Polish Your Golf Clubs to a Mirror Finish: 1979 Wilson Reflex Irons Tutorial

Learn how to polish your golf clubs to a mirror finish with this easy-to-follow tutorial using 1979 Wilson Reflex Irons.
Do this at home! Follow the equipment links below to help support the channel.
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[@aptn22]

this club looked like it should be in the garbage bin in the beginning and finished up like a collectors item. This is incredible!

[@michaelolson9881]

I was looking for an effortless way to polish my clubs to a showroom shine when I stumbled across this guy. This is not a polishing video it is a club restoration lesson. thank you sir for your attention to detail, your knowledge and sharing it.

[@thebeardedgolfer-chrishopton]

Looks awesome dude. Great job 🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@natelarge]

Really good DIY restore video.

[@jeffupton2008]

Love the work. Love the narration. I cannot stop watching these videos. Nice.

[@theweekendhack]

Saw this on reddit. Good stuff man

[@boypiercemusic]

A man owning his craft right here.

[@stevetilk4926]

Great tutorial on how to do it right! You inspired me to paint some woods recently. This will be the next thing I do.

[@matthewfaulhaber]

This is awesome. Love your videos and the fact that you are bringing these clubs back to life. They are beautiful.

[@BradMeehan]

Thank you, Matthew. Hope you can try it too. You'll never look at the bargain bin at the thrift store the same.

[@SuperJgraves]

This is a great video of DIY club cleaning and polishing. Love how you show all equipment and materials needed! Excellent!

[@BradMeehan]

Thank you

[@stevetilk4926]

Those clubs would be the talk of the practice range. Nice job!

[@phumlanimotsamai4213]

You are a legend 🙌

[@dpmaine]

Cool beans ! My dad bought a set of those in 80. I then graduated to his 73 AC 108’s. All was right with the world ⛳️🤪

[@craigscott3133]

I just figured out what Im doing this winter. Great, detailed video. Thanks for doing it.

[@BradMeehan]

Thank you. Let me know how they turn out!

[@craigscott3133]

@@BradMeehan 1 question. When irons have little gouges and dents from bag chatter etc, is a deburring wheel the first step to remove those marks? Thanks

[@BradMeehan]

@@craigscott3133 It will get out most of those (unless they're really deep), but you'll still have to sand out the deburring scratches before going to the sisal wheel. It seems like an additional step, but it will save you tons of time. I take the laziest approach that still gives great results.

[@craigscott3133]

@@BradMeehan You have inspired me to give this sort of restoration a shot. A video from you on common mistakes and pitfalls for newbies would be invaluable. Thanks, Brad.

[@BradMeehan]

@@craigscott3133 Thank you. I've made a lot of mistakes so that's a good video idea.

[@richard63]

I have 4 sets of Slazengers, one set of Australian Lynson and one set of PGFs ,which are all stainless , and I have filed and used wet-or-dry to remove dents and scratches to a 600 grit finish, then with one set of the Slazengers I have super-polished back to perfection. I didn't super-finish all of them as I use them on the course and it wouldn't be worth it . I had a lot of fun doing this. All are between early 80s to mid 90s. I enjoyed watching this video. I hope you do more.

[@BradMeehan]

That makes me happy. I'm glad to help! Thanks for taking the time to respond.

[@julesdowner5585]

it looks so satisfying

[@BradMeehan]

It's like a meditation once you get going

[@julesdowner5585]

@@BradMeehan Theraputic!

[@ivyleague3224]

Beautiful nice job

[@BradMeehan]

Thank you!

[@HypnotizeMinds0]

Nice work! Much better than sitting through a 30 minute video, too. Thx!

[@BradMeehan]

Thanks Matt.

[@richardliu9368]

I like that you don't use any fancy tools or machines but outcome is incredible.

[@BradMeehan]

Thank you. Everything can be done by hand, but the power tools help speed things along.

[@colinnewman6570]

What wheels and compound brands ?

[@thethriftinglounge]

Getting ready to refinish the same Wilson reflex set.

[@BradMeehan]

Should be fairly simple since they're not plated. Let me know how it goes!

[@BradMeehan]

I added my equipment list to the description if that helps?

[@sgtbillsilvia1100]

Love these videos and tutorials!! I have 2 questions. 1- if the clubs aren’t too worn, is doing just the polishing steps enough? 2- if you do plate them in bright nickel, how well does it hold up to regular use?

