- Joined
- Feb 16, 2010
- Messages
- 3,668
Here it is, finally finished. I got the idea for it back in August when I saw Deker's maple burl damascus.
The looked like little golf balls to me and I decided that I could try and make a putter for a good friend. I started e-mailing Deker and at Ashokan I paid for the metal and he began designing it. Let me first explain, Deker doesn't really take requests or special orders, but he was eager(almost as eager as I was) to do the project. I'd love to know exactly how many different batches he made trying to get it just right, but I bet it's more than he told me. We decided on a large singular raindrop right where the face should hit the ball. This pattern is what I like to call "Bullseye" damascus.
We discussed layer count and thickness, and I think it turned out great. The hardest part was trying to cut a 1" thick piece of damascus with my little HF portaband.
I've got enough left over to make something, but I'm not sure what, yet. Some of the scraps are going into divot repair tools. As soon as I get better at forging.
Most golf clubs are very similar, even through the years. Various alloys and sizes, the clubs are still basically the same. Except for the putter. There are literally thousands of designs of putters. The friend that I am making this for is very old fashioned. He was finally given a new set of clubs this year. Until then, he was using a set made in the 1950's. Still, he likes his classic brass head bullseye putter. So, that's the design I made. Plus, it's the easiest putter to make without a milling machine.
Before touching the damascus I made a prototype with mild steel. It is the head on the left. I made a few changes on the damascus, but the overall shape was the same.
The only problem during construction was the hosel. That's the part sticking up where the shaft is epoxied to the clubhead. It was thin. Very thin. I measured it at .009", but I bet it was thinner. People use a brass rod to test the flex of a blade; I used my fingernail. So, we coated the top with satanite and covered the rest with antiscale. Oil bubbled out of the hosel for over 30 seconds. However, you can see a little bit of hamon back by the logo.
Thanks everyone for all your help and knowledge that allowed me to build this putter.
The looked like little golf balls to me and I decided that I could try and make a putter for a good friend. I started e-mailing Deker and at Ashokan I paid for the metal and he began designing it. Let me first explain, Deker doesn't really take requests or special orders, but he was eager(almost as eager as I was) to do the project. I'd love to know exactly how many different batches he made trying to get it just right, but I bet it's more than he told me. We decided on a large singular raindrop right where the face should hit the ball. This pattern is what I like to call "Bullseye" damascus.
We discussed layer count and thickness, and I think it turned out great. The hardest part was trying to cut a 1" thick piece of damascus with my little HF portaband.
Most golf clubs are very similar, even through the years. Various alloys and sizes, the clubs are still basically the same. Except for the putter. There are literally thousands of designs of putters. The friend that I am making this for is very old fashioned. He was finally given a new set of clubs this year. Until then, he was using a set made in the 1950's. Still, he likes his classic brass head bullseye putter. So, that's the design I made. Plus, it's the easiest putter to make without a milling machine.
Before touching the damascus I made a prototype with mild steel. It is the head on the left. I made a few changes on the damascus, but the overall shape was the same.
The only problem during construction was the hosel. That's the part sticking up where the shaft is epoxied to the clubhead. It was thin. Very thin. I measured it at .009", but I bet it was thinner. People use a brass rod to test the flex of a blade; I used my fingernail. So, we coated the top with satanite and covered the rest with antiscale. Oil bubbled out of the hosel for over 30 seconds. However, you can see a little bit of hamon back by the logo.
Thanks everyone for all your help and knowledge that allowed me to build this putter.
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