Maintenance of Hickory Shafts

[Nickc]

Ok got to admit I am confused with regard to how to maintain /apply a finish to hickory shafts.

Of the options have found:

-Apply tru-oil / boiled linseed oil.

- just apply shallac

- apply boiled linseed oil, then shallac, then polyurethane varnish.

And to maintain occasionally apply linseed oil (over a shallac base!?).

 

What is the best method of above or maybe non of the above?

+ Anyone know what Bob Krutz in his book recommended.

 

Many thanks,

 

Nick

[bcstones]

13 hours ago, Nickc said:

Ok got to admit I am confused with regard to how to maintain /apply a finish to hickory shafts.

Of the options have found:

-Apply tru-oil / boiled linseed oil.

- just apply shallac

- apply boiled linseed oil, then shallac, then polyurethane varnish.

And to maintain occasionally apply linseed oil (over a shallac base!?).

 

What is the best method of above or maybe non of the above?

+ Anyone know what Bob Krutz in his book recommended.

 

Many thanks,

 

Nick

Krutz, in the section of repairing a hickory shaft, says to use "...one or two thin coats of satin varnish or urethame...use your finger or a fine brush..." 
I think he might be talking about a hickory shaft in good shape....on an older, perhaps dryer, shaft I'd try a 1 to 1 mixture of bolled linseed oil to turpintine,  till the shaft did not absorb any more (the turpintine gets the linseed oil deeper into the wood & then evaporates...I finish off w/the varnish or perhaps low gloss tung oil.....it's the same techique I use on wood furniture restoration. However, the hickory experts here might have a far better method.

[Nickc]

Thanks for the reply. Have also found out that one collector / restorer does not in the main treat the shafts at all.

 

Has anyone tried creosote either coal tar or wood tar based?

[Tremendous-Slouch]

I like Asphaltum (get mine from Gary Eley at Hickory Golf Workshop in Vermont) for staining the shafts. Thin with your thinner of choice to desired depth of color.

 

I've found Tru-Oil to be the simplest, as it is combines the benefits of BLO and a varnish/shellac.

 

Have also done BLO with Shellac finish. Works great too. However, once you do shellac or polyurethane coating, you can't put BLO or Tru-Oil over it (they won't soak in and cure properly). The BLO and Tru-Oil need to be the first layer. Then to touch up the poly or shellac, you just use some fine steel wool and recoat.

[Wham49]

I know this info is out there in the nether reaches of this, but can anybody point me in the right direction to get good usable hickory on Ebay. I have seen it before, but couldnt find it, and what do you think is a good starter set, number of clubs that is to start playing with Hickory.

 

also does Hickory have shaft flexes? 

 

also also, anybody know of any groups playing Norther Ill, southern Wisc. that i could contact to start to get involved in outings or tourneys

Edited October 19, 2022 by Wham49

[Tsquare90]

Wham49

I recently bought 6 clubs for an EBay seller.  Brassie, Mid Iron, mashie, a club with no name that I call ‘Bob’ (maybe it’s a mashie niblick?), a #8 H&B and a putter.  I reset the heads on the irons and replaced the grips.  This set clubs is a good start and will let you play a regulation 18 hole course.

Have fun!

[Nickc]

6 hours ago, Tsquare90 said:

 I reset the heads on the irons and replaced the grips

What tests do you do to see if the head needs resetting / re-pining? I have one old club I picked up. Though the hosel has slight patina so that the pin cannot currently be seen, I can feel no looseness / twisting or hear no rattles. But is it always wise to simply reset the head regardless or leave well alone?

Edited October 20, 2022 by Nickc

[Hickory4ever]

In my experience, reset and pin all the irons. Even if the old glue feels tight, it will almost always fail. It is standard practice for me. Normally I don’t reset putters if they are tight, but even some of them loosen up and need resetting.

 

If a club is only being held together by the pin, the shaft is likely to break just above the hosel. Once reset properly, the club is usually good provided the shaft is in good shape. I also put on a new grip in most cases. 