[@bquinn3191]

Amazing, I'm gonna have to start doing this. I'll just have to figure out all of the items I need. I have 2 bench grinders so at leadt I'm set there. Thanks for the video.

[@BradMeehan]

I made a video on how to convert your bench grinder into a polisher if you want to check it out. Also, check out the little Amazon storefont I made with the tools I use in each step so you can see what they look like, compare prices, etc. Link is in the description. And ask me lots of questions. Happy to help you get started.

[@bquinn3191]

@@BradMeehan Thank you so much. I visited your Amazon and have a great idea on what I need to get started. I sell clubs on eBay and spend a lot of time cleaning them, this will allow me to get to the next level (with some practice I'm sure). I will definitely purchase what I can thru the link to Amazon you provided. Thanks again

[@donaldrippetoe5246]

I really appreciate your content! I started restoring clubs based on your videos! I’m learning as I go. There is a book in your video that provides details on various clubs, what book is that?

[@Sc0lie]

Absolutely love these videos. I think you're the only channel I've found with good quality, informative restoration videos. I hope your channel can grow! I've since cleaned and lightly sanded an old set I had and loved it! I dont have access or space for a bench grinder though. Do you think I could get similar results with micro mesh sandpapers? Thank you!

[@BradMeehan]

Thank you very much and please subscribe! You can do all of this by hand. It just takes longer but I'm sure you'll take more pride in the finished product. Take a look at videos like this to see how to polish metal without power tools. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnmugnSNe5Kdhc0

[@johnchirlin3111]

I remember those clubs. I wanted them, but they were too expensive so I went with used Wilson X-31s.

[@BradMeehan]

Just finished a video of a Honma that retailed for over $3000 in 1985! That's equivalent to $8500 in today's money!

[@captaincanada8872]

Good vid... 👍🏼

[@jakeakabj]

I’m gonna need to start using my white compound and get some brown

[@BradMeehan]

Yo, Zen Snake - I added links to the compounds in the description.

[@scottk7260]

What are the signs to know when a club is chromed compared to a high polish stainless steel?

[@chadode9048]

Great work! I am curious...that book with the description of the Wilson irons...is that some sort of iron encyclopedia?? Love the videos!

[@BradMeehan]

Exactly. It's a collection of all of the catalogs for every year since Wilson's (and MacGregor) history. The author is "Kaplan". You can find them in ebay, but some are waaaaaay overpriced. Very cool books, though.

[@nativeflight7079]

I love your videos. I did noticed that on the latest ones you no longer call out the steps.

[@BradMeehan]

Yeah, people seemed to prefer when i didn't babble. I decided to make two types of videos: instructional tutorials and just sit-back-and-relax, stoner rabbit hole restorations. The steps are pretty repetitive so hopefully people will follow the links to the tutorials.

[@nativeflight7079]

@@BradMeehan I actually like it when you babble. You’re pretty funny. But yes you are right. I watch a few videos and I learnt the process. I do like the little text you added on some videos on each step. For those new to your videos that watch the newest videos it would be very helpful. Keep up the good work I really enjoy your tutorials. Thanks!

[@NM-pl1iv]

Exactly what I’m planning on doing with a set of ping i2’s I got for $20 bucks.

[@BradMeehan]

You're gonna love this hobby.

[@VanishingImage]

I got a wheel kit and has a really coarse wheel then a dark denim wheel then the same orange one you have in the video. My M2 irons have some deep scratches should I go 1 step coarser wheel than the orange one to get those out? Thanks i love the videos!!!

[@BradMeehan]

Sorry i missed this. Have you made any progress? Let me know if you have any questions.

[@alinchitown7556]

Brad I just bought a complete set of those I’m leaning towards doing them in copper.

[@BradMeehan]

That would look really cool... read up on copper plating stainless steel. You may need to do a layer of nickel first.

[@alinchitown7556]

@@BradMeehan Thanks Brad that is the plan to strip them first, then a light layer of nickel, before the copper plating. Just have to do a little more research on how best to make the copper as durable as possible. The set just got here as I was typing this.

[@BradMeehan]

@@alinchitown7556 they may not have any chrome at all. Stainless shines to a high Gloss without it so stripping might not be needed. You could always do a small test area and see if it plates nickel without stripping anything. It can always be sanded off easily

[@MadsRehhoff]

Great job! Very inspirational. Please show a similar process for a Beryllium-Copper iron, if possible. Thx

[@slinkycowboy]

identical , but worthpolishing the clubs after if you want to keep the shine

[@earlscheib7754]

Beryllium copper is actually toxic you have to be very careful polishing or working with it that's why they're no longer made

[@danc2014]

Can be Dangerous to polish berylĺium without proper protection.

