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Woodworking DIY Putter question

BigTreble

BigTreble

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Just for clarification this question comes from the satisfaction part of my mind, not the cheap part of my mind.:LOL:

Pretty confident if I choose to make one it won't strike good, have good feel or give good feedback like anything I could ever buy. And honestly, wouldn't be that affordable, especially when I calculate my time invested. However, this doesn't divert my winter desire to make one.

Anyone made one? Any tips? I've googled and seen a few and many that were cool, just not sure about any face insert option or hosel connection.

Also if you have made one, i would love to see a picture, TIA
 
Hosel wise I’d make a center shafted putter and drill the head to the lie angle you are shooting for. A .370 hole at 68-72 degrees would be doable without much worry of a mishap.
 
BigTreble said:
Just for clarification this question comes from the satisfaction part of my mind, not the cheap part of my mind.:LOL:

Pretty confident if I choose to make one it won't strike good, have good feel or give good feedback like anything I could ever buy. And honestly, wouldn't be that affordable, especially when I calculate my time invested. However, this doesn't divert my winter desire to make one.

Anyone made one? Any tips? I've googled and seen a few and many that were cool, just not sure about any face insert option or hosel connection.

Also if you have made one, i would love to see a picture, TIA
Click to expand...
I have not made one but I spent some time talking with a maker at the last golf show I attended. He gave me some insights into how he built his heads. I was going to give one a shot but it’s one of those things I never got around to.
 
I think getting the weighting right is the trick. Wood is less dense than metals @ +/- ~1.5g/cc depending on species.

Aluminum is ~2.7 g/cc

Steel is ~8 g/cc

So if you made a typical head shape out of wood, you would need to bring the mass up quite a bit with lead or tungsten weights. Of course, that could play well into increasing MOI.
 
Never made one, but I’d think you want a heavy and dense tropical species like Lignum Vitae or African Blackwood for the head.
 
I hear you loud and clear Big Treble! I'm a DIYer too and work mostly in metal. My tooling would be classified as "Serious Enthusiast/Small Manufacturer" level.
Frequently, I build stuff, not because it's unavailable, but simply because I can. Which is its own reward. Many people just don't get it.

So, I would jump in with both feet. After all, if at first you don't succeed....

If you make it from wood, I would probably drill it all the way through at the angle that would give you the lie you wanted. If the shaft were steel, you can always use a bender to fine tune that. I would also bore a good sized hole at the heel and toe for a weight insert. And maybe a face plate...or not! Depends on the wood, I reckon.

Go for it! Post up your progress and have fun with it!


And come to think of it, I have a nice rectangular block of 6061 aluminum that has been sitting there on the shelf collecting dust for several years now.....Hmmmm
 
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I had a deck made of Ipe. It seems it was denser than some metal, heavy and TOUGH.

Also, it's one of those woods that does not float, and it turns silver grey as it ages.

The builder did go through some blades as the wood dulled the blades rather quickly.

I wonder how much weighting you'd have to add, and I bet the feel would be very solid too.
 
Golfers Anonymous said:
Hosel wise I’d make a center shafted putter and drill the head to the lie angle you are shooting for. A .370 hole at 68-72 degrees would be doable without much worry of a mishap.
Click to expand...
And just Epoxy it in? Certainly not out much on the cost of a shaft and grip for an experiment anyway.

Mikey Lawless said:
I hear you loud and clear Big Treble! I'm a DIYer too and work mostly in metal. My tooling would be classified as "Serious Enthusiast/Small Manufacturer" level.
Frequently, I build stuff, not because it's unavailable, but simply because I can. Which is its own reward. Many people just don't get it.

So, I would jump in with both feet. After all, if at first you don't succeed....

If you make it from wood, I would probably drill it all the way through at the angle that would give you the lie you wanted. If the shaft were steel, you can always use a bender to fine tune that. I would also bore a good sized hole at the heel and toe for a weight insert. And maybe a face plate...or not! Depends on the wood, I reckon.

Go for it! Post up your progress and have fun with it!


And come to think of it, I have a nice rectangular block of 6061 aluminum that has been sitting there on the shelf collecting dust for several years now.....Hmmmm
Click to expand...

Giddy up and get on it, with the 6061! (y)

Jaw2000 said:
I had a deck made of Ipe. It seems it was denser than some metal, heavy and TOUGH.

Also, it's one of those woods that does not float, and it turns silver grey as it ages.

The builder did go through some blades as the wood dulled the blades rather quickly.

I wonder how much weighting you'd have to add, and I bet the feel would be very solid too.
Click to expand...

Love the fact it doesn't float, that way if i get mad and toss it in the drink, i wont feel compelled to go wading as i see it floating. :LOL:
 
JohnSinVA said:
I have not made one but I spent some time talking with a maker at the last golf show I attended. He gave me some insights into how he built his heads. I was going to give one a shot but it’s one of those things I never got around to.
Click to expand...


Yeah kind of a round tuit thing isn't it.
 
These are the two most prominent wood head putter makers I've known of, both companies have been in business for many years. I've never played a Musty but have played Louisville Golf's American Mallet, and it is a fine, well balanced putter.

Musty putters :

Custom Putters. Engraved Putter. Perfect Corporate Putting Gift. By David Musty Putters

www.mustyputters.net

Louisville Golf putters:

louisvillegolf.com

Putters

Superior materials and finish. Our putters are inspired by the greats and designed to perfection by over 100 years of playing experience. Custom vintage putter design. Personalize your putters with colors, logos and more.
louisvillegolf.com louisvillegolf.com
 
BigTreble said:
And just Epoxy it in? Certainly not out much on the cost of a shaft and grip for an experiment anyway.



Giddy up and get on it, with the 6061! (y)



Love the fact it doesn't float, that way if i get mad and toss it in the drink, i wont feel compelled to go wading as i see it floating. :LOL:
Click to expand...
Yeah, as long as the surface is clean of any oil or grease with a little abrasion on both shaft and head will turn out fine.
 
DG_1234 said:
These are the two most prominent wood head putter makers I've known of, both companies have been in business for many years. I've never played a Musty but have played Louisville Golf's American Mallet, and it is a fine, well balanced putter.

Musty putters :

Custom Putters. Engraved Putter. Perfect Corporate Putting Gift. By David Musty Putters

www.mustyputters.net

Louisville Golf putters:

louisvillegolf.com

Putters

Superior materials and finish. Our putters are inspired by the greats and designed to perfection by over 100 years of playing experience. Custom vintage putter design. Personalize your putters with colors, logos and more.
louisvillegolf.com louisvillegolf.com
Click to expand...

.......I have to try something



Golfers Anonymous said:
Yeah, as long as the surface is clean of any oil or grease with a little abrasion on both shaft and head will turn out fine.
Click to expand...

Awesome thanks for the tip!
 
Your enthusiasm for woodworking DIY putters is contagious! I totally get where you're coming from – the satisfaction of creating something with your own hands is priceless, even if it might not perform like a store-bought one.

I haven't made a putter myself, but I've dabbled in DIY projects. It's all about the process and the learning experience, right? As for tips, maybe experiment with different materials for the face insert and hosel connection to find what works best for you.

And hey, speaking of personalized creations, have you checked out WordArtPrints.com? They've got a ton of templates to help you add a unique touch to any occasion. Who knows, you might find some inspiration there for your woodworking projects too! [wordartprints.com]
 
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American Hormbeam is ideal for such a project. Dense and strong. Just a bit tough to work with because it is so tough. I have made putters, mallets, handles of it.
 
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