Tips/Tricks for Trimming Graphite Shafts?

[SE Gamer]

I picked up a Titleiest TS1 driver for my 8 year old. Comes with a Fuji Speeder 35 R3 which I plan to cut down. Have done plenty of steel shafts, but not graphite. Bought a carbide rod for my hacksaw and tested it out on a US Kids driver shaft he recently broke. Seemed to work well enough. Although it wasn't a perfectly square cut. I was able to clean it up with a file though.

Just curious if there are any tips folks would suggest? I still have a good bit of the broken shaft for further testing. And have pretty much any tool you could think of. So may try testing with a dremel cutoff wheel as well. 

Thanks in advance!

[ShortGolfer]

If you are a perfectionist I like to wet sand with black wet/dry carborundum sandpaper to clean up the end.  Not that it really matters in how well it works.

Less generation of nasty dust particles in the air.

 

[Ger21]

I've used all kinds of says to cut shafts, including a $4 hacksaw from Home Depot. Just put a couple wraps of blue tape where you'll be cutting. I've used a disk sander to square up the ends. My normal goto is my table saw, or miter saw.

[SE Gamer]

4 minutes ago, ShortGolfer said:

If you are a perfectionist I like to wet sand with black wet/dry carborundum sandpaper to clean up the end.  Not that it really matters in how well it works.

Less generation of nasty dust particles in the air.

 

 

Yeah, that's me lol.

 

3 minutes ago, Ger21 said:

I've used all kinds of says to cut shafts, including a $4 hacksaw from Home Depot. Just put a couple wraps of blue tape where you'll be cutting. I've used a disk sander to square up the ends. My normal goto is my table saw, or miter saw.

Interesting that you use a table/miter saw. What type of blade? Would think it'd have to be a pretty high tooth count. 

Disk sander makes sense as well. 

[ShortGolfer]

My 14 inch Bosch gives a nicer cut than the 6 in Harbor Freight cutoff saw.  Harbor Freight now sells decent tools for home use.  If you like discounts everything goes on sale if you wait long enough.

Edited July 18 by ShortGolfer

[subrew]

I use a little 18v Ryobi saw with a 3” cutting disc for all shaft cutting now.  I run a wrap of blue tape, mark it and cut it.  Took me longer to type this than to make a clean cut.

 

i use to have a chop saw but it took longer to setup on the bench than cutting 6-7 shafts takes. 
 

this little guy:

 

 

Edited July 18 by subrew

[Ger21]

39 minutes ago, SE Gamer said:

What type of blade? Would think it'd have to be a pretty high tooth count. 

As long as it's a sharp carbide blade, anything over 40 teeth will work. Just go slow. 60 teeth or more is preferable, though.

[SE Gamer]

38 minutes ago, subrew said:

I use a little 18v Ryobi saw with a 3” cutting disc for all shaft cutting now.  I run a wrap of blue tape, mark it and cut it.  Took me longer to type this than to make a clean cut.

 

i use to have a chop saw but it took longer to setup on the bench than cutting 6-7 shafts takes. 
 

this little guy:

 

Thanks! Just use a regular metal cutting disc?

 

[subrew]

I’ve tried all three of the types of discs it came with.  One for cutting tile, a diamond one for something special, and the regular thin one for cutting metal.  They all work but the metal one is cleanest and easiest.  But once it wears down half way, it becomes harder to cut the butt end of the shaft, as the shaft will start to come in contact with body of the grinder.  But changing to a new disc is easy.
 

 I should also note I probably cut over 200 shafts before I had to change the disc.  

[SE Gamer]

2 minutes ago, subrew said:

I’ve tried all three of the types of discs it came with.  One for cutting tile, a diamond one for something special, and the regular thin one for cutting metal.  They all work but the metal one is cleanest and easiest.  But once it wears down half way, it becomes harder to cut the butt end of the shaft, as the shaft will start to come in contact with body of the grinder.  But changing to a new disc is easy.
 

 I should also note I probably cut over 200 shafts before I had to change the disc.  

Cool. Thanks!

[leojax]

A good quality grit edge aluminum oxide disc with most small saws will work for this. I prefer to use a 6" cut-off saw. I've built clubs for my kids throughout junior golf (both HS players now). It's a fun and practical way to go.

[Stuart_G]

8 hours ago, Ger21 said:

As long as it's a sharp carbide blade, anything over 40 teeth will work. Just go slow. 60 teeth or more is preferable, though.

 

More is certainly nicer but even 10 tpi will work perfectly fine if you're careful.  And it doesn't have to be all that sharp or carbide.   I routinely use my bandsaw for graphite shafts with a 3/16" x 10 blade.  Of course, it dulls the blade and makes it useless for wood - but I keep around an older one around just for use with the graphite shafts.

