How to restore a Scotty TeI3 in 2 hours...

[hebron1427]

[quote name='RookieBlue7' timestamp='1299775857' post='3043700']
Tamiya copper
[/quote]

go figure

[hebron1427]

never did get the gun blue dark, even after a few tries. some of the gold paint fill was wet, and the sole isn't quite right because of it. However, it'll be good when i re-do that.

enjoy.

[hebron1427]

here are the "before" photos.

[hebron1427]

went ahead and just wrote up a quick blog post about it. Anyone who wants some extra info/experience tips, go there.

http://thepowerfade.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/restoring-a-tei3-long-neck/

[cejnarc]

I just restored mine teI3 and I have problem with elastomer. I used a caulk but it doesnt work very well. What kind of elastomer do you use guys?

[RookieBlue7]

The one I posted earlier in the thread when asked the same question.

[RookieBlue7]

I'm going to put the pics back up in the thread when I get home. Finally upgraded to a photobucket pro account so no more bandwidth issues.

[RookieBlue7]

Finally got around to putting the pics back up at the end of the original post. Hopefully it helps.

[sgrim70]

Thanks for the great info, it gave me the confidence in restoring my scotty.

[DownTownLB]

Thoroughly impressed. Got a few putters I'm thinking of refinishing. How did you manage to get the paint fill to look SO perfect?

[Flea2010]

I am refinishing my SC Santa Fe TeI3 and am also going to do a shaft replacement. Does anyone know the shaft tip diameter needed for a replacement on this?

[crazyray]

that's an incredible restore. didn't read the thread. looked at the pics. but commenting here so i can check back later. i have two tei3s buried waiting for a restore... might just pick a day this winter.

[jeonmin]

Wow awesome job!

[RookieBlue7]

I put up another more recent and thorough restore in putter artisans.

[TitleistEights]

Great advice on the tei3. I just redid my original Newport, the only thing I had trouble with was the elastomeric sealant but its a gamer so as long as it doesn't fall apart I'm cool with it. Otherwise this saved me a cool 150 bucks and I had the pleasure of doing it myself rather than sending it off to the CS. Thanks!

[toolman]

wow awesome work! I wish I would have seen this thread earlier...local golf store has a tel3 for 49.99 but it was beat up and i figured it would be to difficult to restore but it looked exactly like how this one started out.

[Canesfan101]

Pretty amazing stuff! Takes me way longer to get it looking that good

[tyorke1]

do you have to take the brass insert off and white dots out.

[Sbrooks]

There have been some people wondering things about TeI3 putters lately. Since I had one to restore for a friend that plays in my normal foursome for his business trip, I figured I'd do a quickie DIY for those interested in tearing one down, etc. So, I took photos as I remembered to do so. Here it is (one pic is from the Longneck I restored a while back because I forgot to take a pic of that step).

 

The tools: Pick, Syringe, Mini-file kit, 1/16 allen wrench (not pictured), Low-Odor Mineral Spirits(not pictured, even though I took one, can't find it where I uploaded them at) and Tal-Strip (not pictured).

 

The Putter: The original owner had painted it years ago to keep it from rusting. The paint chipped, it still rusted, that's that. He asked me to refinish it, but wanted to be sure I'd have time to redo it before his business trip tomorrow. I told him to drop it off and I'd have it done for him in a few hours. He couldn't believe it, but dropped her off. I finished it in 2 hours flat and he's happy with his new/old flatstick. I've played with this guy for 8-10 years, and he's just now letting me rework it (though admittedly I haven't ever offered to do any work for anyone other than builds until recently and it's just for friends that want their putters reworked. I'm by no means commercial, just a garage hobbiest that enjoys it).

 

 

Don't know if you can see it, but there's a wrinkle in the topline near the center of the insert. It was significant enough that it made the insert hard to even get out. I managed to, though, and I knew I had to rework that wrinkle, which could've made my time frame off (it normally takes about an hour and a half to redo a TeI3 before doing the finish).

 

 

Next step is to soften the dots. Some people soak them in mineral spirits. Well, I don't like to waste the stuff, not to mention it's not necessary. I use the syringe (local farm store for animals, it's a 1cc model) to inject mineral spirits into each dot of elastomer. I let them sit fr 5 or so minutes and each one pops right out with the pick. After they're out, remove the 4 screws with the allen wrench (this is the first one I've ever done where the screws weren't in the two outside holes. (You can see where these are at in the pictures, good thing I removed all of the elastomer beforehand or I'd have been searching and waiting on the mineral spirits longer.) Once the screws are out, take the pick and push from the backside of the dots where the screws weren't (I usually go near the ends because they wiggle it out quicker, though this one took a little more effort due to the wrinkle.)

