“Washing” your Bearings

As you further venture into the development of newer and more technical tricks, the need to have a yo-yo that spins longer is necessary if you want to further explore stuff that you have never tried before. But sometimes, you may find it difficult to progress to advance tricks because your yo-yo is (1) too responsive, and/or (2) not sleeping/spinning long enough.

Today we shall teach you the technique often used by advance players who want to achieve a better playing yo-yo for performing tougher tricks.

***Do Note: Washing your yo-yo will result in a lack of response, which means you’ll be required to perform a bind in order to return the yo-yo to your hand.***

To get started, you will need the following.

1. Lighter Fluid

2. Canister to put your lighter fluid in

3. Wrench / Bearing Removal Tool

4. Tweezers

5. Tissue Paper

YoyoJam, YoYoFactory and other large bearing yo-yos may require a bit of help with bearing removal from the bearing seat. You may choose to purchase a bearing removal tool but if not, a simple wrench will do the trick.

Simply grab the bearing with the circular side of the wrench and rock the wrench side-to-side and slowly remove the bearing. DO NOT GRAB THE BEARING TOO TIGHTLY! You may end up crushing the bearing instead. The rocking motion allows the bearing to be 'wiggled out' and removed easily without having to use too much force which may result in damaging the bearing.

Once the bearing is out, fill your canister with lighter fluid. You do not need to fill up the entire canister, about half a centimeter or slightly over the width of the bearing, will do just fine. After which, toss your bearing into the canister and give it a good hard shake and thorough washing/cleaning.

If your bearing is old, you will most likely encounter a lot of dirt being stuck inside your bearing. This will result in the lighter fluid turning a darker/murkier shade if you wash it thoroughly, like seen below.

Once the bearing is washed, remove it with a pair of tweezers and dry it on a piece of tissue paper. Remember to properly dispose of the tissue paper after the bearing is dry. Once the bearing is all clean and dry, fit it back into your yo-yo and you are all set.

If you find that the yo-yo is too unresponsive to your liking, you may add a bit of lube to give it a little more response. Your regular 3-in-1 oil or sewing machine oil (such as Singer Oil) will do just fine. For the best bearing maintenance, we highly recommend getting yourself a bottle of YoyoJam thin or thick lube, or Yoyofactory Performance Oil, should you require a bit more response and better bearing care than your regular commercially-bought oils.

We hope this post proves helpful for everyone, if you need further help, check out our Spinworkx Facebook Page and ask questions to seek assistance.

***Lighter Fluid is flamable and DANGEROUS if not handled properly. Spinworkx is not responsible should you accidentally cause harm to yourself while performing such modifications. If unsure, acquire the assistance of an adult, or drop by the Spinworkx Store, to handle the flammable contents.***

Yo-Yo Bearing Lubrication

Which lube fits which yo-yo?

If you have washed your bearing only to realise that you’d prefer a yo-yo that’s more responsive, and you don’t like to bind your yo-yo, don't panic! This is the post for you!

A few players may have purchased the YoyoJam or Yoyofactory lube already but have no idea how to use it. Spinworkx takes a look at how you should 'oil' your bearing, and which lube suits what type of play.

Thin/String Tricks Lube

When you are dealing with string tricks, you want a yo-yo that spins long, and a bearing lube that does not slow the yo-yo down too much, but provides some form of response at the same time. In this case, using a Thin Lube, or String trick Lube will work best.

Thin Lubes are suitable for string trick yo-yos

When lubing a string-trick yo-yo, you will want the lube to enter the bearing. A drop or two is all you need to fully soak the interior of the bearing, giving it enough lubrication to spin long and provide a little bit of response.

One or two drops into the bearing, no more than that.

Thick/Looping Tricks Lube

Thicker lubrication is needed for tricks that require the bearing and yo-yo to be more responsive like loops, which is why if you own a pair of looping yo-yos, be it Raiders, Unleashed, Loop 900s, etc, getting a bottle of thick lube would be better than one which is thin.

