1953 MacGregor Tommy Armour 945W

[RobotDoctor]

This was the transition set between the 693 and the 945W Eye-O-Matic.  This model was produced only one year making them difficult to find, especially in excellent condition.  I just picked up this driver which makes my set (1-4) expendable.  
 

The following is the driver.  I wish it had a better shaft.  This one will be going to Dave Wood in the next few weeks for restoration.  
 

[northplatteriver]

Gorgeous.  Can't wait to see it when it returns from the spa.  Are you going to have it reshafted?

[RobotDoctor]

7 minutes ago, northplatteriver said:

Gorgeous.  Can't wait to see it when it returns from the spa.  Are you going to have it reshafted?

Not sure.  The grip is terrific.  I don't have a spare shaft but if I find a period appropriate shaft I would. 

[stevehj]

The obsession never ends.....  🤪

[elwhippy]

Looks a fabulous block of wood. Can't wait to see Dave Wood's upgrade. 

[Maxwell]

This model was produced only one year making them difficult to find, especially in excellent condition. 

 

I have a four club set downstairs of this year. I have not restored the set yet but ....someday. Yours look very nice. Great wood and like the club head design. Very collectable in my opinion. 

Blair - Canada 

[RobotDoctor]

11 hours ago, stevehj said:

The obsession never ends.....  🤪

 

I suppose it never does.  😂🤣😂

[stevehj]

On 6/20/2021 at 8:12 AM, RobotDoctor said:

 

I suppose it never does.  😂🤣😂

 

Sam, I know you have seen this, but maybe this will foreshadow what is to come.  Dave Woods refinished this club for me back in 1985 and it still looks as good as it did back then after 10 years of use.  Unfortunately metal woods prompted an early retirement, but I still love to look at it and hit it every now and then.

 

 

Edited June 21, 2021 by stevehj

[RobotDoctor]

1 hour ago, stevehj said:

 

Sam, I know you have seen this, but maybe this will foreshadow what is to come.  Dave Woods refinished this club for me back in 1985 and it still looks as good as it did back then after 10 years of use.  Unfortunately metal woods prompted an early retirement, but I still love to look at it and hit it every now and then.

 

 

 

Steve, I have seen this at one of our greet and shows.  🙂   While I am in semi-retirement for collecting woods, if a great specimen comes across my path and at a fair price I might pull the trigger.  The 945W driver I just got has some great bones and Dave Wood said he has some new shafts (correct specs) and a period appropriate shaft or two that has the correct bands on them he can switch out.  I will probably go with one of the two options.  Of course this makes my set of 1953 945W (1-4) expendable as I am not so dead set on having the fairway woods.  My former gamer 3 wood is a 1953 945W and I have a killer set of 693s (1-4) and a really outstanding set of 1955 945W EOM fairway woods (2-4). 

[LeftyMac]

RoboDoc,

 

Is it just the photo or has that face been treated with linseed oil at some point?  I ask because I'm playing around with an AT1W at the moment and when I stripped it back the face  has been dipped in what I take to be linseed oil at some stage.  Not sure what if anything I can do because the face will be darker than I'd like and I'm not sure how the water based poly I intended to use will handle the oil on the face.  I was tempted to email Dave and ask what he'd do.  

[RobotDoctor]

15 hours ago, LeftyMac said:

RoboDoc,

 

Is it just the photo or has that face been treated with linseed oil at some point?  I ask because I'm playing around with an AT1W at the moment and when I stripped it back the face  has been dipped in what I take to be linseed oil at some stage.  Not sure what if anything I can do because the face will be darker than I'd like and I'm not sure how the water based poly I intended to use will handle the oil on the face.  I was tempted to email Dave and ask what he'd do.  

 

Unclear.  This is the way I received both woods.  I know the 945W was dried out and the last owner had treated the wood with linseed oil.  I don't think it was soaked in it but linseed oil was wiped on multiple times with a rag to allow to soak in.

[LeftyMac]

RoboDoc,

 

Dipped probably the wrong word, but there was still residual linseed oil on the AT1W.  I'm guessing it was wiped on with a rag, if liberally from the look of it.  I used the term dipped because I think it was over oiled.  You treat cricket bats with linseed oil but you want enough that the wood doesn't dry out and not so much as it feels oily.  Over oiling can be an issue as well.  The AT1W I'm working on is in the over oiled bucket with the face quite dark.  I'm keen to see what Dave does on yours.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

5 hours ago, LeftyMac said:

RoboDoc,

 

Dipped probably the wrong word, but there was still residual linseed oil on the AT1W.  I'm guessing it was wiped on with a rag, if liberally from the look of it.  I used the term dipped because I think it was over oiled.  You treat cricket bats with linseed oil but you want enough that the wood doesn't dry out and not so much as it feels oily.  Over oiling can be an issue as well.  The AT1W I'm working on is in the over oiled bucket with the face quite dark.  I'm keen to see what Dave does on yours.

