Wilson Staff Fg17 and swingweights.

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

I have been lucky enough to pick up a set of Fg17s ,3 - SW, in very good condition and very lightly used. They have Dynamic shafts, regular I presume but with a label I hadn't seen before. They have a serial number prefixed by 09D and with no indication of flex.

So I took them out yesterday and couldn't get them to perform at all and they felt like pokers.

I checked out the swing weights on my Golfmechanix scale and they all came out at D0 with the exception of the 7 iron which was C5 and SW at D5.

Am I correct in guessing that with these being a Green Grass only model they have had no Pro adjustment on point of sale. Presumably any Pro who sold Wilson Staffs would set them up for his client and somehow I've got an unplayable set that hasn't had the magic Pro touch.

I have applied a generous amount of lead tape this morning so that tomorrows expedition to the golf course should get me reporting that I've got the shafts working for me and then it's down to fine tuning. There is now enough lead tape to ballast a good sized sailing ship so how much lead powder would be required I can't imagine.

Anyone got any experience of the W/S sales process and subsequent fitting?

Edited September 28, 2021 by The Aspidistra in the Hall

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

Is there any paint on the last step before the ferrule on the shaft? I think Wilson were still using paint on their shafts then to denote flex, with black being regular, red stiff, and green extra stiff. My Wilson FG-J8s, which are some sort of custom FG-17s for the Japanese market have black paint on the last step to denote regular flex.

 

Incidentally, I have an FG-17 2i that doesn't work well for me (OK, so what 2i ever works well?), and when I checked its specs I noticed it was C7 or 8, and the shaft length was the same as a 3i. A bit of lead tape helped, but I need to extend the shaft, or maybe even reshaft it (pretty sure the DG S200 in it is not original anyway).

[NRJyzr]

This is what got me to purchase my swingweight scale, 20+ years ago.  I had an iron I didn't hit well in a given set, compared to the others.  It turned out to be 3 pts lighter than the rest of the set.  I also found out that I hit all of those clubs better if I increased the swingweight a bit.

 

I try not to think about how much lead tape I've gone through since then.  LOL

 

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

3 hours ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

Is there any paint on the last step before the ferrule on the shaft? I think Wilson were still using paint on their shafts then to denote flex, with black being regular, red stiff, and green extra stiff. My Wilson FG-J8s, which are some sort of custom FG-17s for the Japanese market have black paint on the last step to denote regular flex.

 

Incidentally, I have an FG-17 2i that doesn't work well for me (OK, so what 2i ever works well?), and when I checked its specs I noticed it was C7 or 8, and the shaft length was the same as a 3i. A bit of lead tape helped, but I need to extend the shaft, or maybe even reshaft it (pretty sure the DG S200 in it is not original anyway).

No paint bands. I'm a long term Wilson fancier and while I've moved on all but my Turfriders I was seduced by these Fg17s and their reputation as having the best forging possibly ever.

[Shallowface]

On 9/28/2021 at 1:37 PM, The Aspidistra in the Hall said:

No paint bands. I'm a long term Wilson fancier and while I've moved on all but my Turfriders I was seduced by these Fg17s and their reputation as having the best forging possibly ever.

Not sure why anyone would think the FG-17 was the best forging ever.  This was during the period when Wilson quality was at its lowest point.  There were plenty of sets where the ferrules weren't flush with the top of the hosel, which says to me the hosel bores were off center.  Sometimes the grooves weren't fully stamped.  I've seen hosels that were ground down to the point they looked like they might break.  I saw sets where when you lined them up against the wall those paint bands that were mentioned didn't line up, meaning the wrong shaft had been installed into that particular head.  It wasn't the best time for American manufacturing of anything, as anyone who remembers some of the horrible automobiles of that time period can attest.

 

I remember an incident at a course I used to frequent in the early 80s.  There were a number of guys who had purchased those FG-17 irons and were distressed with the quality.  The chrome plating peeled on them like you might see on Northwestern products.  One day the local Wilson rep made the mistake of showing up on a Saturday morning and they cornered him and tore into him pretty good.  Nothing resulted from it, but maybe some of them felt better. 

 

This was during the period Wilson was owned by Pepsico, and a conversation I had with another Wilson rep was telling.  Pepsico also owned Frito-Lay and the rep compared Wilson's manufacturing standards to those of Lay's potato chips.  Just stamp them out as quickly and cheaply as they possibly could.

