Newbie: I'd Like To Make Stainless Steel Putters

[Fairways_and_Greens]

Hello. I'm looking to setup a metal working area in my shop. I took metal shop in high school, my grandpa was a welder, and I've woodworking all my life. I know basic CAD and am learning CAM.

My goal is to be able to refinish and make my own putters.

1. Beyond the obvious: safety equipment, a couple of grinders, a mill, a TIG welder, and a sandblasting booth, what are some of the big ticket items I need to budget for?
2. I've been spending a lot of time researching mills. Would the PM-25MV have enough muscle to machine stainless putters? If not, what small footprint machine should I be looking for? I definitely want to eventually convert to CNC.
3. Are there any metalworking clubs north of Seattle you recommend?
4. Are there any books you recommend for metalworking? General, milling, and finishing.

Thanks guys!

 

[JimDawson]

Welcome to the Hobby-Machinist

I'm a little biased but I think a heavier mill would be in order for a steady diet of stainless steel. A couple horsepower and 2000 pounds or more would be good. The PM-25-MV is a great little mill, very high quality. But that size of machine might be a bit light for your work. A 9x42/49 Series 1 Bridgeport or clone would be a better choice, and not a much bigger footprint. Consider the PM-949V or similar. Don't be afraid of used equipment, but if you're not comfortable evaluating a used machine, get some knowledgeable help. There are hundreds of retired machinists in your area, I'll bet one or more would be happy to help out, and there are a number of members of Hobby-Machinist in your area also.

As far as other tools and equipment other than what you have already listed, I would think a belt sander and a 12 inch disk sander might useful for final shaping and finishing. The list is endless, here is a thread you may be interested in.

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/suggestions-on-tooling-for-new-machinist.36342/#post-311389

Here is our main beginners forum
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/forums/beginners-forum-learn-how-to-machine-here.208/

and a few links you might find useful to get started.
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/good-books-on-machining.23867/

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/metalworking-reference-links.26319/

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/introduction-to-the-milling-machine.30520/

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/how-to-select-and-buy-a-metalworking-milling-machine.30117/

And there is a wealth of information available from members of Hobby-Machinist and we are always happy to help out.
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[coolidge]

As I recall heat doesn't transfer to stainless chips very well and flood coolant is advised. Stainless can be a gummy stringy thing to machine as well I agree with Jim big rigid machine. I used to machine several hundred pound stainless plug screws and housings on a big Mori CNC mill, BIG the thing had a 36 inch chuck. It was a lot of fun but took patience.

 

[Franko]

F&G, there is a two-part illustrated article in this and last month's Home Shop Machinist magazine of a guy making a putter. It would be worth reviewing to get an idea of what you are getting yourself into. Home Shop Machinist is generally available in big book stores with large magazine selections.

You didn't say if you have any machining experience. It looks like a pretty ambitious project. If it were me, I think I'd try making the first one with aluminum to get the procedures down.

Milling SS has it own set of extra and unique difficulties. There will be a lot of shaping and cutting and SS can work harden, making everything more difficult, making a first pass fairly ordinary and the second pass a full can of worms. You might consider after making a prototype with aluminum, trying the next few with brass before jumping into SS.

 

[Fairways_and_Greens]

Welcome to the Hobby-Machinist

I'm a little biased but I think a heavier mill would be in order for a steady diet of stainless steel. A couple horsepower and 2000 pounds or more would be good. The PM-25-MV is a great little mill, very high quality. But that size of machine might be a bit light for your work. A 9x42/49 Series 1 Bridgeport or clone would be a better choice, and not a much bigger footprint. Consider the PM-949V or similar. ..

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Thanks for such a list to get started on Jim! Just for curiosity. What happens if I go too light? Are the PM-932 and PM-935 also too light?

 

[Fairways_and_Greens]

F&G, there is a two-part illustrated article in this and last month's Home Shop Machinist magazine of a guy making a putter. It would be worth reviewing to get an idea of what you are getting yourself into. Home Shop Machinist is generally available in big book stores with large magazine selections.

You didn't say if you have any machining experience. It looks like a pretty ambitious project. If it were me, I think I'd try making the first one with aluminum to get the procedures down.

Milling SS has it own set of extra and unique difficulties. There will be a lot of shaping and cutting and SS can work harden, making everything more difficult, making a first pass fairly ordinary and the second pass a full can of worms. You might consider after making a prototype with aluminum, trying the next few with brass before jumping into SS.

