keyser, I check shafts for straightness in the design studio here and I have a special shaft straightness tester that I built. It is basically a set-up in a sturdy aluminum frame with two small roller bearings at each end that are close together so the shaft lays on them and can be rolled precisely. I have multiple machinists dial indicators (.001 increments) mounted at different intervals on a rod and they are also moveable to any position. Bottom line is that any shaft more than .050” out of round needs to be straightened. I find shafts out of tolerance all the time.
For everyone who read keysers post about checking shaft straightness by “rolling”, here is the procedure; I like to take 5 to 8 shafts at a time and put them all together laying on a flat table. Keep the shafts butt to butt and tip to tip and tight together. Roll the shafts back and forth going about 8 to 10 inches each way (sort of like rolling out bread dough). You are looking for any shaft that sort of “jumps” up as you roll them. It is very easy to spot the shafts that are out of round as you will see the first time you do it.
If the out of round shafts are steel you can straighten them. This takes some practice, so find some old shafts to perfect your procedure. You need a shaft straightening block, which we once sold in the GolfWorks catalog, but I don’t think we sell it any more (you can see this block in my big design book and also in any of my repair books). You can make one easily by getting a piece of wood about 6” by 10” and in one side cut a notch about 1 1/4” deep by 1 1/4” wide. Put the notch about 2 1/2” from the top of the wood block. Next, cut some felt or use an old wound leather grip piece and put it inside the notch to cover the wood. Use two nails or thumb tacks on the outside of the wood block to hold the felt in place. This is too prevent the wood block from scratching the shaft.
To straighten the shaft, first sight down it looking up from the tip end and try to find the most bent area. Mark this with your finger by holding the shaft at this point. Now move over to the shaft straightening block which you already securely mounted in your bench vise. Put the shaft into the wood block notch where the bent part of the shaft starts and by pressing downward (always use downward) to deflect the shaft in the opposite direction of the bend. Keep your hands as close to the bent area as possible and not out on the end of the shaft. Next, move the shaft to a new position in the block and bend the shaft down again. Work slowly at first and apply only enough force to start straightening the shaft. You keep repeating this along the entire bent area while constantly sighting down the shaft to see if you are making any progress. Yes, it takes practice, but eventually it is quite easy and fast. Do a final check by rolling the shaft on the table.