[@sirchdj]

Any tips on how to create a satin/matte type finish on stainless club rather than mirror finish?

[@BradMeehan]

Hi Chris. Yes, I would polish first to get the scratches out, then use a milder glass beads in the gun versus the aluminum oxide I use in this video for the face. I've seen a video on KZbin of a guy doing a putter like this. He took two passes with a lighter "grit" medium and it looked amazing. If you want the brushed look, you can use the deburring wheel and sand paper in a single direction to lay a foundation of uniform scratches to dull it out.

[@GeezerUK7]

Hey man, great job! Can you tell me what wheels your using on the grinder pls?

[@BradMeehan]

Sure thing. Here you go: amzn.to/3hvtVPJ Thanks for watching!

[@GeezerUK7]

@@BradMeehan nice one, cheers

[@garyslade9987]

Hi , great video by the way....ive got one question.....did you do anything to club face after shot blasting it?eg cleaning or sealing it.

[@BradMeehan]

Thank you. These are stainless, so you can cut as deep as you want with the blaster and not expose any metal that would corrode. I did brush out any remaining blasting medium, but it's so fine that none of it really stuck or compacted into the grooves. If you were doing this on a forged club, you'd have to spray it with corrosion inhibitor (WD40 or similar) if you've exposed bare metal. Forged clubs are generally plated with (steel) > nickel > chrome, or with Mizuno's "layers of feel" it's (steel) > nickel strike > copper > nickel > chrome. So you'd be going through a few layers of plating before exposing the steel.

[@garyslade9987]

@@BradMeehan thank you for the info 🙏 , what type of abrasive do you find works best for the face, Steel beads glass sand? fine or medium abrasive ? Many thanks.

[@BradMeehan]

@@garyslade9987 In this video, I used a 70 grit black aluminum oxide. However, I want to experiment with something more abrasive like sand. I don't own a cabinet, so there's the waste issue (and the medium is expensive-ish). And, while it does leave a nice finish on the face, newer clubs have more of a pronounced texture - which I like the look of. Sand may get me more of that look. I'll have to verify my little gun can support using it. I'm working on a nickel plating video now so you could re-plate the face after blasting to prevent corrosion on forged irons.

[@garyslade9987]

@@BradMeehan thats great information Brad, a bit of trail and error for the shot blasting with different grades of grit....ive watched your nickel-plating teaser video looks awesome 👌please keep making these great video's they Invaluable to the little guy just starting out 🏌️‍♂️👍

[@skigolfmike]

Do you refinish other people’s clubs? If so, do you have a website or contact info?

[@awesomebillfromdawsonville8715]

👍

[@chriseggs3447]

Trying to get started on a 90’s set of mizuno pro irons and can’t seem to find the steel specs. It there any types of heads that you can’t do this with?

[@BradMeehan]

You can polish any type of club head.

[@Floormassacred]

Hey Brad just wondering if that is a stitched rag wheel your starting off with? and the moving over to the leaf rag wheel to finish? would the stitched sisal used for more deeper scratches on the club face? and is isopropyl alcohol best used to clean the paint on the clubs? Also subbed to channel - ta

[@BradMeehan]

I've been sanding first, then sisal wheel, then the stitched wheels. The sisal wheel is where you'll see the most transformation but it won't get out large scratches. The sanding will do that.

[@BradMeehan]

Also, acetone seems to work better than the alcohol if you have it.

[@skaverick]

I’m curious would using a torch and introducing the iron to heat prior to your polishing routine help at all to bring up the shine?

[@BradMeehan]

The polishing process generates quite a bit of heat. I would think the torch would have it too hot to hold and may change the color.

[@benbarrs5500]

what grit and kind of material did you use in the blaster?.....and where bought from?......Clubs look great, i am going to try it on a set i have that haven't been used in 20yrs. Spalding Executives.

[@BradMeehan]

Hi Ben. There are a few threads below about the media topic. Are the Spalding the cast or the forged irons?