Thick lubes are suitable for Loopers and Transaxles.

Another suitable use for Thick Lubes are when playing with Transaxles (Yomega Brains, Fireballs, Super Yo-Yo Advance and Super Advance yo-yos etc).

Lube the bearing, one or two drops should suffice.

When you 'oil' your looping yo-yo, what you want is for the bearing to receive the lube, not so much the axle. When the lube penetrates into the bearing interior, it gives it a more responsive feel, allowing the yo-yo to return easily, making it great for loops.

Transaxles require you to oil the axle to make the yo-yo responsive.

When lubing a transaxle, what you want to 'oil' would be the shaft which the sliding axle slips onto. As seen in the picture above, the Yomega Brain requires lubrication on the axle to give it response. A closer look at the picture can be seen below.

Leave a thin coat of lube on the axle of your Transaxle yo-yo.

As usual, a drop or two is more than enough to get you going. Once the shaft has been oiled, you’ll get a much better response from your yo-yo.

—————————–

So now that you know which lubrication suits what sort of yo-yos, you can go ahead and use them correctly. However, if you have any difficulty, you may always check in with us on the Spinworkx Facebook Page to get help from other yo-yo players who have used yo-yo Lubes as well, or you may come by to the store and we will help you out!

YoyoJam Thin Lube - SGD$8.90

YoyoJam Thick Lube - SGD$8.90

Yoyofactory Performance Lube (String) - SGD$9.90

Yoyofactory Performance Lube (Loops) - SGD$9.90

Rust, Rust, go away!

Here is a fact of life: some metals will rust. In the case of yoyos, although the yoyo won’t rust, the bearing it comes with can, and possibly will. However, there are ways of preventing your bearing from rusting and if it happens, there are ways to remove it.

This is what a rusted bearing looks like.

The simplest way to prevent rust is to store the yoyo properly. After playing with their yo-yo, many players will just wind the string back, and leave the yo-yo like that. This is fine. However, as players may have sweaty palms, the country you live in may be humid, etc, we would recommend the yoyo be stored with the string off. This is because the string absorbs moisture from the players hand and moisture on the string will speed up oxidation, causing rust on the bearing.

Storing the yo-yo without string: Recommended!

Storing the yo-yo with a wound string: Not recommended.

On that note, another way to prevent rust is to store the yoyo in a dry place. For example, leaving your yoyo in the bathroom while you are taking a steaming hot shower is not a good idea. Neither is in the kitchen next to a pot of boiling water. Also, lubing a bearing after washing it will form a barricade between the metal and the air, so that too will help fight away the rust.

Is it too late? Do you already have rust? No need to worry! Sanding the bearing will help to remove the rust. Be sure to use a fine grain sand paper, and rub it on the bearing. After you are done with the sanding, make sure you clean your bearing thoroughly.

Begin with fine grain sandpaper.

Rub the bearing on the sandpaper.

Wash the rust dust off after sanding.

When it is done, it will look something like this.

Another thing to keep in mind is that it is perfectly natural for a bearing to tarnish(or turn black). If this happens, there is no need for sanding and you should be able to play it as normal.

A tarnished, but properly kept bearing.

If this is all too much for you, there is another solution. You could replace the bearing that your yoyo comes with, to a Stainless Steel EZO bearing. Stainless steel does not react with oxygen, so it will not rust.

EZO Bearing Large/Medium: SGD$8.90

EZO Bearing Small: SGD$7.90

If not, you could always consider other forms of bearings like:

Dif-e-yo Ceramic Konkave Bearing Large/Small: SGD$49.90

Dif-e-yo Konkave Bearing Large/Medium/Small: SGD$24.90

Central Bearing Co. Centre Trac Bearing Large/Small: SGD$17.90

OneDrop 10-ball Bearing Large: SGD$15.00

All of these are Stainless Steel as well!

