Restoring Irons – 6: Assembly

Now that all preparation is complete we are ready to glue the shafts and the heads together.

Assumptions

• You have shafts with abraded tips.
• The ferrules are installed in the correct position.
• The heads are bored out to fit the shafts.

Preparation

First of all you should reserve a space where the clubs can be set upright (e.g. against a wall) to let the epoxy cure. Put some newspapers on the floor in case of epoxy spilling. After that, I suggest you prepare a workbench where you'll have all shafts and heads available, and sorted. You don't want to have to search for a certain shaft while you are applying the epoxy.Make sure that the shafts and the heads are clean and free of dust.As a surface to mix the epoxy on you can use a piece of plastic or alternatively just tape some pieces of duct tape (or masking tape) to the workbench.You also need a small stick with which you will apply the epoxy, and some tissues or cloth to wipe off excess epoxy from the club after installation. I like to put some tape on the hosels so the epoxy can’t ooze out of the pin holes. You can see this in the last picture.

Left: Epoxy hardener and resin.  Mid: The 2 parts before mixing.          Right: The parts mixed together.

Assembly

First we will be mixing the epoxy. Pour two equal parts onto the surface. Try not to use too much; you'll be surprised how little you need for a single club. Then mix the two parts with the stick until it's one solid color. Let the epoxy sit for a couple of minutes before applying it; this makes for a stronger bond later on.

1. Starting with the longest club, take the head and use the stick to cover the inside of the hosel with epoxy.
   
2. Take the shaft and cover the abraded portion of the tip with epoxy.
   
3. Gently work the shaft into the hosel using a rotating motion.
   
4. Remove any excess epoxy coming out of the hosel with the cloth/tissues.
   
5. With the head in your hand, tap the butt end of the shaft against the floor to make sure that the shaft is inserted all the way down.
   
6. Finally, in case the shafts are spine marked, rotate the shaft so that the spine is set at three o'clock. (At least make sure that the spine is in the same position for all the clubs.)
   
7. Set the club aside with the head on the floor and the shaft upright so the epoxy can cure.
   

The next installment is about grips.