regrip issue

[fengler19]

I just regripped my S Wedge a few hours ago. (first time I've done it). It actually went well, but during the process I somehow managed to spill some grip solvent, don't ask, on my new roll of grip tape. Will the tape be fine and regain it's stickiness in a few hours after it dries, or should i put an order in for some more tape? Thanks, I appreciate the help with my rookie question!

[bigphil]

it may dry up the tape so its not as sticky as it used to be. i would just tear a piece off and check its tackiness...that should tell you wheather it will still work or not.

[Clubchucker]

I'd toss the roll myself. Not worth worrying about it or fighting with it for the cost of a roll of tape.

For what it's worth also, I never use grip solvent. I use WD-40. Spray a little on the tape, then spray some inside the grip....good to go. That way you don't have to worry about spilling any. I've regripped literally thousands of clubs in my lifetime (used to work for a Putt-Putt golf course) and have never had a problem. Still regrip my own clubs using the same stuff....just redid 3 of my clubs a couple of weeks ago.

[shaggy023]

Isn't WD-40 a lubricant? Put paint thinner in a spray bottle, spray the tape on the shaft, a little in the grip, good to go!

Kevin

[Jack_2251]

I'd toss the roll myself. Not worth worrying about it or fighting with it for the cost of a roll of tape.

Would you be able to give me a description of how you regrip your clubs and what is needed, and also do you buy them off ebay?

[chingali]

I worked in a very busy pro shop for about 5 years and we used to regrip probably somewhere between 5 and 10 sets a day, so add it up and I must have done thousands and thousands of the bloody things.

Rubber Cement Method
We used to use rubber cement to fit grips, the stuff we used was made by a company called Bostik, I think they are now a division of 3M. The method used was pretty simple.

1. Remove the old grip with a craft knife if isn't going to be saved
2. Use the same knife to strip off any old tape that was still in place, being careful to get rid of as much tape/glue as you can
3. Use an old rag dipped in petrol to further clean the shaft down and get rid of any sticky residue
4. Apply 3/4 inch wide masking tape in a winding fashion starting from the top for the first paper then alternate to the bottom if you need more than one, apply it in opposite directions for each alternate layer so it ends up in a criss-sross pattern
5. Apply a single wrap of masking tape around the top of the shaft so only half of it is on the shaft and the other half overhangs, tuck the overhanging bit down inside the shaft
6. Secure the grip in a vice using a rubber shaft clamp
7. Use an old shaft dipped in the rubber cement and stick it inside the new grip and give it a twirl around to make sure you coat the inside of the grip as best you can
8. Wipe all of the excess off the old shaft on to the tape of the club in the vise, wipe it all around and try to coat the area as best you can
9. Pinch the new grip about a half inch from the bottom so it flares open and slide it on to the end of the shaft, give it a few twists here and there as it slides on to further coat everything with glue
10. Once it is properly seated remove the club from the vice and sit it on the floor and look down the shaft along the grip as you adjust the grip centreline with the middle of the clubface if it is an iron or the centre of the wood head if it is a wood. This puts the grip on the club in a neutral position. If you want the grip in a slightly weak or strong position you adjust to suit
11. Wipe off any glue that squirted out the top or bottom of the grip with a bit of newspaper and sit it aside to dry for an hour
12. When dry, give any extra glue seepage a quick wipe over with the petrol soaked rag to clean up
13. The glue is usually dry enough to use within a few hours, less if it is a hot day, longer if it is the middle of winter.

Double Sided Tape and Solvent Method
These days I just use double sided tape (buy it at the hardware store in half inch wide rolls) and petrol, the method is pretty similar to using rubber cement.

