Newsgroups: rec.sport.golf
Subject: 1/2 Build A Dryer Setup
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 00:00:14 -0600


"Experimentation is how we all learn and new techniques evolve."

BUILDING AN INEXPENSIVE DRYER SETUP

Golfworks now has a 12" x 12" x 46" metal dryer box available for  a
mere  $109- a tad bit pricey.  This box allows you to put the nozzle
of your heat gun (used normally for club head removal)  into  a  top
opening to "blow dry" many clubheads at once (12 maximum).

Golfworks says to operate their drying box with a heat  gun  set  to
the  low  cycle  (about  90-100  deg.  F.)  and you can actually get
baked on finishes...  Also, coats of  polyurethane  can  be  applied
more  quickly  and  the  long  final  cure  time of 6-10 days can be
avoided (done in 10 hours).

You  COULD  simply take your heat gun (or a hair blow dryer for that
matter) and wave it around a clubhead to be dried for several  hours
but  that doesn't sound like much fun...does it?  Thus, the need for
something to hold the heat source and regulate the temperature.

I   have   a  hobbyist  workshop  and  have  no  need  presently  to
simultaneously dry 12 clubheads at once. So, I set  about  making  a
simple drying apparatus that would suffice for my needs. I found a 2
foot section of 5" diameter sheet metal ductwork at a local hardware
store.  Also,  a small 3" diameter flashing section of ductwork that
fit my heat gun perfectly.

I traced the outline of the 3" section hole onto the 5" ductwork and
cut the hole out using a sabre saw with a hacksaw type blade.  Then,
I attached the flashing to the ductwork using sheet metal screws.

I mounted the whole thing along the side of my wooden workbench with
insulators  fashioned  out  of  a couple of Bakelite type electrical
connectors.  The idea here was to completely  ISOLATE  the  ductwork
and  its fastening screws from ever touching the wood.  The ductwork
in use does get VERY HOT and I wanted to prevent any possibility  of
fire.

There's  no  need to close off the bottom of the duct as the hot air
simply rises as in a chimney.  To use this setup, I can simply lay a
club  over the top of the workbench with the clubhead exposed to the
warm air.  I found that with the nozzle of the heat gun loaded  into
the  bottom of the duct (blowing air sideways into the duct), a nice
105 degrees F.  air flow is obtained  at  the  clubhead.   NOTE:  To
obtain  this  temperature, distance B in the diagram should be about
10" and distance C in the diagram should be 19".


This dryer setup could also dry painted graphite  shafts  by  simply
hanging  the shaft vertically in the air flow (see my other posts on
that).

Another  hint:  I haven't tried it yet, but I'll probably use one of
those  inexpensive  plug  in  timers  to  turn  the  heat  gun   OFF
automatically as a safety backup.  If you do leave one of these heat
guns on for hours,  I  would  want  to  make  SURE  it  doesn't  get
forgotten!  Golfworks  doesn't  mention  this  in their ad for their
dryer box, but I think its a very good idea.

DIAGRAM:

                                             ^
                    club shaft
      ----------------------------------------\ ^
      --------------------------------------\  \   <--clubhead
     -----------------------------------     \__\     drying     -----
                                       |                         ^
         TOP  SHELF                    |    ^ ^                  | B
         OF WORKBENCH                  |    ^   ^  <--heated     |
                                       |      ^       air        V
                                       |   ------     rising     -----
                                       | I |    |                ^
                                       |   |    |                |
                                       | I |    | <--5" duct     | C
    ------------------------------------   |    |                |
                                           |    |---             V
                                           |       | <--insert   -----
                                           |    |---    heat gun
                                           |    |       nozzle
                                           ------       here
I = insulators mounted 8" apart on side
    of workbench and duct


>>>CONTINUED ON NEXT MESSAGE
___
 X SLMR 2.0 X Press any key to continue or any other key to quit

 * Origin: Dark Knight's Table (1:282/31)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.golf