Tei3 refurb my first attempt!!

[sumo2010]

Hi there,

I have snooped around here for a while and decided to finally get involved.I will give you guys a brief rundown on myself.

I have been gaming a Circa 62 no2 which I bought new when they first hit the shelves ( yellow paint ) and this was my first expensive putter.I had no preference for a Scotty putter over any other makes and I still don't.I just liked the feel,weight and look at address of this putter and I have putted more consistently with it than at any other time in my life.

I have always,always wanted to own a tel3 putter since the first time I saw them on tv but at that time I could never have afforded it but recently the urge to get my hands on one of theses putters has returned and managed to buy one the other night.It should arrive within the next day or two.

I really want to do a complete refurb on this putter myself.I am a decent diy'er and believe i have the patience and eye for detail to make a good go at it so I am looking for some good advice on where to take this.

Let me say right now that it is not my intention to do a quick touch up and make £50 here.I want to enjoy owning one of the most famous and classic putters and also have the joy of knowing I took it back to its former glory.

So my plan is to take it to as near original as I can but indeed help in what the procedure should be and what I need to use.

What do I use to strip the original finish off the putter?

The putter has no elastomer around the insert on the face of the putter.What is the difference between this and the ones that do have it?

I believe acetone is best for removing the paint infill and elastomer.is this correct?

I intend to sand by hand to get rid of rust and small dents.what sandpaper is best and to what grit?

Do I need to clean the putter down before the finish goes on and if yes can I use the acetone again?

I intend to use some acrylic paint for the infill and just keep it white and copper probably.Any tips on how to apply etc?

Finally I will be removing the shaft but my question is how easy is it to re shaft the putter once I'm done or should I get a pro to do it?

Apologies for the lengthy first post and hello to everyone from snowy Scotland

[stevehj]

Sumo, there are quite a few threads in this forum discussing the process to refinish the TEI3 putters. I believe if you look up the info provided by RookieBlue7, that is some of the best info. Best of luck to you from snowy Minnesota.

[sumo2010]

Hey Steve,
Thanks a lot for the info I will check that out.
I will keep the thread updated with how i get on...

[wick_dawg]

Here are a couple of links to TeI3s that I have restored in the past. I use a hot black oxide, which is what you really must use if you want to get it as close to original as possible. What I have used is EPI Ultra Blak 400L which is an amazing product that you can use in your kitchen if you're careful.

Here is a link to that product:
[url="http://www.epi.com/p/black-oxide/steel/hot-black-oxide/ultra-blak-400l"]http://www.epi.com/p...ultra-blak-400l[/url]

To remove the elastomer dots in the back, you can just pick them out using a toothpick or needle. Mineral spirits will help as well with the elastomer. You'll want Mineral Spirits for removing the elastomer. The acetone is better for removing the paint. Then there are 4 screws that you will need a small allen wrench to remove the insert.

To remove the head from the shaft, just use a propane torch where the shaft and neck meet. Once you see a little puff of smoke, use a towel to grab the head and pull it out of the shaft

Sandblasting is the best way to remove the original black oxide finish. If it has dings, you can use a bench grinder and or dremel and then sandpaper to smooth it out. Start with coarse grit and make your way to finer grit.

Then you apply the black oxide. For a shiny finish similar to the original, sand and polish it as shiny as you can get before doing the black oxide. For a more satin or matte finish, apply the black oxide after sandblasting it.

Use a fine grit sandpaper to make the insert look nice and pretty and screw it back in.

Then use an elastomeric sealant to fill in the dots and use a caulking tool to smooth it out. After it dries, and overspill can be cleaned up using a q-tip and mineral spirits.

Then comes the paintfill. The best way to apply is using a needle point applicator. As far as the paint, I recommend using Tamiya. These things can be found at most hobby shops.

Last step is epoxying the head back onto the shaft.

My first TeI3 I restored was this one:
[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/679838-new-tei3-newport-2-restore/page__p__5164220__hl__+tei3%20+restore#entry5164220"]http://www.golfwrx.c...re#entry5164220[/url]
[size=4]On this one, I also made the shaft black. I thought that looked pretty nice.[/size]

This one, a friend paid me to restore. It was a Tei3 Santa Fe that was in old and worn, but in pretty decent condition:
[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/740665-tei3-santa-fe-refinish/page__p__5814809__hl__+wick_dawg#entry5814809"]http://www.golfwrx.c...wg#entry5814809[/url]
This is one where I applied the black oxide after sandblasting, so it came out to a nice satin finish. My friend has been using it every weekend for the past 6 months and loves it.

Don't be afraid to experimenting with different paintfill colors. I think white with another metallic color paintfill looks the best on TeI3s, but that's just me.

Hope this helps

[sumo2010]

Thanks so much for the detailed reply and links,you clearly know what your doing with these putters.
I think you guys in America are luck that you have so many options for either diy blacking or a professional service as there is a lack of places like that here.It is also quite difficult to source any diy kits here.
I am going to try and find one of these diy kits somewhere.
Thanks again

[sumo2010]

Evening all,

As promised here is the first of many photo's i will be putting up during my first attempt at a tei3 refurb.My first one is the Newport 2 1st gen? if this is correct.It has no elastomer round the insert.

My initial thoughts on the head is that it is in decent condition.There are little or no dings in the entire head.The topline isnt squashed or dented and most of the rust looks like it won't be a problem.The shaft is also in good condition.Then again what would i know considering this is my first go hehe.

I can't make my mind up what to do about finish.I am struggling to find something to strip off the original finish but also i don't know what will be better,gun blue or cold black ox.

Have any of you guys any thoughts?