 

As far as these being a green grass only model, that wasn't the case.  Wilson made so many of these clubs they were available through Edwin Watts, at a slight discount,  for a full year after they had been replaced with the new model.  The same was true with the 1976-77 model as well as the 1978-80 Tour Blades.  They were readily available in every off course discount golf shop I ever visited. 

 

When attending Tour events back then, I used to like to peer into the pros bags using binoculars.  The Wilson bags were particularly interesting.  I never saw one set of FG-17s.  Most of them used something that, cosmetically at least, resembled the 1976-77 model that only said "Staff" on the back and had a small bullet groove.  Tom Kite and Sam Snead both used something that looked like the 1973-75 model except without the weight port.  Hale Irwin used a set of the 1969 bullet groove Staff Model irons.  When Johnny Miller signed his deal with Wilson and left MacGregor, his Wilson irons didn't come from the factory.  He got a set from Rod Funseth that was made in the early 1960s and had belonged to Arnold Palmer.

 

Wilson quality improved greatly with the 1986 Fluid Feel model that was released after the company had been sold by Pepsico.  However, their reputation had been damaged, and that along with a significantly reduced Tour presence led them to no longer have the market share they once had enjoyed.  

 

All that said, a set of FG-17s that has survived to this point in good shape could be said to be the strongest of the lot and may be fairly well made.  However, nothing would surprise me as to what one might find regarding swingweights.      

[Stephen8802]

That is also how I remember the FG-17, a quality nightmare. My first real set of irons were FG-17s and both the Pro I worked for and I had to send them back because the chrome was peeling off. I still see lots of FG-17s with missing chrome in thrift stores. Nice heads, but I couldn't wait to get rid of them because the chrome issue killed my trust. If I knew then what I know now, I would have picked up a used set of Bullet Backs, re-shafted them with S300s, and that's all I would have ever needed.

 

My only slight disagreement is that I think Wilson righted the ship with the 1984 Fluid Feels; I got mine on Christmas day of 1983 (delivered to my boss the day before), and I still have them. The 7/8/9/W are worn down to smooth from hitting thousands of balls and they always delivered. I have a set of replacement heads in good shape and some S300s to put in them, but I keep pushing it off because I feel like I'm cheating on my old friends.

 

Keep the FG-17s, fix the weight on the outlier, and have fun playing them; they are nice heads. If you want better quality, go back to the Bullet Backs or forward to the Fluid Feels.

[Shallowface]

12 minutes ago, Stephen8802 said:

That is also how I remember the FG-17, a quality nightmare. My first real set of irons were FG-17s and both the Pro I worked for and I had to send them back because the chrome was peeling off. I still see lots of FG-17s with missing chrome in thrift stores. Nice heads, but I couldn't wait to get rid of them because the chrome issue killed my trust. If I knew then what I know now, I would have picked up a used set of Bullet Backs, re-shafted them with S300s, and that's all I would have ever needed.

 

My only slight disagreement is that I think Wilson righted the ship with the 1984 Fluid Feels; I got mine on Christmas day of 1983 (delivered to my boss the day before), and I still have them. The 7/8/9/W are worn down to smooth from hitting thousands of balls and they always delivered. I have a set of replacement heads in good shape and some S300s to put in them, but I keep pushing it off because I feel like I'm cheating on my old friends.

 

Keep the FG-17s, fix the weight on the outlier, and have fun playing them; they are nice heads. If you want better quality, go back to the Bullet Backs or forward to the Fluid Feels.

I loved the idea of the 84-85 Fluid Feels as they were basically a remake of the 67-68 Dynapower, but I saw some of the same issues with them as the FG-17.  Poor fit and finish as to the ferrules.  Incorrectly installed shafts.  Peeling chrome.  Poorly ground hosels.  And while it was purely cosmetic, I saw some where they nearly missed the sole with the Wilson stamp.  It was just sloppy craftsmanship. 

 

If you can get a good set of them they are probably among the best forged irons ever made design-wise, but as it was with the FG-17s it was a real crapshoot.

 

Today's Wilson Staff irons appear to be as good as it gets when it comes to quality, but the design and shape of the club just doesn't look like what I expect from a Wilson Staff iron.  It's a brand new design with an old name on it.

