cutting a Graphite Shaft?

[dbleber]

dbleber:
Does anybody know how you would go about cutting a graphite shaft to make it shorter(obviously)?
Denny

[Chieflongtee]

This:
http://www.golfsmith.com/cm/ppage.ph...haftreshaft_sn

[Chieflongtee]

Or that:
http://www.golfworks.com/item_disp.asp?pn=STC
Good night.

[BC MIST]

dbleber:
Does anybody know how you would go about cutting a graphite shaft to make it shorter(obviously)?
Denny

I use an electric cutoff saw ( http://www.golfworks.com/item_disp.asp?pn=CSM6 )
which does a great job. Regardless of what you cut the shaft with, tape the part of the shaft that you are going to cut and go gently.

You can even cut the shaft with a fine hack saw blade but make sure that you cut all the way around the shaft before you cut through the centre bore. If you cut too quickly you can easily split the graphite fibres and your reaction to this will be similar to hooking your drive out of bounds.

[Marmotte]

dbleber:
Does anybody know how you would go about cutting a graphite shaft to make it shorter(obviously)?
Denny

This may sound trivial... but if you want to shorten a shaft, you cut the butt end, if you want to change the flex, you cut the tip. Check the "trimming instructions" from the manufacturer's site before you take action.
For the rest, I have used masking tape and a hacksaw for years and it does a fine job if you take your time.

[BC MIST]

This may sound trivial... but if you want to shorten a shaft, you cut the butt end, if you want to change the flex, you cut the tip. Check the "trimming instructions" from the manufacturer's site before you take action.
For the rest, I have used masking tape and a hacksaw for years and it does a fine job if you take your time.

Hypothesis: Cutting a shaft from the tip or from the butt will change the frequency/flex of a club.

Example 1: I just measured the frequency of a wood at "x" inches in length. The frequency was 251 cpm. Removing 1" of length (x - 1) from the butt caused the frequency to go up to 259 cpm.

Example 2: I frequencied a 38" Rifle iron blank shaft with a 255 g tip weight. The frequency was 323 cpm. Removing 1" from the tip and maintaining the 38" playing length, the frequency was 328 cpm.

Example 3: From example #2 above, if I remove 1" from the tip to make the club shorter, ie., 37" instead of 38", the frequency went up to 338 cpm's.

Conclusion: Cutting a shaft from the tip or from the butt will change the frequency/flex of a club.

A forum member wanted a shaft frequencied at 281 cpm. Taking an DG X-100 and cutting some of the tip, I could not get the frequency that he wanted. Rather than getting a shaft with a stiffer tip, I added a butt extension to the X-100 and easily got the 281 frequency. The butt end of a shaft is stiffer than the tip end.

Using the trimming instructions that come with shafts is better than cutting them randomly, however, unless all shafts are identical to begin with, following these instructions will still result in a mismatched set. I used these trimming instructions for years, not knowing that inaccuracies occurred, until I began using an NF2 and then a frequency analyzer. Sure was an eye opener.

[Marmotte]

Using the trimming instructions that come with shafts is better than cutting them randomly, however, unless all shafts are identical to begin with, following these instructions will still result in a mismatched set. I used these trimming instructions for years, not knowing that inaccuracies occurred, until I began using an NF2 and then a frequency analyzer. Sure was an eye opener.

I do agree, but I am concerned by the fact that somebody who asks for directions on how to cut a shaft may not be equipped with a Frequency Analyzer or a Spining tool. Unlikey that indictation on how to use such a piece of equipment will be a useful answer.

[BC MIST]

but if you want to shorten a shaft, you cut the butt end, if you want to change the flex, you cut the tip

I do agree, but I am concerned by the fact that somebody who asks for directions on how to cut a shaft may not be equipped with a Frequency Analyzer or a Spining tool. Unlikey that indictation on how to use such a piece of equipment will be a useful answer.

My post above referred to your comment in bold, not to dbleber's original question, to which he has received a few suggestions.

You state that cutting the tip will change the flex, which is true, but you are inferring that cutting the butt will NOT change the flex. This is untrue, the proof of which is above in my post.

If the original poster, after reading what you said, believes that the flex will not change when trimming a shaft from the butt, he will have been mislead. It is quite obvious that one does not need an NF2 or an FA to cut a graphite shafts, but don't you feel that the poster should know the whole truth about what happens to a shaft when it is cut, instead of half of it? Does he not have the right to know that his 260 cpm driver will not be 260 cpm after butt trimming or after tip trimming?

The question that the original poster should be asking, now that he knows how to cut a graphite shaft, is, "What happens to the flex rating or flex label, when 1" is cut from the butt of a club?"

[Chieflongtee]

Well. Why argue? Anyway since we are on the topic I learned this today:


NOTE: +/- 0.25” HOSEL DEPTH = 2 CPM. +/- 2 DEGREES OF LIE CHANGE = ½ CPM.
+/- 2 GRAMS HEAD WT. = 1 CPM

[BC MIST]

Well. Why argue? Anyway since we are on the topic I learned this today:

No argument. Just an expression of the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. What one does with this is up to the individual.

NOTE: +/- 0.25” HOSEL DEPTH = 2 CPM. +/- 2 DEGREES OF LIE CHANGE = ½ CPM.
+/- 2 GRAMS HEAD WT. = 1 CPM

The above shows some definite advantages in using an FA to assemble clubs. A lot of drivers have a 1" insertion depth, whereas the SMT's are 2". That would mean a difference of 8 cpm's, almost a full flex designation. Plus, change the lie, and also change the MOI.