Cutting Golf Club Shafts.....

[StevenatorLTFO]

I work with a bunch of salesmen, that all like to golf, so a request for carbon fiber golf club shafts resulted in getting a fair pile of these donated to me, some still including the clubheads and grips, but I digress.....

I was looking these over, and would like to trim one down to make a two meter tailboom out of it, and I was wondering what the best way to cut this stuff is. Hacksaw, razor saw, or other?

Also, some of the shafts say Carbon Fiber, and others say Graphite. Would the Graphite shafts be strong enough to make booms out of down the road?

I noticed that the weights range from a bit under 2 ozs per shaft, to just over 3oz on some of the others. The best shaft out of the bunch so far (untrimmed) is a Calloway shaft, that weighes in at 1.75 oz and is much stiffer then the rest...

My main plan is to make 2 meter sailplane booms out of these guys, homebrew wings and tails (X-tails, probably not V-tails)

Steve

[Phi3l]

I have built a few golf clubs from components. As far as I know graphite IS carbon fiber. As far as cutting them - The way I do it is wrap the shaft with masking tape where you want to make the cut. The actual cut is made with an abrasive edged hacksaw blade (the kind with grit on the cuttin edge instead of teeth) using very light pressure on the saw - let the saw do the work, don't force it with lots of pressure. You want to apply the very lightest pressure just before you get through the material. The masking tape helps to prevent fraying.

You should be able to find the right hacksaw blade at any decent hardware stroe.

Hope this helps,
Phil in MN

[Ollie]

Use the lightest club. The tapered tube wall thickness is higher at the small end. You want the large end because it is stiffer. Cut the tube with a hacksaw under water. You won't to have to breath the dust.

[StevenatorLTFO]

Great tips guys, thanks. I think I know the blades you are talking about Phil, they are for cutting ceramics, almost like a cable, with grit.

[Fly2High]

Personally I like to use a Dremel cutoff wheel. Something similar to this is used to cut the carbon arrow shafts. I think Micro Mart even sell a small cutodd tol that Phil uses in his video. I just use my trusty(???) Dremel. Works great.... just use a mask.

Frank

[hanknmorgan]

Personally I like to use a Dremel cutoff wheel. Something similar to this is used to cut the carbon arrow shafts. I think Micro Mart even sell a small cutodd tol that Phil uses in his video. I just use my trusty(???) Dremel. Works great.... just use a mask.

Frank

I second the dremel cutoff wheel. I used my dremel to cut carbon rods to use for spars. Worked great. Just be sure to wear a mask as everyone suggested.

[BMatthews]

I've always used fine tooth metal hacksaw blades. First mark the cut line with masking tape and then use the saw to make a light score cut all around it and once you've got the groove cut then cut down useing a light pressure. With this method you won't have any splintering.

Also because you're cutting by hand it doesn't burn the epoxy and cause a lot of fumes and flying dust. I just do the cutting over a trash can and all the stuff falls politely into the trash. A quick light chamfering of the fresh cut end will help ensure that you don't catch the end on something and produce a splinter during subsequent building.

THis is one place where hand tools are just as quick and a lot neater than the Dremel option.