[BIG STU]

On 9/28/2021 at 12:58 PM, NRJyzr said:

This is what got me to purchase my swingweight scale, 20+ years ago.  I had an iron I didn't hit well in a given set, compared to the others.  It turned out to be 3 pts lighter than the rest of the set.  I also found out that I hit all of those clubs better if I increased the swingweight a bit.

 

I try not to think about how much lead tape I've gone through since then.  LOL

 

LOL from what I have gathered in the years I have known you on here---- You and I have kept the lead tape people in business

 

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

Gentlemen, great and detailed information, for which many thanks for your trouble in responding.

I did indeed apply the magic lead tape to all the set and took them up to D5 just so as I could get to feel the shafts. I took them to the course today and found it worked a charm. Now I can start the process of peeling off some tape so the weight is good for both me and the shafts. But I feel as if some progress has been made.

The condition of these is good, no sign of chrome peel. I suspect the reason they are so good is that the previous owner couldn't hit them at all and left them in the loft after a season, maybe two. The 3 iron has been knocked back but the other lofts seem ok to the eye, I haven't measured them yet. The shafts all have the same serial numbers so I'm not fretting on that score.

Now I know not to expect too much and can freely experiment without the fear of ruining a perfectly good set....seems like Wilson beat me to it.

As an aside, and reason for edit, the clubs which disappointed me most regarding peeling chrome were a set of PGA Tommy Armour Collectors. Played ok though.

Edited September 29, 2021 by The Aspidistra in the Hall

[BIG STU]

I can remember when I first came on WRX there was a member named Froth who played FG-17s. He must have been a hoss because he had like X-100s in them and darn near half a roll of lead tape in each iron. I had one set of FGs I bought off a drunk one time for $5 no joke. I loved the profile and set up but they were too light and hit funny for me. I never put any effort into building them or even trying. I gave them to someone can not remember who. I did have a full set of Bullettbacks that I found on the scrap pile. Did not hit those good and I gave those to Old School Rocker when he came to visit me. He loved them. Not cutting down Wilson but I never really honestly worked with them and gave them a chance like I did Macgregor but I am a big Wilson JP Wedge fan. In fact I slipped one of my beloved JPs 56* wedge in the bag for this weekends play. 

[BIG STU]

10 minutes ago, The Aspidistra in the Hall said:

Gentlemen, great and detailed information, for which many thanks for your trouble in responding.

I did indeed apply the magic lead tape to all the set and took them up to D5 just so as I could get to feel the shafts. I took them to the course today and found it worked a charm. Now I can start the process of peeling off some tape so the weight is good for both me and the shafts. But I feel as if some progress has been made.

The condition of these is good, no sign of chrome peel. I suspect the reason they are so good is that the previous owner couldn't hit them at all and left them in the loft after a season, maybe two. The 3 iron has been knocked back but the other lofts seem ok to the eye, I haven't measured them yet. The shafts all have the same serial numbers so I'm not fretting on that score.

Now I know not to expect too much and can freely experiment without the fear of ruining a perfectly good set....seems like Wilson beat me to it.

As an aside, and reason for edit, the clubs which disappointed me most regarding peeling chrome were a set of PGA Tommy Armour Collectors. Played ok though.

Personally the peeling chrome does not bother me one bit--- It adds character IMHO especially when it rusts. But with that being said I can see someone being perturbed especially if they bought them new and paid good money. 

[Stephen8802]

You are better man than I am. I have a set of Button Backs, 4-SW, and both the 4 and SW have peeling chrome. It really drives me nuts and drops the set down in my ranking, even though I really like both the set that preceded them and the set that followed.

 

I found a replacement 4 and I'm thinking of having the SW re-chromed, so maybe I'll learn to like them.

[BIG STU]

16 hours ago, Stephen8802 said:

You are better man than I am. I have a set of Button Backs, 4-SW, and both the 4 and SW have peeling chrome. It really drives me nuts and drops the set down in my ranking, even though I really like both the set that preceded them and the set that followed.

 

I found a replacement 4 and I'm thinking of having the SW re-chromed, so maybe I'll learn to like them.

Naah I would not say better man but rather a difference in taste. Yep some people like shiny Bikes and cars and I am more the Rat Rod type. I was the Rat Rod black primer type before it became popular.

[NRJyzr]

19 minutes ago, BIG STU said:

Naah I would not say better man but rather a difference in taste. Yep some people like shiny Bikes and cars and I am more the Rat Rod type. I was the Rat Rod black primer type before it became popular.