Edited July 18 by Stuart_G

[ChaosTheory]

I’ve been cutting graphite with a Rem-Grit hacksaw blade for 25 years.  I’m only on my second blade.  
 

Here’s an eBay listing.  I bet Golfworks sells them as well.

 

https://ebay.us/m/vxp7xd

[Ger21]

28 minutes ago, Stuart_G said:

More is certainly nicer but even 10 tpi will work perfectly fine if you're careful.

They don't make 10 tooth table saw blades. 🤣 I was referring to table saw or miter saws when I said at least 40 teeth.

 

Yes, I've used a bandsaw as well. I've used pretty much every saw in my woodworking shop.

[Stuart_G]

1 hour ago, Ger21 said:

They don't make 10 tooth table saw blades. 🤣 

 

That's why I said "10 tpi" (teeth per inch)  😉

 

But yes I do admit I mistakenly thought you were implying tpi in your teeth count.  Without a diameter, I've found total teeth counts for blades aren't all that helpful - probably because I've just been ingrained only to use tpi so don't usually consider the alternatives.

[Nessism]

I use a cut-off disc on one side of my bench grinder.  Quite often, though, I'm too lazy to install it, in which case I just use the corner of the regular grinding wheel.  Rough grind above the cutting line, then the flat part of the grinding wheel is used to dress the cut down to the line.  Makes a ton of dust, but oh well.  

[Ger21]

43 minutes ago, Stuart_G said:

Without a diameter, I've found total teeth counts for blades aren't all that helpful - probably because I've just been ingrained only to use tpi so don't usually consider the alternatives.

I've never heard anyone use tpi when referring to a circular blade. 😉

[Phabs]

Cut off wheel is all I use.  

[Klubster]

A Dremel tool with a cut off blade works well.  I use a bench sander to square the tip.  No matter what, use a grit edge cut off blade rather than one with teeth to avoid chipping.

[Stuart_G]

39 minutes ago, Ger21 said:

I've never heard anyone use tpi when referring to a circular blade. 😉

 

I'm self taught 😁

[dubbelbogey]

I'm also in the camp of using an abrasive cutoff wheel on an angle grinder. I've always got one ready to go as it performs a lot of other, non-golf tasks around the garage.

 

That said, if you want to keep using the carbide abrasive rod on the hacksaw, that's perfectly fine, except I'd suggest first scoring the outer layers of fibers around the full circumference with the corner of a sharp metal file. This will limit the chances of tearing out a layer of fiber while sawing.

[Golf Pig]

I'm all for using whatever tools you have on hand, but I also believe you can't have too many tools 🙂. I can't say enough good things about this shaft cutter/belt sander from Golf Mechanix. The shaft clamp ensures nice clean square cuts every time. Feeds the shaft into the blade not the other way around. Built-in ruler. The 1x30 belts are very easy to change and align. Prepping shaft tips is a breeze. Super easy to turn down ferrules. Has dust collection ports on both ends.

 

https://www.golfworks.com/the-golfworks-1-x-30-shaft-cutter-ferrule-turning-machine-gw1120/p/gw1120/

[SE Gamer]

7 hours ago, ChaosTheory said:

I’ve been cutting graphite with a Rem-Grit hacksaw blade for 25 years.  I’m only on my second blade.  
 

Here’s an eBay listing.  I bet Golfworks sells them as well.

 

https://ebay.us/m/vxp7xd

That's actually the exact blade I bought the other day.

[sm_watts]

I swap out a metal cut-off blade into my miter saw, use blue tape like everyone else, and always get clean cuts.  It's the same blade I used to cut wrought iron balusters to length for my stairway railing.

[leojax]

2 hours ago, Golf Pig said:

I'm all for using whatever tools you have on hand, but I also believe you can't have too many tools 🙂. I can't say enough good things about this shaft cutter/belt sander from Golf Mechanix. The shaft clamp ensures nice clean square cuts every time. Feeds the shaft into the blade not the other way around. Built-in ruler. The 1x30 belts are very easy to change and align. Prepping shaft tips is a breeze. Super easy to turn down ferrules. Has dust collection ports on both ends.

 

https://www.golfworks.com/the-golfworks-1-x-30-shaft-cutter-ferrule-turning-machine-gw1120/p/gw1120/

Interesting. I only build a few sets a year, but invested in a dedicated Kalamazoo 1 x 42 belt sander a few years ago that I got used for a good price that works really great. I used a 1x30 harbor freight one before that was too high rpm to turn ferrules easily. The Kalamazoo takes up a lot of space tho, and intrigued by the versatility here and not needing a separate chop saw.