[sumo2010]

Can anyone tell me the size of the set screws in the back of these putters and if I am correct in saying that I nrpeed a 1/16th Allen or hex key for removing them.I haven't tried yet but I wouldn't mind just replacing the screws once I get the old ones out but I haven't got a clue what size I am after.
Thanks in advance

[finchi5]

Socket cap screws 1-72 x 3/16

[AHolman3]

If you're looking to do the screws in the back instead of elastomer call McMaster Carr I too am doin my first tei3 resto right now and called them today and they were extremely helpful and great to deal with! I have a box of 50 screws on the way for under $8 guy even packaged them up as i was on the phone with him and said they would be shipped today! Great service! And yes it's a 1/16th Allen head

[finchi5]

I am in the UK, and McMaster Carr were a total waste of space - These are impossible to find over this side of the pond as well. I sent them a couple of emails but they cannot ship to the UK due to some weird US regs.....They are screws FFS!

[AHolman3]

That's just ridiculous like you said they're just screws. Did you end up finding any yet?

[sumo2010]

If anyone finds these screws in the uk I wouldn't mind getting a few.Out of interest has anyone experienced these tiny screws stripping their threads or is it the copper insert thread that strips first?
I have been working on both putters now and I am hoping to get some more photos up soon.

[finchi5]

A fellow wrxr kindly sent me some from the US so I could do mine. When I attempted to remove the originals I used a brand new swiss made hex driver...and it stripped the hex socket, they are pretty soft.

I eventually had to use my mill and mill the heads off. Delicate work I can tell you! Once they were off I could push the insert out and then un-do the rest with a pair of pliers.

The screws I received are stainless and seem much better than the ones originally fitted.

[AHolman3]

Sumo how many are you looking for? I have some extras that I coukd send you if you would like!

[sumo2010]

This may be a really stupid question but what does numbers behind the insert mean.I have discovered "21" behind my santa fe.Couldn't see it before but since getting the heads back from blasting it is really obvious.Oh and by the way the blasting came out unbelievable.If i can finish these heads off to the same standard this will have been well worth the effort.Hopefully i will get the black ox kit through the post soon as i can't wait to see how the finish comes out.

[finchi5]

I think this was some kind of identification process as each insert was made for each head. Post a pic of the head in its blasted state so we can see your progress.

[sumo2010]

I will be posting a big update very soon buddy....

[Sean25rp]

Look forward to seeing this.

[sumo2010]

Okay i will stop teasing you all and give you an update of where i'm at.I have been refurbing two putters.The Newport and also a Santa fe.If i'm honest the Santa fe was in quite bad shape.The topline was squashed and there were dents a plenty.I also really struggled to get the insert out of the Santa fe.It is all good now though.

Initially i filed down the worst of the dents and sings with a small fine file.After this i just sanded like mad starting at 120 grit right up to 2000 grit.It was a total nightmare trying to sand out the cavity at the back though!!

One of my buddies has shotguns and happened to have some of the Birchwood Casey re-blueing kit so i thought i may as well have a go at that first so once i had got the heads sanded down a bit i used the cleaner to get the last of the old finish off and then tried the gun blue.

If i am honest i wasn't blown away.It definately looked home made hehe.It was possibly down to me rushing it as it was late.I then proceeded to try my hand at paint fill and again it turned out not bad but i was far from happy.Again i rushed it and probably didn't allow enough drying time etc.I really need to get this technique down because once the heads are finished proper i don't want to mess with them too much.

At this point i decided that it must have been that i hadn't got the heads clean enough and started looking for someone local to blast the heads.Eventually i found a place that micro-bead blasted both heads for £4 each.Not bad..

So that's where i am at now.Both heads are sitting ready to be finished and hopefully the black ox kit will be here soon.This time i will be taking my time and allowing plenty of drying time in between the different stages.

So just to keep all you picture ho's off my back here are some of the pics so far....

[Sean25rp]

Man that bead blasting looks great! Thanks for the pics!

[finchi5]

If I were you I would blue them as they are. If you have the means of polishing up the soles then that always looks good and shows a nice contrast between the finishes.

Just wondered if you have thought about torching one of the heads.......would look pretty cool as well, plus there is no messing about with blueing chems. You will still have to oil it though either way.

[sumo2010]

Okay a wee quick question,
I got a bit excited today when I was giving the heads the black ox and went ahead and oiled them with the de watering oil before I have paint filled and put the elastomer in so my question is will I have to remove the oil before I do these steps and if so will I just use acetone.
If I use acetone will it affect the new finish.
Oh and the heads have come out interesting.I will get some more photos up as soon as I can find my camera.
Thanks in advance

[finchi5]

Acetone shouldn't affect the finish. You just need to de-grease and then paintfill and elastomer dots. When all dry and cleaned up then re-oil with gun oil or something similar. Good luck....looking forward to seeing the pics

[sumo2010]

I think I'm gonna attempt to re attach the shafts today and maybe have a crack at some paint fill.Need to get some elastomer.You got any ideas on what I should get mate.I haven't a clue where to get some of this stuff.

[finchi5]

The elastomer I used for some recently was this stuff

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Geocel-945-Elastomeric-Construction-Sealant-Adhesive-/150467901449?pt=UK_Crafts_Cardmaking_Scrapbooking_Glue_Tape_EH&var=&hash=item230895f809"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Geocel-945-Elastomeric-Construction-Sealant-Adhesive-/150467901449?pt=UK_Crafts_Cardmaking_Scrapbooking_Glue_Tape_EH&var=&hash=item230895f809[/url]

Worked really well and was easy to clean up unlike silicone

[Cole23man]

Hey sumo you happen to find your camera? Would love to see what they look like after that bead blast. Did the bead blasting take out some of the little dings?