[@BradMeehan]

Ben - Here are links, if you're still interested: Handheld Media Blaster: amzn.to/3yXcgGD Aluminum Tape: amzn.to/2T3eQeP Blasting Media: amzn.to/2SZR8jo

[@tonysdivot]

can you pls give me an online address for a spin on the mandrel/arbor attachment, I live in Canada and can't find one here. thanks

[@LewisMorra]

whats that round puck attached to the grinder??? the thing you press the clubs on..?

[@BradMeehan]

Hi, Lewis. Those are the polishing wheels. Check out the equipment link in the description to read more about them.

[@alangibson4499]

hi what power is your compressor? as ive been told i need a really good compressor. good job

[@BradMeehan]

It's small. Only a 2 gallon compressor. The maximum pressure for the blast gun is 90psi.

[@alangibson4499]

@@BradMeehan can I ask what CFM is your compressor thanks

[@BradMeehan]

@@alangibson4499 it's small. It's 2.4 scfm at 90psi. If you can get ahold of a larger compressor, they'd be better for other applications like a paint gun or larger blast cabinet. This is just the one I've had for years (and too cheap to get another.)

[@slinkycowboy]

@@alangibson4499 yull need 9.6 or above . mine is 14 and its great for all face finishing using different media to replicate different manufacturers finishes

[@derickv4665]

I have a set of ping eye 2s that I play but are pretty dull. I love the look of the fully polished and near mirror finish. Do you think it would be possible to achieve that on those given they didn’t come with that finish? I’ve tried to find if anybody else has done it but I haven’t had any luck.

[@BradMeehan]

Absolutely. Polishing alone would take care of that. Check out my Nike Slingshot video for another look at the potential.

[@derickv4665]

@@BradMeehan good to know! I watched it not long after this video. Being cast I shouldn’t have to worry about buffing too much with something like the black polish to begin with correct?

[@BradMeehan]

@@derickv4665 It would depend on the level of scratches you're dealing with and your personal level of OCD-ness. The beauty is you can always go more aggressive with hand sanding if it's not to your liking with the black polish. If you have a sisal wheel I'd at least do that step before polishing. You won't screw it up. At worst, it will look like it does now.

[@derickv4665]

@@BradMeehan that’s what I was going to do. It is mostly regular play scratches with some bag chatter here and there. I’m not too picky when it comes to that. I just wanted to try and get that new polished look that new irons have.

[@BradMeehan]

@@derickv4665 Sweet. Hit me up with questions and let me know how it turns out.

[@stang1966gt]

Any way to restore a worn sole?

[@mattp6355]

Ideally you want a wheel for each compound

[@BradMeehan]

Agreed. I've been using a wheel rake between compounds but you're absolutely correct here.

[@crowcounter2007]

What are the black to white compounds and where would I get them from?

[@BradMeehan]

Take a look at the link in the description. I made an Amazon storefront with all the equipment there.

[@camden1977]

Were these irons chrome plated, or nickel plated, or just plain stainless prior to you polishing them?

[@BradMeehan]

They are stainless, so super easy. No plating needed!

[@fergusfitzgerald977]

Super job - why do people buy new clubs when this is available !

[@BradMeehan]

Exactly! And it's so rewarding to bring it back to life.

[@PNWLiving1725]

Does texture give ball spin? Is that why you give texture? Just wondering. I notice my irons don't have that texture

[@BradMeehan]

It's more for visual contrast because it's not really leaving grit on the face. You don't have to do it. I just thought it looked clean with the matte finish next to the shiny.

[@thomascorser537]

What book do you have in the beginning of the video that shows you the type of iron?

[@BradMeehan]

It's a book of the history of Wilson catalogs for every year. I have the MacGregor book as well. The author's last name is "Kaplan" and you can find them on ebay regularly.

[@thomascorser537]

@@BradMeehan thank you! We just recently purchased a huge lot of clubs (filled our 9'x16' enclosed trailer full) for $600. Going to spend this winter going through them and would love to restore some old ones for our simulator room and to give as gifts. Your channel is awesome! Keep up the great work.

[@BradMeehan]

@@thomascorser537 Thank you. If you have complete sets you'll easily 10x your investment on ebay. I'll warn you, though - it's hard to part with them.

[@thomascorser537]

@@BradMeehan we have everything sorted. Over 100 complete sets, six 55gal drums of miscellaneous putters, irons, woods and drivers! We have an ebay store so eventually they'll start getting put on there.

[@BradMeehan]

@@thomascorser537 Shoot me a link to your store. I'd love to see what you got.