[Wham49]

12 hours ago, Tsquare90 said:

Wham49

I recently bought 6 clubs for an EBay seller.  Brassie, Mid Iron, mashie, a club with no name that I call ‘Bob’ (maybe it’s a mashie niblick?), a #8 H&B and a putter.  I reset the heads on the irons and replaced the grips.  This set clubs is a good start and will let you play a regulation 18 hole course.

Have fun!

I guess my follow up is if I cannot or dont know how to rset the pins and reglue the shafts is there somebody I can find to do it for me, and what cost would it be to get a set of clubs I buy ready for play

[bcstones]

2 hours ago, Wham49 said:

I guess my follow up is if I cannot or dont know how to rset the pins and reglue the shafts is there somebody I can find to do it for me, and what cost would it be to get a set of clubs I buy ready for play

I'd suggest that you get ahold of Bob Kuntz's book "Antique Golf Clubs, their restoration and Preservation" ISBN 0-927956-01-2 and learn to do it yourself, why pay high bucks to someone else, especially if you're planning to continue with hickory golf...

[Wham49]

37 minutes ago, bcstones said:

I'd suggest that you get ahold of Bob Kuntz's book "Antique Golf Clubs, their restoration and Preservation" ISBN 0-927956-01-2 and learn to do it yourself, why pay high bucks to someone else, especially if you're planning to continue with hickory golf...

great, what I was looking for agree, becasue I am thinking I will have to do it more than I think. Is it readily available, like at Amazon 

[Wham49]

42 minutes ago, bcstones said:

I'd suggest that you get ahold of Bob Kuntz's book "Antique Golf Clubs, their restoration and Preservation" ISBN 0-927956-01-2 and learn to do it yourself, why pay high bucks to someone else, especially if you're planning to continue with hickory golf...

just picked it up for 30, cool thanks cant wait to get to it

[Hickory4ever]

Most guys up here that reset heads (epoxy and pin) charge about $10, suede grips around $15. It doesn’t take long to learn.

[Nickc]

23 hours ago, Wham49 said:

just picked it up for 30, cool thanks cant wait to get to it

Well done - looked for it here in UK the other day but no joy!

[Nickc]

17 hours ago, Hickory4ever said:

Most guys up here that reset heads (epoxy and pin) charge about $10, suede grips around $15. It doesn’t take long to learn.

You are lucky. Not sure what it would cost in UK for the reset and grip but I would have to add postage to and from the restorer and this would increase the cost - so will need to learn how to do it. Seems reasonably straight forward provided one takes a little care.

[Tsquare90]

On 10/20/2022 at 2:56 AM, Nickc said:

What tests do you do to see if the head needs resetting / re-pining? I have one old club I picked up. Though the hosel has slight patina so that the pin cannot currently be seen, I can feel no looseness / twisting or hear no rattles. But is it always wise to simply reset the head regardless or leave well alone?

Hold the club by the head and shake it.  You will feel the movement.

You should reset and pin if you plan to play the clubs.  $20 for a spool of whipping thread and tacks, $15 on epoxy, $5 per grip.  Watch videos on YouTube.

[bcstones]

On 10/21/2022 at 4:40 PM, Tsquare90 said:

 $20 for a spool of whipping thread and tacks, $15 on epoxy, $5 per grip.  Watch videos on YouTube.

where are you ordering the equipment?

[bcstones]

On 10/21/2022 at 11:16 AM, Nickc said:

Well done - looked for it here in UK the other day but no joy!

try https://www.usedbooksearch.net, I think they are based in the UK  but have a worldwide search w/various dealers - been using them for decades.

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

I have a hardback copy with slip case, limited edition, signatures all the bells and whistles. I was staggered to see what they fetched these days.

[Wham49]

the book Antique clubs their restoration and preservation just came today, was leafing through, he makes it seem too easy, I checked the fixing loose shafts and I find it hard to believe that they were using elmers glue. Has that changed? are we supposed to use modern epoxy or stick with the elmers glue and water to glue shafts. Other than that it does seem easy to refirbish most hickory clubs,  

[Wham49]

I also just read in the book, that when he (back in the 90’s) reshafted irons he only used a rivet, no glue, as an add on to my last question, I would want to use glue/epoxy when reshafting today, yes 

[Hickory4ever]

Definitely use epoxy or glue before repinning.

