Refinish/Flaming an Acer MC3

dbdors · December 22, 2011

I have been practicing and playing with several putters. I first built a Snake Eyes 7804 putter, but didn't like it because the head was very heavy. I then bought a used Ping Karsten Anser it has been okay, but not crazy about it. I found an Acer MC3 head and built it and really like it. I also found a couple of Never Compromise GM2 Exchanges, a 5 and 4. Like the 4, but not crazy about the 5. I'm going to play the 4 tomorrow and see how I like it.

But it seems no matter what I do, I keep coming back the the Acer. The Cheap $20 head putter. It is simple, has a nice balance of heavy and light. It is cast SS but has a very nicely milled face. And I seem to putt well with it. So I'm thinking that in the end I'll just end up playing with the Acer.

It would however be nice if it had a nice finish. Nothing particularly wrong with the current finish, it's just plain.

I believe the head is made of 304SS. As you can see in the pictures below, the bottom is plain SS, but the top surfaces are painted a light silver color. I'm thinking of striping it and doing a flame finish, and re-paint fill. I'm pretty handy and would love to give it a shot (I like building, which is why I built the putters in the first place).

What do you think. Can I flame the 304SS successfully. I'm doing some reading on Flame finishing right now. I have a standard propane and MAPP gas torches right now, so no expense there.

dbdors · December 22, 2011

One more question, should I even bother stripping the paint. Would I just allow the flaming process to burn off an paint?

dbdors · January 11, 2012

Okay finished the putter and acutally played a round with it. I'm happy with the finish. Not the greatest, but I like it.

[attachment=979607:IMG_4742.jpg][attachment=979609:IMG_4745.jpg][attachment=979611:IMG_4747.jpg][attachment=979613:IMG_4749.jpg]

DarkStewie · January 12, 2012

Did you torch it?

dbdors · January 12, 2012

Yes, with standard propane torch and let it air cool, no quenching in oil or water. It did not get so hot that is glowed red, but pretty hot. The hardest part was getting the paint off the top surface. It had some sort of silver paint on top. Some of it came off with paint remover, the rest had to be wire brushed off with a dremmel tool.