How to design a putter?

[deesta]

I've got access to 5 axis CNC machines and a decent CADCAM package and fancy having a go at making a putter.

Can someone point me in a direction where I can get a bit of info on how to start and what sort of things to look into? 

Have all sorts of steel in the stores, stainless etc so have a good choice of what to use.

Thanks 

Steve 

Edited December 4, 2020 by deesta

[swagee]

11 minutes ago, deesta said:

I've got access to 5 axis CNC machines and a decent CADCAM package and fancy having a go at making a putter.

Can someone point me in a direction where I can get a bit of info on how to start and what sort of things to look into? 

Have all sorts of steel in the stores, stainless etc so have a good choice of what to use.

Thanks 

Steve 

 

That's awesome. 

I think u could reach out to @WestonMaughanGolf. He designs and makes his own putter. 

I'm rooting for u, mate. 

Let me know when u succeed recreating Tiger's putter out of German SS, then I'll put in an order. 

[Hack Daddy]

Seems like you have access but don't know how to use. Just design one in CAD and run it. 

[deesta]

5 minutes ago, Hack Daddy said:

Seems like you have access but don't know how to use. Just design one in CAD and run it. 

I know the machining side of things just not sure where to start with the design process. 

Thinking blade style as that's what I use and seems to be the simpler option to make. 

[Hack Daddy]

27 minutes ago, deesta said:

I know the machining side of things just not sure where to start with the design process. 

Thinking blade style as that's what I use and seems to be the simpler option to make. 

 

Check open source. I'll bet there are a few cad files for standard blade putters. Heck, google it. Just plug an already existing file into your machine. 

 

Good luck. We have Haas in my shop. 👍

[tdeutmeyer]

I would guess someone on here is capable of drawing up a putter head and would give you their cad file in exchange for a putter head.  Someone set this guy up with a cad file.

[ckay]

Guarantee you there are open source downloads that you could tweak to your liking. 

[deesta]

So I've come up with a basic design, along the lines of an Evnroll. 

 

Currently working on the CAD for it but, with the vast choice of materials I have access to, what would be the best feeling material to make it out of?

 

I'm having the idea at the moment to make the body out of 7075 aluminium and have interchangeable faces which would allow to try more materials for the face/different loft angles etc as I could machine alternative faces pretty quickly rather that trying to make different, complete, putters and finding I don't like the feel etc. 

 

Thoughts? 

[MPix53]

If the design allows weight wise, I'd be tempted to just start with some carbon steel, kinda hard to make a bad feeling putter in carbon I think.  You could still have an interchangeable face with various milling patterns - that will affect feel more than the actual material (IMO)

 

In terms of design, find a head shape you like and take some dimensions from it and see where you're at.  Don't worry if the design doesn't look perfect in CAD, you can smooth a load of it out by hand when it is off the mill.

 

Ta, Mike

[Golfig]

Aluminum is quite light so I guess you’re designing a mallet of some kind. Which is good if you want to have some weight ports.

 

A detachable face is a good idea, especially if you want to test different lofts, millings or materials. Any thoughts of how you will fasten the face to the body?

[deesta]

Got a billet of aluminium, started writing the code. Just need to finish some actual work and will see what I can knock up.

Ali will be quicker and easier to machine and can knock up a few different inserts to try. 

Have steel, 304, 316, phosphor bronze etc so a good selection. Can also play with the face milling on the inserts.

Initial plan is to screw the insert in from the front, again, as it's an easy starting design.

 

Thinking of having some sort of weight for heel & toe to sort thd balance.

 

[markheardjr]

I've hit a roadblock in my project also. I have the .stp file, I have the material (321A steel block 4"x4".) The FabLab at my office got a Tormac 770 but they are shut down for Covid. I'm kind of at the point I might just send it out to a shop.

I tried to learn to NC Program myself using Fusion 360. I think i could figure it out but it may just be easier to let the shop do it and pay the labor since they will know their equipment and preferences. And not sure how to do the face milling part, I just want a deeper face milling, I like it softttttt. One of my concerns is the setups and my material being 4" by 4", probably can't get a neck out of it in one design, just the body, so I plan to weld in a neck separately.

 

Any tips or leads where to start? My design is a wide-body heel/toe with a half-ball like groove on the back flange.

[Golfig]

It’s absolutely feasible to learn the CAM / manufacture part in Fusion 360. There’s quite a few resources on the web.

 

The goal in CAM is to use as few tools, operations and side as possible. 
 

Buy some aluminum billets and create soft jaws when milling the second side, especially when there’s little to hold onto, for example a hosel, or when milling the loft (the back of the putter head would sit a few degrees off in the soft jaws).

 

I believe that the standard Scotty Cameron face milling is done with a fly cutter on slow RPM but fast feed. Probably on a manual milling machine with auto feeder.

 

I probably wouldn’t design the face milling in CAD but instead program it in the CAM part using for example the parallel operation with the spacing between passes greater than the tool width. 

[deesta]

So I had an hour on the 5-axis CNC at work and made a start on the head.