 

That post brought back memories of getting a new cricket bat and applying the first coat of linseed oil, waiting, wiping, then reapplying, and waiting some more...Then "knocking" the bat in using an old ball in a long sock before finally taking the bat out to play....and nicking one to the 'keeper first ball.

 

Hey, at least the bat made contact!

[Stephen8802]

I don't think you can over oil a club if you refinish it when it cures. I have an M85 driver I picked up for pennies, but it was dry. I used Dave Wood's recipe of linseed oil and turpentine to coat it, multiple times until it stopped soaking in oil,  and it did indeed darken the wood. But originally these things were soaked for long periods of time in linseed oil, so I'm not worried about the oil at all. I think I'll give it another go and see if it wants some more. When I refinish it, there will be a coat of poly between the wood and the ball, so it really won't matter how much oil is on the face.

 

Then again, I like the darker face. I have some walnut colored grain filler that I like to use on some clubs because it darkens the face just a bit, much like the good doctor's club. I like the look overall, but really like it on clubs with aluminum inserts because it highlights the metal.

 

Each of these clubs has been on a journey, some easy, some hard. I like the scars, dents, and mis-colorations of each because it makes the club unique. I just wish they could talk to me and tell me where they've been, they would be such interesting stories.

 

 

Edited June 24, 2021 by Stephen8802

[LeftyMac]

Stephen,

 

I'm going off cricket bats.  You over oil them and you make them weaker and they seem to lose pop off the face.  A guy who made bats for some of the greats in cricket told me that the oil didn't make the wood moist, it trapped the existing moisture in the wood in and stopped it from drying out.  I'm actually mostly concerned with how well the poly will adhere to a face that is oily.

[RobotDoctor]

23 hours ago, Stephen8802 said:

I don't think you can over oil a club if you refinish it when it cures. I have an M85 driver I picked up for pennies, but it was dry. I used Dave Wood's recipe of linseed oil and turpentine to coat it, multiple times until it stopped soaking in oil,  and it did indeed darken the wood. But originally these things were soaked for long periods of time in linseed oil, so I'm not worried about the oil at all. I think I'll give it another go and see if it wants some more. When I refinish it, there will be a coat of poly between the wood and the ball, so it really won't matter how much oil is on the face.

 

Then again, I like the darker face. I have some walnut colored grain filler that I like to use on some clubs because it darkens the face just a bit, much like the good doctor's club. I like the look overall, but really like it on clubs with aluminum inserts because it highlights the metal.

 

Each of these clubs has been on a journey, some easy, some hard. I like the scars, dents, and mis-colorations of each because it makes the club unique. I just wish they could talk to me and tell me where they've been, they would be such interesting stories.

 

 

 

Love that M85W.  Such a deep face!!!!  I also love dark natural wood.

[RobotDoctor]

33 minutes ago, LeftyMac said:

Stephen,

 

I'm going off cricket bats.  You over oil them and you make them weaker and they seem to lose pop off the face.  A guy who made bats for some of the greats in cricket told me that the oil didn't make the wood moist, it trapped the existing moisture in the wood in and stopped it from drying out.  I'm actually mostly concerned with how well the poly will adhere to a face that is oily.

The important thing is that the wood behind the insert isn't going to change it's amount of oil unless the insert is removed and the oil/turpentine is applied to that surface.  Balls are struck, or meant to be struck, on the insert so whether the face is oiled or not makes little difference to me.  Besides, any ball struck on the wood is going to lose distance anyway.  It was always my goal in the past to hone my swing so I could hit my woods and irons to a dime or nickel size area on the sweet spot repeatedly. 

[RobotDoctor]

My 945W and 1952 M85TW are now in the beginning stages of restoration.  The 945W weighed in at a whopping F3. There is lead under the sole but the real culprit might be that this wood was completely soaked in linseed oil at some point.  Since I’m not Godzilla the plan is to remove the lead sole plugs and fill with a lighter wood.  This driver may need to be counter balanced as well to get the driver back into the mid D range.  
 

The M85TW weighs in at C-7 and is a solid block but the cavity where the skirt weight was filled in at some point.  Dave is going to remove the fill and prep the cavity to take new lead.   This should get the driver back to D-0 or so.  
 

[RobotDoctor]

My 1953 945W and 1952 M85TW are heading home.  Dave Wood did a lot of work on the 945W as it was improperly restored in the past.  An ill advised oil quench (submerged soaking) left the wood very dense and darkened the wood even more.  The weight of the driver was F-2.  😳

 

Dave removed a lead weight plug and epoxied a hickory wood dowel.  The driver was restafted with era appropriate shaft and is 43”.  He added a weight plug at the butt as well. The weight is now a manageable D-6.  Here’s a picture of the nearly finished 693W.  
 

[kwcsports]

Beautiful

[RobotDoctor]

When I get the drivers in I will repost pictures in sunlight.  Dave said that both drivers in the pictures he sent appeared to be a bit darker than they really are due to the shade he took them in.

[RobotDoctor]

I just received my '53 945W driver from Dave Wood.