1. Remove the old grip with a craft knife if isn't going to be saved
2. Use the same knife to strip off any old tape that was still in place, being careful to get rid of as much as you can
3. Use an old rag dipped in petrol to further clean the shaft down and get rid of any sticky residue
4. Apply 3/4 inch wide masking tape in a winding fashion starting from the top for the first paper then alternate to the bottom if you need more than one, apply it in opposite directions for each alternate layer so it ends up in a criss-sross pattern
5. Apply a single wrap of double sided tape along the shaft in a winding fashion and remove the paper protection to expose the sticky surface. Apply double sided tape tape around the top of the shaft so only half of it is on the shaft and the other half overhangs, tuck the overhanging bit down inside the shaft and remove the paper protection to expose the sticky surface
6. Secure the grip in a vice using a rubber shaft clamp
7. Pour a bit of petrol inside the grip while covering the hole in the cap with your finger and then cover the other end and swish it all around to coat the inside of the grip, do this for about 10 seconds as the petrol will both lubricate and slightly soften the inside of the grip and it takes a little bit of time
8. Pour the petrol out of the grip along the prepared shaft area slowly so that you manage to evenly cover the lot. Before doing so put an old metal tray beneath the area to catch what drips off
9. Pinch the new grip about a half inch from the bottom so it flares open and slide it on to the end of the shaft, give it a few twists here and there as it slides on, sometimes it'll catch here and there but if you keep twisting and sliding it will go on
10. Once it is properly seated remove the club from the vice and sit it on the floor and look down the shaft along the grip as you adjust the grip centreline with the middle of the clubface if it is an iron or the centre of the wood head if it is a wood. This puts the grip on the club in a neutral position. If you want the grip in a slightly weak or strong position you adjust to suit
11. Wipe off any of the tape glue that squirts out the top or bottom of the grip with a bit of newspaper and sit it aside to dry for an hour
12. When dry, give any extra tape glue seepage a quick wipe over with the petrol soaked rag to clean up
13. The glue is usually dry enough to use within a few hours, less if it is a hot day, longer if it is the middle of winter.

Some people complain about the smell of petrol on their clubs, but if you leave your club in an open area overnight the smell has usually gone by the morning, sometimes it may linger for a bit but it always ends up going away. If it bothers you then you can always use grip solvent or any number of different solvents, some of them have no odour at all but I find that petrol is always readily available (I keep some in a tin for the lawnmower etc) and it is the cheapest option there is. Make sure to use it in a well ventilated area, DO NOT SMOKE and dispose of the runoff sensibly. What I usually do with runoff that collects in the tin anyway is just pour it back in to a little jar and reuse it, you can keep using it over and over until it evaporates, spills on the floor, gets on your clothes and gets you in trouble with the wife etc!

Safely Removing grips to be Re-used
If you want to remove a grip and would like to be able to use it again it's quite easy to do. I probably have a 90%+ success rate for being able to re-use grips removed in this way. So long as the grip is in reasonable condition (still soft and pliable not gone hard) here's what you do.

1. Go to your local chemist/pharmacy/drugstore or whatever you call it and buy yourself a couple of glass bodied syringes. You need them large enough to hold about 20 to 30mls, the bigger the better but don't go getting something big enough to tranquilise an elephant! Get some needles to fit, you want something of a heavy gauge, probably with about a 1mm or so inside diameter.
2. Put you club in a rubber vise grip and secure it, put a metal drip tray underneath to catch the runoff
3. Suck some solvent in to the syringe, I use petrol and insert the syringe underneath the grip a few inches down from the top (go in at a flat angle towards the bottom of the grip) and slowly squirt the solvent underneath the grip. Go slowly at first as it may be a bit hard and you'll feel some resistance but give it a few seconds and you'll get it all in
4. Most likely you'll end up with a bubble of solvent underneath the grip, sometimes it'll just squirt out but in either case once it's all in, firmly grab hold of the grip and begin twisting and work the solvent towards the bottom. You'll feel the glue softening as you go and when it is all moving freely just slide the grip off. Sometimes you may need to put some more solvent in at different places, you'll work out what needs to be done.
5. After you have removed the grip leave it to air out for a few hours before you re-use it, or if you aren't going to re-use it immediately store it in a dry place away from sunlight.