advice on the filler paste?

[robert horneman]

Wood Perfect from Constantines. May find it at ACE

[SteveNZ]

Wood Perfect from Constantines. May find it at ACE

 

I’m in New Zealand so no ACE here! Though are you saying an oil based filler is best?

[robert horneman]

Yes

[SteveNZ]

Haven't done a lot on this lately but I have completed a reshaft, complete with bore-through. Need to to tidy up the sole plate again now though!

 

 

[majic]

I have .294 taper tip S shafts. Working on getting R

 

Tad send me a PM if you would be willing to part with one of those .294 taper tip stiff shafts. I would like to use it for the restoration of my M09 Jumbo LFF. Thanks.

send me email [email protected]

[SteveNZ]

First coat of satin poly done...

 

 

 

 

It will benefit from a taste of 0000 steel wool and another coat. Rinse and repeat :)