 

I'm kind of a tweener.  Not really digging the rust, but don't care for pristine, considering what will happen to the clubs.  Beating them into the ground, my lead tape habit, and so on.

 

It's part of the reason I doubt I could ever spring for a set of Miuras, or a National Custom set. 

 

It's even part of why I only buy used, though a lot of that is a preference for the older sticks.  They don't produce new sets of Golden Rams, Muirfields and Muirfield 20ths, Staff Tour Blades or Fluid Feels, etc, any longer.  LOL

 

Edited September 30, 2021 by NRJyzr

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

I've got to say the only clubs I ever considered getting rechromed were 3 or 4 from a set of Spalding Tour Edition, the Custom Crafted ones, and that because they play pretty well for me ...and they look so pretty !

[Shallowface]

20 hours ago, BIG STU said:

Personally the peeling chrome does not bother me one bit--- It adds character IMHO especially when it rusts. But with that being said I can see someone being perturbed especially if they bought them new and paid good money. 

My aversion to peeling chrome came from the time back when I was a kid when I grabbed the Northwestern 1 Iron I had the wrong way and the edge of the chrome peel went under my fingernail.  Bled like a stuck pig.

 

Stu, have you ever seen a MacGregor iron with peeling chrome?  I haven’t.  Those clubs were made for keeps.  I never cease to be amazed at how good so many of those 60 plus year old irons look, especially when compared to the forged sets of today where it looks as though someone took an ice pick to them after only a couple of years.

 

Maybe Wilson and Northwestern, both Chicago based companies, used the same outfit to chrome plate their iron heads. 

[cold_war_era_golfer]

1 hour ago, Shallowface said:

My aversion to peeling chrome came from the time back when I was a kid when I grabbed the Northwestern 1 Iron I had the wrong way and the edge of the chrome peel went under my fingernail.  Bled like a stuck pig.

 

Stu, have you ever seen a MacGregor iron with peeling chrome?  I haven’t.  Those clubs were made for keeps.  I never cease to be amazed at how good so many of those 60 plus year old irons look, especially when compared to the forged sets of today where it looks as though someone took an ice pick to them after only a couple of years.

 

Maybe Wilson and Northwestern, both Chicago based companies, used the same outfit to chrome plate their iron heads. 

 

I've seen peeling on 60s Wilsons too.  Not as bad as the FG 17s. 

I've come across many sets of vintage MacGregors this past year.  Haven't seen one with the peeling issue.  

 

 

[BIG STU]

21 hours ago, NRJyzr said:

 

I'm kind of a tweener.  Not really digging the rust, but don't care for pristine, considering what will happen to the clubs.  Beating them into the ground, my lead tape habit, and so on.

 

It's part of the reason I doubt I could ever spring for a set of Miuras, or a National Custom set. 

 

It's even part of why I only buy used, though a lot of that is a preference for the older sticks.  They don't produce new sets of Golden Rams, Muirfields and Muirfield 20ths, Staff Tour Blades or Fluid Feels, etc, any longer.  LOL

 

LOL I will say this on here and not worry--- I said it a while back on one of the main threads and the Miura Fanboys roasted me---- They were falling all over themselves about the Nicklaus Muscle back irons--- I told them I had 6 sets but mine had Macgregor stamped on them LOL again but 3 sets did have Nicklaus on them just not Miura

[BIG STU]

17 hours ago, Shallowface said:

My aversion to peeling chrome came from the time back when I was a kid when I grabbed the Northwestern 1 Iron I had the wrong way and the edge of the chrome peel went under my fingernail.  Bled like a stuck pig.

 

Stu, have you ever seen a MacGregor iron with peeling chrome?  I haven’t.  Those clubs were made for keeps.  I never cease to be amazed at how good so many of those 60 plus year old irons look, especially when compared to the forged sets of today where it looks as though someone took an ice pick to them after only a couple of years.

 

Maybe Wilson and Northwestern, both Chicago based companies, used the same outfit to chrome plate their iron heads. 