[@andrescruz152]

the stick reference book where did you get it

[@BradMeehan]

Ebay. It's called: GOLF CLUB IDENTIFICATION AND PRICE GUIDE There are MUCH cheaper versions but here's one: www.ebay.com/itm/GOLF-CLUB-IDENTIFICATION-AND-PRICE-GUIDE-III-GOLF-By-Mark-Wilson-Excellent-/184684303341?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

[@BradMeehan]

One more... I have a few books that most people refer to as "the Kaplan books" that are collections of ALL of the Wilson and MacGregor catalogs going back to the 20s or earlier. They pop up on eBay and are around 30 dollars. Search for Jim Kaplan MacGregor on eBay and look at the SOLD filter to see what it looks like.

[@deviusfeilds]

Can anyone help? I've got a set, but the material separating the clubface is degrading, what can be done?

[@BradMeehan]

Can you post a picture of it? What material is it?

[@deviusfeilds]

@@BradMeehan I'll make a video and post it on my channel, thanks for reaching out. I actually found the web page of the designer of the clubs he said that the original matrlerial is rubber

[@mitchellpierson9081]

Do you restore club for people of just for yourself?

[@BradMeehan]

Just for the channel. I want to teach everyone how to do this. It's really easy stuff.

[@AndreGarcia92]

What kind of paint is that???

[@BradMeehan]

It's just Rustoleum enamel. You could use nail polish too. Be sure to clean the area first with alcohol or acetone so it sticks.

[@Labgorilla]

No joke. This looks like a modern P790. Ridiculous how ideas keep being re used!

[@BradMeehan]

Agreed! And the tech behind the speed slots isn't a modern discovery. Makes you think we're just buying into marketing versus true tech improvements.

[@bmc6066]

What book is that?

[@BradMeehan]

They're referred to as the "Kaplan" books. The author is Jim Kaplan. Loom on ebay for "Kaplan Wilson Golf" and you'll see them. Do NOT pay as much as they're asking. That's ridiculous.

[@tuhituhi701]

Alternatively use a dremel with sanding attachments...

[@BradMeehan]

The dremel is such a small circumference it tends to leave waves in the metal so I try to avoid it.

[@tuhituhi701]

@@BradMeehan you can get different attachments like sanding circular disc 1 inch 2 inch or half cylindrical or quarter. However, whichever tools work as long as it looks good.

[@BradMeehan]

@@tuhituhi701 what grits do they have? Are there finer grits like a 400 or 600?

[@tuhituhi701]

@@BradMeehan yes. You can get 200,400, 600,1000,2000,5000 on eBay for 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 inch wide cylindrical or 1, 2, 3, inch wide circular disc attachments for dremels.

[@BradMeehan]

@@tuhituhi701 Thanks for that. I'll take a look.

[@tuhituhi701]

I can't believe that is a 1979 club.

[@BradMeehan]

They are really cool clubs. And the tech was ahead of the game!

[@tuhituhi701]

@@BradMeehan looks cool too! I saw a set on ebay and thought what if you buy the irons and reshaft them with UST Proforce v2

[@BradMeehan]

@@tuhituhi701 the possibilities are endless. A lot of people discount these clubs because they're older but the tech stands up. Don't be fooled by the marketing fluff, the clubs from the 70s 80s and 90s were ahead of the times and can compete all day.

[@manuelgarza969]

Sand blasting the face of the club does that makes it get rusty when you play.

[@BradMeehan]

Depends on what they're made of. The stainless, cast clubs will not rust . Forged clubs have a few layers of plating: chrome on the outside, then a layer of nickel, then (sometimes) copper, then steel. If you blast all the way down to steel, then you *could* expose the metal to rust over time. However, we're just putting texture on them and the low pressure of the gun is too weak to get down to bare steel. You'd need a pretty heavy duty blasting gun and compressor to do that. I would recommend wiping the clubs with a lubricant like WD40, which is a rust inhibitor to prevent this if you have concern. My bet is if you've ever hit a rock, or played off of hard pan, you have done way more exposure to the metal than what we're introducing for the re-facing.

[@manuelgarza969]

@@BradMeehan thank you very much .

[@manuelgarza969]

@@BradMeehan what grit of sand blasting do you use.

[@BradMeehan]

@@manuelgarza969 It's 70 grit black aluminum oxide

[@manuelgarza969]

@@BradMeehan alright thank you and very nice job on your work.

[@911crackdaddy]

Do yourself a favor and put that club head in vinegar overnight, the rust will literally disappear with a light brushing.