Refinishing Metal Woods

[John]

Hey peeps. I'm looking at grabbing two pretty banged up Bobby Jones hybrids for a winter experiment.

Anyone know the best way/route to remove the existing finish on top of them or any business in Ottawa that would offer sandblasting or removal?

Then i'm wondering what would be the best type of finish/material to apply for the new look. I just want to do a simple black matte finish on em.

[justsomeguy]

I'm sure others will chime in, but the process is basically the same as doing auto body repainting. Sand down to the bare metal, put on a coat of primer, then add 1 or 2 coats of paint with a "finisher" on top. Auto body paint, primer and materials generally work the best.

[John]

Aha great, i'll go that route paint wise. How easy would it be for me to remove the existing finish at home? Think it can be done by hand?

[John]

And where does one buy automotive supplies/paint? Canadian tire?

[jvincent]

I've used a wire wheel to remove the paint off of metal woods in the past.

Repainting is the hard part. The paints involved really need to be used in a fully ventilated area, which is hard in the winter. I've also never had good success getting a smooth finish.

Probably because I'm not the most patient when it comes to painting. That and my technique probably stinks.

[Golfbum]

I have refinished some metal driver and fairway wood heads over the past couple of years. The process is fairly simple, and you can turn a club head that has ball marks on the crown into one with a new finish.

Here are the process steps I use. Anyone can do this if they take their time.

Material Required
300 & 600 grit sand paper. Masking tape, exacto knife, prime, paint and clear coat. I use Krylon spray paint, and automotive clear coat. Any good quality spray paint will do. If you use a gloss spray paint you do not have to use as much clearcoat on the finish. Makes the process easier.

1. Tape off the face and sole of the club head with masking tape. Be careful to follow the original paint lines on the club head.

2. Sand the club head with 300 grit sandpaper to remove the scuff marks. Once you have done that you sand it again with 600 grit paper to make sure it has a smooth finish. I have had to sandblast some heads as they were marked up so bad that sanding would not remove the marks. However you can usually remove any marks or scratches with sandpaper.

3. Prime the club head with light coat of prime. Let it dry.

4. Spray the club head with the paint. Be careful not to apply too much paint as this will cause sags and runs in the paint. You are better off applying a light coat the first time. If the club head is not entirely covered with paint you can apply a 2nd coat. Let that paint dry before moving to the next step. Krylon spray paint dries quickly so I do not have to wait long before the next step.

5. Apply the clear coat. Again, spray it on lightly for the first coat. I usually apply 3 light coats of clear, that way it does not run or sag. Allow each coat to dry before applying another. When it is dry if the entire club head looks shiny then you know you are done clearing it. You can lightly sand the head between coats of clear coat. Wet sanding works well for this.

6. Allow the club head to sit for 24 hours, then remove the masking tape. You are now finished and have a nice looking club head.

I have painted club heads with the shafts on, and with the shafts pulled. Sometimes I paint them and bake them, and it is nice to have the shaft pulled when I do this, especially if it is a graphite shaft.

Now that I am semi retired I no longer paint heads. It is not that I can't do it at home, I just can not be bothered. No money in it.

[eyeping]

Be careful on how much paint and clear coat you put on. I had a friend who had his driver done by a pro painter at an autobody shop, it looked very nice, but the problem was he used to much finish and you could hardly lift it off the ground. Keep in mind that 1 dime is a swing wt.

[JPPING]

Keep it simple and quick....sand the existing finish with 500 grit sandpaper down to bare metal. Clean the surface with thinner or acetone (do not use varsol).Tape off the area not to be painted with a quality masking tape (cheap tape will let the paint creep under). Apply 1 coat of vinylwash primer (protects against rust and etches the metal for good adhesion).Let this set or flash for 15 minutes(no sanding needed) and then apply 2 coats of SEMS bumper black paint.

The bumper black paint has the same look and finish as the Cleveland XL or XLS driver . It comes in a spraybomb and dries quickly.
The vinylwash comes also in a spraybomb and is esay to use.

If you live in Ottawa contact Euro Auto Paint at 613 737-5159 and they can sell you what you need.

I am an automotive refinish paint rep and have done many clubs . Taylormade and Cobra use our products to refinish their clubs .

[big mac]

What about doing graphite shafts---same process?

[JPPING]

Almost.....no vinylwash is needed as graphite is not metal.
Shafts and clubheads are refinished in automotive paint same as the vehicles you drive. It is called BASECOAT/CLEARCOAT. The colour is applied then the clear is put on to protect the colour.
Eyeping is correct.If you bring your club to a bodyshop to have it painted it will look great but the swingweight will be much much heavier. 10 to 15 grams heavier !

Sand the shaft with 500 grit sandpaper. If you cut through to the graphite don t worry the paint will stick.

What kind of paint are you using ?

[Golfbum]

Be careful on how much paint and clear coat you put on. I had a friend who had his driver done by a pro painter at an autobody shop, it looked very nice, but the problem was he used to much finish and you could hardly lift it off the ground. Keep in mind that 1 dime is a swing wt.

The painter wasn't a pro if he had to put that much paint on the clubhead I used to paint them with automotive paint. With a gun, not an aresol can. One coat of paint, two coats of clearcoat. Done.

Acetone was not used in the process. After sanding the heads I used tac rags to wipe them off and then a light coating of prime went on, then the paint.

[John]

Anyone know any automotive stores in the west end where I can grab this stuff?

[JPPING]

Closest in the west end would be MPS Metro on Laperierre st. across from Turpin bodyshop . They are in the phonebook .

[big mac]

Almost.....no vinylwash is needed as graphite is not metal.
Shafts and clubheads are refinished in automotive paint same as the vehicles you drive. It is called BASECOAT/CLEARCOAT. The colour is applied then the clear is put on to protect the colour.
Eyeping is correct.If you bring your club to a bodyshop to have it painted it will look great but the swingweight will be much much heavier. 10 to 15 grams heavier !

Sand the shaft with 500 grit sandpaper. If you cut through to the graphite don t worry the paint will stick.

What kind of paint are you using ?

I was thinking of a good lacquer base material as it is weight wise lighter than enamel---not that the swing weight will effect "ME" and as golfbum suggests a good clean tack rack. I have sprayed quite a bit in the past and because of voletility etc--will probably wait for spring---was also thinking of using an air brush rather than the spray aerosol cans---much better pattern Was not sure about the shafts--thanks