To answer your question generally no. My original set of VIPs the 3 iron from the start had a little peeling on the back up high by the topline but even down here it never got worse. Now on the set of FCs that were my old man's they have some bubble type corrosion but they have never peeled. One of these days I need to take the Dremel tool to them and see how they polish. I do not want to put them in CLR or such I am afraid I will damage the faces or turn them white. My partner in the shop found a rusted set and soaked them in either CLR or Muratic acid ( I forgot which one) turned the faces white. This set ended up being sent to be rechromed and lost the Ceramic Face. I restored them when they came back for a restaurant / sports bar display. Did the Neuman Grips and all. Got a good price for them. They were supposed to have went to Florida. They showed up here again like 5 years later and I ended up with them on a bulk buy deal. One of my buds said they could not have been the same set. I carefully unwrapped one of the grips and my initials and the date were there. I wrapped it back. Ended up trading them off to be used for yet another display at a sports bar in NC this time. Another clue was I had roughed the faces up and since it was a display I used thick black enamel paint to "restore" the black faces and the paint was flaking slightly.

[cold_war_era_golfer]

53 minutes ago, BIG STU said:

To answer your question generally no. My original set of VIPs the 3 iron from the start had a little peeling on the back up high by the topline but even down here it never got worse. Now on the set of FCs that were my old man's they have some bubble type corrosion but they have never peeled. One of these days I need to take the Dremel tool to them and see how they polish. I do not want to put them in CLR or such I am afraid I will damage the faces or turn them white. My partner in the shop found a rusted set and soaked them in either CLR or Muratic acid ( I forgot which one) turned the faces white. This set ended up being sent to be rechromed and lost the Ceramic Face. I restored them when they came back for a restaurant / sports bar display. Did the Neuman Grips and all. Got a good price for them. They were supposed to have went to Florida. They showed up here again like 5 years later and I ended up with them on a bulk buy deal. One of my buds said they could not have been the same set. I carefully unwrapped one of the grips and my initials and the date were there. I wrapped it back. Ended up trading them off to be used for yet another display at a sports bar in NC this time. Another clue was I had roughed the faces up and since it was a display I used thick black enamel paint to "restore" the black faces and the paint was flaking slightly.

Now that’s a cool story!

 

[Fellaheen51]

22 hours ago, BIG STU said:

To answer your question generally no. My original set of VIPs the 3 iron from the start had a little peeling on the back up high by the topline but even down here it never got worse. Now on the set of FCs that were my old man's they have some bubble type corrosion but they have never peeled. One of these days I need to take the Dremel tool to them and see how they polish. I do not want to put them in CLR or such I am afraid I will damage the faces or turn them white. My partner in the shop found a rusted set and soaked them in either CLR or Muratic acid ( I forgot which one) turned the faces white. This set ended up being sent to be rechromed and lost the Ceramic Face. I restored them when they came back for a restaurant / sports bar display. Did the Neuman Grips and all. Got a good price for them. They were supposed to have went to Florida. They showed up here again like 5 years later and I ended up with them on a bulk buy deal. One of my buds said they could not have been the same set. I carefully unwrapped one of the grips and my initials and the date were there. I wrapped it back. Ended up trading them off to be used for yet another display at a sports bar in NC this time. Another clue was I had roughed the faces up and since it was a display I used thick black enamel paint to "restore" the black faces and the paint was flaking slightly.

 

FWIW.  Some number of years back, early on in the classic game, found a set of FC4000 Tourney M2's that were a rusty mess.  My first resto project.  A coke soak to remove the rust did not affect the faces.  Then used a Dremel brass brush to clean up the heads.  Finished them off with chrome polish before redoing all the paint fill.  Cleaned and lubed the splendid leather grips.  Fun project.  Surprised myself with how well they came out.  

 

Tried hitting a golf ball once with the 7 iron.  Dam(n) near broke my wrists taking to large of a divot (they dug a bit to much for my capabilities).  Not wanting to risk further injury, sold them off.   

[Fellaheen51]

Whether actual or perceived, my opinion about classic Wilson's is influenced by one thing.  Threaded hosels = major PITA.  Long before knowing anything about classic implements, had a hair brain notion to  reshaft a very nice Wilson SW (don't recall the model).   Couldn't get the head off no matter how much I tried.  Couldn't figure out why.  Totally messed it up, the entirety thrown in the trash with authority.

 

Have had a very nice set of  '76 Staffs (mini-bullets?) for a few years.  They look old school kool.  Complete long ferrules, no chrome peel.    Wouldn't mind modernizing them with a reshaft (the 8 iron has a replacement shaft), have a rotational set that could be used.  But I don't know what evil lurks down the hosels.  They appear suspicious.  So they sit in a bag, in the dark recesses of the basement.  I look at them once in awhile.