Not too bad to start, weight around 200g at the moment so will be about 180g after I finish the aluminium. To be honest I haven't a clue if it'll be any good but it's fun having a play.

Going to make the insert (hopefully out of copper) asap and will be able to add weights to the back so that I can have a play with balance.

 

Edited December 17, 2020 by deesta

[deesta]

[the bishop]

2 hours ago, deesta said:

Kudos to you sir!  Looks great.  You certainly did better than that other guy here who tried to make his own putter.  Some of the guys here will know what I'm talking about.  Can't remember his name so can't find the thread but it was great fun.

[MattM97]

2 hours ago, the bishop said:

Kudos to you sir!  Looks great.  You certainly did better than that other guy here who tried to make his own putter.  Some of the guys here will know what I'm talking about.  Can't remember his name so can't find the thread but it was great fun.

 

The guy who tried to grind down a block of steel into a putter or someone else? 

[MattM97]

5 hours ago, deesta said:

So I had an hour on the 5-axis CNC at work and made a start on the head.

Not too bad to start, weight around 200g at the moment so will be about 180g after I finish the aluminium. To be honest I haven't a clue if it'll be any good but it's fun having a play.

Going to make the insert (hopefully out of copper) asap and will be able to add weights to the back so that I can have a play with balance.

 

 

Interesting shape there, definitely unique. Will be interesting to see what it looks like when it's finished. 

[the bishop]

10 minutes ago, MattM97 said:

 

The guy who tried to grind down a block of steel into a putter or someone else? 

Yeah the guy who was trying to use a drill press as a crude milling machine or something.  He's no longer around but that thread was a classic.

[deesta]

4 hours ago, the bishop said:

Kudos to you sir!  Looks great.  You certainly did better than that other guy here who tried to make his own putter.  Some of the guys here will know what I'm talking about.  Can't remember his name so can't find the thread but it was great fun.

Thank you!

1 hour ago, MattM97 said:

 

Interesting shape there, definitely unique. Will be interesting to see what it looks like when it's finished. 

I hope it looks nice, how it performs is going to be another matter completely. I'm not expecting much but...you never know! 

[MattM97]

Just now, deesta said:

Thank you!

I hope it looks nice, how it performs is going to be another matter completely. I'm not expecting much but...you never know! 

 

It's your first putter, even if it's not the most beautiful thing ever it's a starting point and more will come after. 

[deesta]

4 minutes ago, MattM97 said:

 

It's your first putter, even if it's not the most beautiful thing ever it's a starting point and more will come after. 

Yeah, I guess so. It's an interesting project for sure 👍

 

Found I nice piece of 304 in the material store so that will do for the initial insert and see how it performs..

Edited December 17, 2020 by deesta

[Fairway14]

7 hours ago, deesta said:

So I had an hour on the 5-axis CNC at work and made a start on the head.

Not too bad to start, weight around 200g at the moment so will be about 180g after I finish the aluminium. To be honest I haven't a clue if it'll be any good but it's fun having a play.

Going to make the insert (hopefully out of copper) asap and will be able to add weights to the back so that I can have a play with balance.

 

 

That looks better than most of the current putter heads from Ping, Callaway-Toulon, Cameron, TM etc....

[MattM97]

3 minutes ago, deesta said:

Yeah, I guess so. It's an interesting project for sure 👍

 

Found I nice piece of 304 in the material store so that will do for the initial insert and see how it performs..

 

How are you going to get the weight up are you planning on lighter mallet? 

[deesta]

49 minutes ago, Fairway14 said:

 

That looks better than most of the current putter heads from Ping, Callaway-Toulon, Cameron, TM etc....

That's very kind of you to say..

44 minutes ago, MattM97 said:

 

How are you going to get the weight up are you planning on lighter mallet? 

I'll be able to screw weights into the back of the insert, either side of the alignment markers. 

Luckily I've got access to lathes to so can knock out several different lengths which will give some variation in weights 

[MattM97]

Just now, deesta said:

That's very kind of you to say..

I'll be able to screw weights into the back of the insert, either side of the alignment markers. 

Luckily I've got access to lathes to so can knock out several different lengths which will give some variation in weights 

 

Cool can't wait to see when this I assume prototype is done and what you think about it. 

[driveandputtmachine]

5 hours ago, the bishop said:

Yeah the guy who was trying to use a drill press as a crude milling machine or something.  He's no longer around but that thread was a classic.

Was that the dopinder making my own putter thread?  I think that was his name, or something similar.

[the bishop]

52 minutes ago, driveandputtmachine said:

Was that the dopinder making my own putter thread?  I think that was his name, or something similar.

Yes!  But it might have been Opinder.  Now maybe I can search

[the bishop]

This one:  https://forums.golfwrx.com/topic/1543388-unbelievable-putter/?do=findComment&comment=20762844

[MattM97]

Just now, the bishop said:

This one:  https://forums.golfwrx.com/topic/1543388-unbelievable-putter/?do=findComment&comment=20762844

 

Video of him making the putter