Edited October 25, 2022 by Hickory4ever

[Nickc]

While we are on re-pining. I have removed the pin and the head from a club - was fairly easy.

The pin I removed is not bent and my initial thought is to re-use it - however because the length is exact I will not be able to hammer the end to form a slight flange.

So my next thought is to make a new pin out of 1/8 brass rod.

However, the pin I removed is a very very tight fit and with re-pining the head it would need to be driven home. But although a 1/8 rod is a fit it slides easily through the hosel and shaft hole - and would only need to be pushed home - is this ok or should I use the old pin or get say a 4mm brass rod and hone it down a little until a very tight fit?

On a related matter - watching some YouTube videos on this - some people epoxy the pin in as well , while others epoxy the shaft but when dry redrill the pin hole to remove the set glue and simply punch in the pin (i.e it it not glued) - which is best.

Edited October 25, 2022 by Nickc

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

I use mild steel nails of the correct diameter, an interference fit, and hammered in, peened, filed and polished. A meaty vice is indispensible.

[Nickc]

16 minutes ago, The Aspidistra in the Hall said:

I use mild steel nails of the correct diameter, an interference fit, and hammered in, peened, filed and polished. A meaty vice is indispensible.

Ah thanks - I will look and see if have some nails of correct diameter.

Do you also glue the pin or clean the glue out the glue first?

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

48 minutes ago, Nickc said:

Ah thanks - I will look and see if have some nails of correct diameter.

Do you also glue the pin or clean the glue out the glue first?

No need to glue a pin if it is an interference fit. I have never glued or recycled an old pin, far too much trouble and it never looks right.

Best bet for mild steel nails is a trip to your local hardware store, eg Screwfix.  Use your old pin as diameter model.

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

It's that time of the year, end of season and hickories tucked away for the winter months.

 

Favourite clubs will have the shaft knocked back a bit through use and now is the time to straighten them.

 

Below is my kit and method for heating and softening the shaft for straightening. You can see an old tin can with the ends removed and a hole created with tin snips to accommodate the nozzle of the hot air gun. I think this has lasted a decade !!

You have already spotted where the bend is; heat it up and put the shaft over your knee or in my case against my single leg vice and ease it back straight.

Yes, it's George Nicoll niblick from Cruden Bay, one of my 'Hickory Grand Tour' clubs and a regular in my bag for lob wedge style work out of bunkers etc.

[Nickc]

2 hours ago, The Aspidistra in the Hall said:

No need to glue a pin if it is an interference fit. I have never glued or recycled an old pin, far too much trouble and it never looks right.

Best bet for mild steel nails is a trip to your local hardware store, eg Screwfix.  Use your old pin as diameter model.

Thanks again. Had some old round nails. The current pin a smidgen over 1/8 inch so ended up filing down a slightly larger nail* to provide a good interference fit.

(* 2" / 50mm nail diameter slightly too small and 2 1/2" / 65mm slightly too large so honed the latter down - a 2 1/4 might have been perfect but can't find this length!).

 

[Wham49]

12 hours ago, Hickory4ever said:

Definitely use epoxy or glue before repinning.

so like reshafting a modern club, except fo the pin?

 

do you use modern epoxy or the glue mixture of elmers and water

[bcstones]

3 hours ago, Wham49 said:

so like reshafting a modern club, except fo the pin?

 

do you use modern epoxy or the glue mixture of elmers and water

I wonder if Titebond might be better than Elmers....Woodcraft has some kind of "glue/adhesive" that is extremely strong, it might be some kind of CA glue. They have a CA - Mercury Adesive Thin Flex CA glue with the following qualities: "Flex Thin is excellent for wicking into wood to stabilize it. It is formulated to bond a wide variety of materials, including but not limited to wood, paper, cardboard, leather, metals and plastics. Additionally, Flex was designed specifically to be highly resistant to chipping and cracking from impacts, vibrations, thermal shock, temperature cycling and high humidity." Could it be that it'd a good glue for hickory shafts?