 

There's to many other classic irons that are much less aggravating.  

[Jtgavigan]

34 minutes ago, Fellaheen51 said:

Whether actual or perceived, my opinion about classic Wilson's is influenced by one thing.  Threaded hosels = major PITA.  Long before knowing anything about classic implements, had a hair brain notion to  reshaft a very nice Wilson SW (don't recall the model).   Couldn't get the head off no matter how much I tried.  Couldn't figure out why.  Totally messed it up, the entirety thrown in the trash with authority.

 

 

When I first got into club building 19 years ago, I bought a set of Staff blades (don't remember the model, but probably FG-17) and they had the threaded hosel. Broke probably 4 of them and had to send them to Golfsmith to be drilled out. I bought a wooden leverage block after that that I have never had to use since. Major PITA.

[BIG STU]

1 hour ago, Fellaheen51 said:

 

FWIW.  Some number of years back, early on in the classic game, found a set of FC4000 Tourney M2's that were a rusty mess.  My first resto project.  A coke soak to remove the rust did not affect the faces.  Then used a Dremel brass brush to clean up the heads.  Finished them off with chrome polish before redoing all the paint fill.  Cleaned and lubed the splendid leather grips.  Fun project.  Surprised myself with how well they came out.  

 

Tried hitting a golf ball once with the 7 iron.  Dam(n) near broke my wrists taking to large of a divot (they dug a bit to much for my capabilities).  Not wanting to risk further injury, sold them off.   

I remember when you schooled me on restoring Neuman grips and I think thse were the clubs you told me about. Coke soak will not harm the faces. Knowing my late partner Big John he more than likely used commercial grade Muratic Acid.

[BIG STU]

46 minutes ago, Fellaheen51 said:

Whether actual or perceived, my opinion about classic Wilson's is influenced by one thing.  Threaded hosels = major PITA.  Long before knowing anything about classic implements, had a hair brain notion to  reshaft a very nice Wilson SW (don't recall the model).   Couldn't get the head off no matter how much I tried.  Couldn't figure out why.  Totally messed it up, the entirety thrown in the trash with authority.

 

Have had a very nice set of  '76 Staffs (mini-bullets?) for a few years.  They look old school kool.  Complete long ferrules, no chrome peel.    Wouldn't mind modernizing them with a reshaft (the 8 iron has a replacement shaft), have a rotational set that could be used.  But I don't know what evil lurks down the hosels.  They appear suspicious.  So they sit in a bag, in the dark recesses of the basement.  I look at them once in awhile.

 

There's to many other classic irons that are much less aggravating.  

I do not mess with threaded hosels--- I will cut a shaft flush in a heartbeat and drill them out on a drill press

[BIG STU]

5 minutes ago, Jtgavigan said:

 

When I first got into club building 19 years ago, I bought a set of Staff blades (don't remember the model, but probably FG-17) and they had the threaded hosel. Broke probably 4 of them and had to send them to Golfsmith to be drilled out. I bought a wooden leverage block after that that I have never had to use since. Major PITA.

I built a leverage block out of oak and still the threaded shafts were a PITA to get out of a set of Power Bilt Citations I was doing. Ended up cutting the shafts and drilling out on a drill press. Been doing it that way ever since

[Jtgavigan]

13 hours ago, BIG STU said:

I built a leverage block out of oak and still the threaded shafts were a PITA to get out of a set of Power Bilt Citations I was doing. Ended up cutting the shafts and drilling out on a drill press. Been doing it that way ever since

Smart. 🙂

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

21 hours ago, BIG STU said:

I built a leverage block out of oak and still the threaded shafts were a PITA to get out of a set of Power Bilt Citations I was doing. Ended up cutting the shafts and drilling out on a drill press. Been doing it that way ever since

Do you heat them up first to get rid of the tempering?

 

[BIG STU]

1 hour ago, The Aspidistra in the Hall said:

Do you heat them up first to get rid of the tempering?

 

Yep and did another trick did the heat up and quinch thing 3 times It works on bolts on construction equipment

[LeftyMac]

Speaking of threaded heads, a friend is trying to get the shafts off a set of Spalding small Bird on Balls and is having a hell of a time?  Anyone know if they are threaded?