What a goldmine. Thanks Frank! When I was in high school I custom machined all my buddy's paintball guns for beer money. I'm way behind the curve but I wouldn't be starting from scratch. I like the idea of brass. I like the feel of mild steel putters the best but SS is in vogue at the moment so I want the ability.

 

[brino]

Hey F&G,

Welcome to the site!

You have some very ambitious plans, good for you!
I picture putter heads as being very free-form shapes, maybe not a square edge anywhere, almost like carvings.
Personally I wouldn't know where to start on that.

As shown above this site is packed with very knowledgeable people that share their experience freely.

Since you mentioned machining and paintball in the same sentence, I thought you might enjoy this site:
http://docsmachine.com/

Have fun!

-brino

 

[JimDawson]

Thanks for such a list to get started on Jim! Just for curiosity. What happens if I go too light? Are the PM-932 and PM-935 also too light?

All machines deflect to a greater or lesser degree when in use, depending on the design and mass. Lighter machines are less stiff simply due to less iron in them. The lighter the machine, the more the deflection when cutting, this is also a function of the work material toughness. An extreme example would be machining plastic vs. machining stainless steel. The tougher material requires more force to plow the tool through the work.

Most stainless steel grades are prone to work hardening so the feed rate and depth of cut has to be increased to keep the cutter actually cutting rather than rubbing and thus work hardening the material. Heaver machines can take a bigger bite and better hold the accuracy. Heaver cuts also require greater horsepower. Larger machines also have larger spindles and heaver spindle bearings. This is important to minimize tool deflection and chatter. The mass of the table also has a dramatic effect on the quality of the work, more mass = a more stable work platform, as it tends to dampen out some of the vibration.

Using the PM machines as an example
PM-25MV = 255 lbs
PM-932 = 1100 lbs
PM-935 = 1430 lbs
PM-949 = 2600 lbs
This becomes especially important when you are ready to add CNC to your machine.

I can't address the capabilities of the smaller machines because I have never run one. The smallest machine I have ever owned was a Bridgeport clone at 2050 lbs, and I currently have a machine that is identical to the PM-1054V at 3600 lbs, and the difference between those machines is pretty dramatic. Larger lead screws and more mass.

Hopefully one or more of the members that do have the smaller machines will add their input to this discussion.

The bottom line is: If you purchase a machine that is too light for the intended use, you won't be happy with the result. And besides, we are here to help you spend as much of your money as possible
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[coolidge]

Walk, run, fly e.g. consider subbing out the putter head machining to a local shop with mills weighing north of 10,000 lbs, tools changers, flood coolant, and CAT40 30HP spindles at first.

You can easily drop many thousands of dollars on a cnc mill conversion, fixturing and tooling and end up with a cnc mill conversion that is not up to the task. I have been down that road, conservatively you can drop $10k. That would buy a lot of local shop time. Later if things go well in your venture you can perhaps buy your own CNC mill of the size and features required.

This also removes limits on your designs as industrial CNC mills have fewer limits in terms of finish, accuracy, abilities, and practicality. It might be theoretically possible to do something on a small bench top or knee mill but economically not feasible due to the amount of time required or just not possible.

 

[Cadillac STS]

I just googled "Seatte Maker Space" and there are several Maker Spaces there. What I would do is not buy home machines to work on your goal of designing and making stainless steel putters. Nothing against home shop machines and I have them and most here do too. BUT you can find a Maker Space that has CNC mills and lathes. You can take classes there and make parts on the CNC machines. Work on your CAD and CAM skills and you can have great professional results no problem.

That is what I did. Found a Maker Space in my area. Maker Space It is a "Brand name" like Kleenex for the type of place, industrial club where you join monthly and have access to such sophisticated things you wouldn't believe it and never have a chance anywhere else to work on them. AND many people willing to help you out. I took a class there on the CNC mill and have made some of my own parts there.

Also, if you are a student or teacher of any kind you can get a free 3 year license to use any Autodesk product like Inventor HSM Pro at home. Do the CAD at home and bring the files in to run on the machine.

Keep your cash for raw materials as needed.

Do that and you will find success in your new golf venture. Make a few hundred at the club (Yea they will let you make as many as you need), sell them and someday buy your own CNC machines.