Air compressor for installing grips in an apartment

[Socrates]

53 minutes ago, Stuart_G said:

 

Same for me.  But I don't think tour van (or factory) usage is really all that important of an indicator.

 

Main benefits for blowing on is:

1) easy removal w/o destroying the grip - either for reuse or for tweaking the number of wraps/size - or just testing out different grips.

2) less mess or smell from avoiding solvents - particularly if one doesn't have a fancy gripping station w/ catch basin and unlimited supply of solvent.

 

Nothing in there that is anything the tour vans (or tour players) or factories would care about.

 

And if you have that nice gripping station and don't have to worry about how much solvent you use (costs) then it's actually faster to use solvent than compressed air and it's easier to adjust the orientation of the grip after installation while the solvent hasn't evaporated - particularly when extra wraps are used to increase grip size.  Just imagine trying to install a grip w/ Bubba's +12 wraps with just compressed air.  🙄

 

Different methods accommodate different needs and priorities.

The main thing is that the grip doesn't move after it has set up.  Nothing will make a person more mad, than a grip they paid you money to put on - moves.   Doesn't matter if it is today, tomorrow or a year from now. 

[NRJyzr]

18 minutes ago, Socrates said:

The main thing is that the grip doesn't move after it has set up.  Nothing will make a person more mad, than a grip they paid you money to put on - moves.   Doesn't matter if it is today, tomorrow or a year from now. 

 

Probably repeating myself...

 

This is why I use a bit of contact cement with my air installs.  They will break loose when you remove with air, but they don't move once they've set up.  

 

Some have set up more quickly than others.  Occasionally, i'll have to give it a few hours, just as one would with solvent and tapel

 

[Stuart_G]

1 hour ago, Socrates said:

The main thing is that the grip doesn't move after it has set up.  Nothing will make a person more mad, than a grip they paid you money to put on - moves.   Doesn't matter if it is today, tomorrow or a year from now. 

 

I don't disagree but that really goes without saying.  Although it's not the only important thing.  Many (not me) are very particular (OCD) about the alignment being perfect - especially with putter grips.

 

I've never had a blown on grip move or shift - that's why I continue to use that for my own clubs.  I know for the grips I use and my shafts (butt diam) and the number of extra wraps I use, I don't have to worry about the grips moving.   It's also why I don't use it for other people - for combinations of grips, shaft butt diam, and number of extra layers I haven't had much experience with.

 

 

2 hours ago, Greenie said:

It is 100% trouble free doing it this way.

 

It's trouble free if put on correctly but it's not completely trouble free (maybe "idiot proof" is a better term) when it comes to doing the install.   Lots of posts over the year about not using enough solvent and getting the grip on all the way or the alignment messed up during the install.

[Greenie]

2 hours ago, Stuart_G said:

 

It's trouble free if put on correctly but it's not completely trouble free (maybe "idiot proof" is a better term) when it comes to doing the install.   Lots of posts over the year about not using enough solvent and getting the grip on all the way or the alignment messed up during the install.

 

I agree with you. I meant after the grip is installed "correctly" once it has dried it is trouble free. No worries about it slipping. I was referring to OEM's and people in the business that know what they are doing.

 

As far as "idiot proof" goes I would say using air is idiot proof because you can always make adjustments without ruining the grip or fighting with removing a tape and solvent grip if you messed up an install. 

 

I actually started installing my own grips after I paid a local golf shop for a grip install and 3 of the grips he put on wasn't aligned correctly. When I returned to have them put on correctly he said I was being difficult. I started with grip and solvent and once I used air I was hooked.

[Phabs]

Only thing I'll ever use double sided tape and solvent on is putters cause I'm super picky about the alignment being square to the face.  I'll bubble level the grip about 10 times and the face about 5 times 

 

I've blown on probably 10 sets of grips and haven't had a single one spin or move.   I'll never tape/solvent an iron shaft or wood shaft again for my own use. 

 

If i need to make a length adjustment it takes me longer to plug the battery into my disc grinder than it does to get the grip off. 

[joostin]

For my own clubs air installation is probably my favorite tip picked up from golfwrx.  Like others though I'll use double sided tape with solvent for clubs given to outside people.  On my own clubs, I normally add wraps to remove shaft taper, so no worries about twisting with air.  Just masking tape, air, and zero worries swinging at 120 mph.  Things I've found:

 

- Grip removal tool has paid for itself many times over in saving grips installed with double sided tape, and I still need it for clubs bought from others.  As great as it is, it can be a pain with larger stiffer grips... solvent, push, turn, repeat... Air removal is that much easier.  No elbow grease needed.  No tape ever getting stuck inside grips.  No wiping solvent away. 

 

- No dry time

 

- No solvent shooting out at me from the grip butt hole lol

 

- Sure, double sided tape with solvent is quick, easy, trustworthy, and best for selling clubs and for OEMs. 

 

- But for tinkering... cutting shorter; extending; trying different grips; resetting grips after rotating shafts to different adapter settings; changing shafts... air is the easy life, and pretty darn secure if you have a good fit between grip ID vs shaft OD.

 

- With the cheap tire inflator I use, there's plenty of pressure to get on jumbo grips, SuperStroke 3.0 17", whatever.  There's also not enough CFM for me to risk blowing up a grip.  And I don't have to squeeze/release a nozzle trigger with its constant airflow.

 

- Because of the low CFM of a tire inflator, it takes longer than a compressor would take to fill something up to the same PSI.  I know people use lower PSIs on their home compressors, like 30psi, but I'll use 60+psi on my tire inflator for grips.  It's not apples to apples because of CFM differences (even from compressor to compressor), and it's just setting a pressure at which it can reach and stop.  Instead of a compressor pumping out 3 scfm at 90 psi (or around 9 scfm at 30 psi), the little inflator is more like 0.25 scfm at 30 psi.  Different animal, but it'll get the job done.

[ShortGolfer]

A blown on grip is better for assembling clubs and making sure you get the length and swing weight exactly right for your swing.

Grip tape can always be used once you figure everything out.

[Stuart_G]

2 hours ago, joostin said:

- Grip removal tool has paid for itself many times over in saving grips installed with double sided tape, and I still need it for clubs bought from others.  As great as it is, it can be a pain with larger stiffer grips... solvent, push, turn, repeat...

 

And some grips it will result in the grip being stretched out to the point where it can not be used with compressed air alone and must continue to use double sided tape.

 

Personally, I'm more likely to just cut them and spend the money on new grips - but that's me.

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by Stuart_G

[joostin]

6 hours ago, Stuart_G said:

 

And some grips it will result in the grip being stretched out to the point where it can not be used with compressed air alone and must continue to use double sided tape.

 

Personally, I'm more likely to just cut them and spend the money on new grips - but that's me.

 

Yep, and I've definitely accidentally poked through some thins spots with the grip remover tool, while cussing to get stubborn ones off 😆.  Oh and tape stuck inside the grip.. grr.. It's removable but that's a completely avoidable task with air.

 

I'll remove new-ish grips that I think are worth saving.  Also if I sell one of my clubs with an air installed grip, I'll take it off and put on a different grip with double sided tape to keep people happy.