Reshaft a S/S Answer 2

[Iggypop]

Ping putter

Hiya, my old faithful Ping Answer 2 stainless steel model is showing signs of rust in the shaft, I have it at 31" with a Pingman grip.
Looking to re-shaft at 32" and put a blackout Pingman on it.
Should this be easy for a pro to do?
Would like to add weight to the head but not a major concern - just a bonus if I can.
Any Ping experts have thoughts?

[Nessism]

Send it back to Ping? I've heard they can do shaft changes and such pretty easily.

I changed an Anser shaft but had to drill a hole in the hosel to punch the ball bearing out. Tried various techniques prior to that but gave up and got out the drill.

[golfluvzme]

After numerous trials with freeze, then HOT and no results, I would have to suggest PING for the swap. One of Karsten's ideas was the bearing in the tip of the shaft to keep the head securely in place. It meant that repair or replacement of the shaft was going to be done in-house, the vast majority of the time. Kept a little stream of income as the putters continued to be one of the best selling putters of all time.
Send it in and you'll not have to give it a second thought.
OH! One possible drawback, depending on your preference, is that your putter will be shafted with a stepless steel shaft. This is done to ALL putters sent in for replacements. I was selling an original Scottsdale Anser for a friend a few years ago and the shaft was shot. I took it to PING thinking that it is always best to have stuff on the classics, factory done. Well, when the club came home with the stepless steel shaft and sold on eBay for $400, I learned a valuable lesson.
Just one Mann's experience,
LaMont in AZ

[luciddream]

You dont necessarily need a pro to get this done, but you will need a few tools.

 

butane torch-$10

vise-20-$30

rubber shaft vise clamp-$5

work gloves-$5

 

and your freezer.

 

If the shaft is junk- cut the shaft with attached head to the longest length possible to fit into freezer. Leave it in there till its pretty well to temperature(at least 24 hours) Pull it from freezer and quickly get it clamped into vice. Torch the area underneath hosel as shooting the flame straight up into shaft with close flame for approximately 40 seconds. You will start to see smoke, smell it or even hear the epoxy crack. Have a glove on one hand to twist head off and outward.

 

If in a different case, the shaft needed saved, then you would pack the head and hosel area into dry ice and freeze it that way. Get it done.

[scs1070]

If I am not mistaken, the Ping putters have the BB in the hozel that keep the shaft in place, do they not?

[luciddream]

[quote name='scs1070' timestamp='1320622417' post='3767613']
If I am not mistaken, the Ping putters have the BB in the hozel that keep the shaft in place, do they not?
[/quote]

You are correct. Ping inserts the frozen BB into shaft, inserts shaft into hosel, ramrods BB into place and BB expands causing the need for a special process in removing.

[BENCHMADE]

Are all Ping putters to this day done this way ? Or just from that time period ?

[Breaker999]

Not sure about the older stainless putters, but the more recent Ansers require a .342 shaft tip size. I tried a .355 putter shaft on my Karsten Anser and it stopped halfway in the hosel. All the Pings I've come across used the ball bearing method. Also, Ping no longer uses stepped shafts.
I need to extract my Redwood shaft, ugh.

[Iggypop]

Thanks for all the interesting replies - I'm leaving it till it breaks. If it aint broke dont fix it as the wife says

[golfluvzme]

Words from a very wise side of the family.
Best of luck,
LaMont in AZ