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Do-it-yourself Digital Swingweight Scale

Dave Tutelman -- May 9, 2015

The swingweight scale market is going digital. There are a bunch of digital swingweight scales on the market today. They have a couple of things in common. They all seem to use electronic innards made by GolfMechanix, and they all seem to be priced at $330-$350. You can get a less expensive swingweight balance with a sliding weight for $50-$150; they are almost as accurate as digital, but slower and harder to read. Or you can make your own digital swingweight scale. Walter Sexsmith and I had an email dialogue last Fall about digital swingweight and MOI measurement, which resulted in our cooperatively designing and building several digital swingweight instruments. Between us, we have built five different ones so far. It was easier than we expected. One of our models is certainly within the capability of most clubmakers -- and has a material cost under $50. Some of the construction requires a drill press, a fairly common tool in most clubmakers' shops. A circular saw with a carbide blade is also handy. Other than that, you probably have and use the tools required for the job. By the way, any picture with a blue or purple border around it serves as a "thumbnail"; it can be clicked on to get a larger version of the picture.
Here is the story on building and using your own DIY digital swingweight scale.
(1)	We'll start with how to calibrate and use the swingweight scale. If you know how it is going to be used, it makes some of the construction details easier to understand.
(2)	Building the arm, which is where the dimensions are critical. Get this right, and the instrument will be accurate. Also some words about the other working component of the system, a digital gram scale.
(3)	Building the base, plus some alternative designs for the base, one wooden and one aluminum. The base is a lot less critical than the arm. As long as everything fits and nothing binds, it will work fine.
(4)	Data and details, including: Bill of materials. The math and physics of swingweight theory. The design math of how this swingweight scale works.

Disclaimer

Y'know, I hate to have to do this, but our current litigious culture seems to make it an essential prudence.

These plans are not guaranteed to work for you. They worked for me, and I fully expect they would work for anybody who executes them competently. But I am not responsible if they don't. Nor am I responsible if you damage some tool, or even yourself, while trying to build a digital swingweight scale. Nor am I responsible for the consequences of bad swingweight readings from your scale.

I fully intend to help with tech support, or even moral support, if you run into trouble. But I am under no obligation to do so.

Bottom line: Don't sic your lawyer on me if your project does not work out.

Last modified - May 19, 2015