 

 

Next, I sprayed it liberally with Tal-Strip, to remove the DIY paintjob he did. I always use Tal-Strip to remove paintfill, but this whole head was painted, so it got a good coating. I like the aerosol. There's more control with the liquid, but I wanted to strip everything, so there was no need to get cute with it. Coat her up. You should get this afterward:

 

 

Now's the time to go to work on it. I put the putter head in a vice and get busy. First, I straighten out the topline, using a body dolly for working on cars (don't know it's real name, that's what my dad always called them, and I got the tools when he passed away. There are lots of shapes, I chose the one with the straight edge we used to fix a fender on my car one time.) I tapped lightly and straightened it out. Next, I went to work with the files. It's hard to take a picture of me filing on my own, so there's not one of that. The insert had 2 dimples at the top (where they milled away a section of the insert, the big mill holes at the top in the previous picture) and the point of the mill or drill bit made a little dimple from pressure from the backside. I'm a little anal about that, so I filed those down flat too. I put the insert back in to file the face so it'd be planed with the rest of the face. I then went progressive through different grits of paper, finishing up with 800 grit (I don't like to go higher because of glare here. It smooths up nice, but doesn't produce glare in the blazing sun. You can go finer if you'd like and glare isn't an issue. I've done them down to 2000 before). This is the most time consuming part, as you're constantly working and your fingers cramp, etc. Fight through it and keep going. I don't remember what part of sanding these were taken at, but here's some pics after some filing and sanding. I did go a little finer grit for the insert to shine the copper up nice. I went to 1500 grit there. Much more and the first putt he hits will make a mark anyway.

 

 

Keep working it until you're happy with the metal's smoothness. The finer grit you go, the more glare you'll see later. So make sure you know your playing conditions.

 

Next comes the bluing/black ox. I have both super blue and Caswell black ox gel. Hadn't use the caswell before, So I tried it out. The gel stays where you put it, that's for sure. Either will produce fine results, I just wanted to try their product out.

 

 

Coat it fairly generously and rub like crazy with a gloved hand (it doesn't say to do that, but after experimenting with it, that was the best way to even the color out, IMO). Once it sits for a few minutes (I did 3 minutes, it says to go anywhere between 30 seconds and 5 minutes) rinse it off with water and polish with some steel wool. Repeat until you get the color you want.

 

 

Next, the insert goes back in. There are two ways to do it. Put the insert in then do the elastomer. The other is to put the elastomer in the cavity before putting it in and it'll force the elastomer through the holes so they're completely full. I prefer the latter. The only thing you'll have to do is squigee and then clean up afterward. With the other, you make a bigger mess and it takes longer to clean up, plus you won't have elastomer behind the insert between it and the metal. That is what makes these feel right, IMO. So that's why I do it that way.

Here is is after the insert is in and I remembered to take a pic before cleaning it all up. This is post squigeeing:

 

Once it's squigeed off, use a lightly dampened paper towel (very light) and wipe off the excess.

 

Do the paintfill of your choice and let it dry (make sure to do the acetone wash because it smooths it out and makes it dry quicker. I also hit it with a heatgun on low for 45 seconds. This cures it quick and you get done quicker.

 

After that's done, coat it with the oil of your choice, or in this case, the Caswell sealer and you're ready to reshaft.

 

Could I have done it better? Sure, but I was under time constraints. He wanted it to look good, which it does according to him, but I had to hurry and do it. With mine, I do them quick because I usually do it for a beater I want to game. If I like it, and don't quite like the refinish, I'll redo them being a little more meticulous. Anyway, hope this helps those of you wanting to tear one of these down. If nothing else, hope it helps you figure out how to get it apart. Oh and the 2 hours doesn't include the 30 mins-1 hour I waited before doing the sealer and then oiling (wanted to make sure everything was dry enough that it wouldn't run when the sealer or the oil was applied).

 

Mods, if this is in the wrong area, please move it to the appropriate one. Wasn't sure where to put it.

 

 

PICS:

 

Edit, I think I corrected most of the grammar as this is the first time I've looked at this post in a while.

[Sbrooks]

That looks great! I'm about to begin the same restore next week what do you use for the polymer? Is it a simple white silicone type product?

And do you simply fill the cavity, screw the insert in and sip away the excess?

Thanks for your knowledge I'm really excited about this one, my first insert resto