DIY GOLF – How To Torch Finish Your OWN Wedges!

Our 1st Reader Submitted DIY-GOLF Project

Today is our first installment of our brand new DIY-GOLF section on MyGolfSpy.  We are super excited about bringing this new section to you for many reasons. We set-up this site (MyGolfSpy) for the sole purpose of truly educating golfers on everything about golf equipment.  Like we have said in the past…the majority of sites and golf magazines are simply marketing machines posting biased info about the companies that advertise within their pages. Without the advertisers they simply do not exist.  You rarely get the truth about what is being made and promoted these days in regards to golf equipment.

But we hope to change that mindset at MGS and we believe it is starting to happen.  So we want MyGolfSpy to be the one place you can come for the truth about what is really going on in the industry.  But we also want to shed light on many of the absolutely amazing products that you might never get to see.  Whether it be because of the lack of financial backing, marketing or PR inexperience or any of the other reasons that don’t allow these products to reach the masses.  There are some ground-breaking products being made in the golf industry and we want to bring those to the fore front for you guys.  This business has become like many other industries today, where all the bigger companies swallow up many of the innovative mom and pop operations…in the meantime squashing their innovative ideas in the process.

And lastly we want to teach everyone out there some of the surprising and fascinating ways the average golfer can customize and personalize their own golf equipment.  And become the DIY-GOLF guy of their own town.  You will be surprised how many golfers are going to be asking you to replicate these DIY GOLF projects on their clubs once you get your project in the bag and on the course for all of them to see.  Some of the guys doing this in their own garages have started their own businesses applying these same DIY skills to other golfers clubs.

So let us begin our 1st reader submitted DIY project for you to try.  Today’s DIY GOLF project comes from Shane S.  He wants to teach the MGS readers how to apply their own custom finish on their clubs by using some simple and cheap tools that anyone can pick up at their local hardware store.  If you have a DIY project you would like to post on MyGolfSpy, simply send us an email to [email protected].

DIY – How To Torch Finish Your OWN Wedges!

(WARNING: if quenching in oil during the cool down process make sure to do outside, there is always a risk when dipping a hot head into oil.  You should make sure the head has cooled down considerably when dipping in oil.)

Tools Needed:

• Propane or Butane Torch – (purchase at any hardware store- Home Depot/Lowe’s (COST = $10-$20)
• 1 Liter of Coca-Cola – (Cost = $2)
• Bench Vise – (Cost = $30-$50)
• Steel Brush – (or the steel end of your club brush) (Cost = $2-$5)
• Silicone Cloth – (can be purchased at any store that sells guns (Cost = $5)

Step-by-Step Process

STEP 1: First, remove club head from shaft. If head is not removed the intense heat will cause the ferrule to melt and the epoxy to breakdown and a reshaft will be in order even if you keep the club and shaft intact.

STEP 2: Next, you will need to soak the club head using the 1 Liter Coke bottle for about an hour. This will strip any existing finish on the head. Get a bowl that is big enough to allow the head to fit while being fully submerged. Making sure the entire club is submergered will give you a more consistent torching.

STEP 3: Now remove your club from the Coke. Next you will need to secure club head in bench vise. If you do not have a bench vise you can use vise grips to hold the head in place. You will then want to scrub the entire club head with the steel brush or scotch-brite to break up any remaining finish left on the head. Now rinse the club with water (or) degreaser to make sure you get all oil and dirt off the head before torching, then let dry completely. If you do not remove all dirt and oil those areas will show up as different colors and will not be uniform.

STEP 4: Secure club head in bench vise (see picture above). Next you will want to turn on your torch. You will want to apply heat directly to the clubhead in an even manner. The best heat is achieved when the pencil flame of the torch is approx. 2 inches away from head. This will take some time to get the torch finish you are looking for. You will generally not begin to see any changes for at least 4-5 minutes. Patience is the key with this type of finish.

Tip: If you want to experiment you can also place the head in oil while head is cooling down or rub oil on the head during the cooling process to achieve different style finishes. You can also use an oven to do the heating process. (WARNING: if quenching in oil during the cool down process make sure to do outside, there is always a risk when dipping a hot head into oil.  You should make sure the head is not that hot when dipping in oil.)

Tip: For a template of different temperatures and colors of steel when heated: CLICK HERE

STEP 5: Once you have reached your desired color from torching, remove heat source and then let cool for 45 minutes. Make sure to leave in a safe place while the head cools down. Your club has probably reached temperatures of 450*+ and it is best to be safe than sorry. If torch finish is not consistent or did not turn out the colors you liked, simply repeat the flaming step.

STEP 6: Since your club has been stripped of its original finish, it is now considered to be in the ‘RAW’ state. You club will in fact rust when exposed to the elements. The best way to combat rust is to apply a Silicone Cloth to the club after each use/round.

Tip: With any DIY project that requires the altering of a club (refinish, stamping, paintfill, etc) it is best to practice on an old club first versus going out and performing your first trial run on your gaming set of clubs. Dig in the garage, look at used clubs at a local shop or ‘borrow’ one from your buddies.

BEFORE PHOTOS: Titleist Spin Milled with the Tour Chrome Finish

AFTER PHOTOS: (torched finish with white paint fill)

OTHER EXAMPLES OF TORCH FLAMED WEDGES

Want to post your own DIY project on MyGolfSpy?  Simple send your idea to [email protected] and we will email you the DIY guidelines. Every published DIY author will receive a prize from MyGolfSpy! (cash, equipment & apparel prizes to be awarded)

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– “How To Torch Finish Your Own Wedges!”