Having Axle Problems?

Oh axles! *Insert a soft-sigh here* 

They are an extremely important part of the yoyo. Their main function is to be the screw that holds both yo-yo halves together. Unfortunately, sometimes they can have problems. Two of the most common problems are over tightening of the yo-yo halves, and the axle slipping into one yo-yo halve. These two problems can be easily prevented or fixed.

An axle

Over tightening the yo-yo halves is what occurs when the yoyo is screwed together too tight. This can cause the plastic around the axle to crack, ultimately breaking the yo-yo. The best way to prevent this from happening is to stop screwing the yo-yo together if it does not need to be further tightened. If you feel resistance while screwing the yoyo together, do not force it any more. Having it nice and snug is good enough.

This yo-yo has been through the unfortunate experience of being over tightened.

Another problem that axles can have is that they can slip into one yo-yo halve, making it impossible to screw the yoyo back together. But fret not! To get the axle back out, you will need an allen tool, or a screwdriver with the same hexagonal bit. Just head on down to your favorite D.I.Y. store to pick up an allen tool, or a tool set (like the one shown in the image below).

This handy screwdriver set contains the perfect bit for the job!

There are two steps to removing an axle. The first step is to insert the tool in the center of the axle, as far in as it can go. Make sure that the allen tool is of the correct size and fit!

About to remove the axle of a YoyoJam Eneme.

Next, twist the tool anti-clockwise, while keeping the yoyo steady.

Twisting out the axle

Continue twisting until the axle comes out.

Axle removed!

Now, the axle should be out. Screw it back into one side, but not all the way. Make sure there is sufficient 'axle space' to fit onto both yo-yo halves, allowing the yo-yo to be able to be screwed back together.

Screw it back together, and you are ready to throw.

And there you have it, that is how you fix your axle problems!

Setting up Offstring and Freehand yo-yos

String tricks may be fun, but a lot of people want to try out different styles of play like Offstring (4A) and Freehand (5A). 

In Offstring, the yoyo is not attached to the string. In Freehand, the yoyo is attached to the string, but instead of being attached to your hand, it is attached to a counter weight. Of course, with these variations from normal play, there are slight variations with how they are set up.

This is a fully wound offstring yoyo

An offstring yo-yo is wound the same way as a yo-yo normally is. Start by holding the bottom of the string to the side of the yoyo and make a few wraps around, while your finger is still holding onto the string.

The first step

After you have made a few wraps around the axle, let go of the string and continue to wind it up.

The second step

Now that is is wound, make sure that you are holding it correctly. It should look like this:

Now you are ready to throw!

To throw, start in a forward pass position.

The position you should be in to throw offstring

Once thrown, the string is caught with your non-throw hand and the yoyo will pop up in to the air and land back on the string. It does take some practice to get it smoothly at first, but with sufficient practice, you will be getting it and progressing on to more difficult Offstring tricks.

When you toss it, it will look like this.

And now… on to Freehand!

Confused?? The secret is about to be revealed!

The first step is, to get yourself some string and a counter-weight.

Step one

Next put an end of the string through the hole. You could technically use either end of the string, but since some counter weights have smaller holes than others, it is best to use the end without the knot.

Step two

Next, hold the ends of the string, so the counter weight is in the middle.

Step three

Now, put the end that goes onto the bearing through the knot that normally goes on your finger.

Step four

Finally, while holding on to the end that goes around the yoyo, let the end with the knot slide down.

Step five

Now, just wind it up like you would a normal yo-yo, and you are ready to begin!

You are now ready!

So, now that you know how to set up an Offstring and Freehand yoyo, you should get out there and try it!

Soon enough, you will be doing this!

And now, that is how you set up your yo-yos for Offstring(4A) & Freehand(5A). Choose the style that interests you the most, work on it, and we will be seeing you on stage at your National Contest!

How to Replace Friction Stickers / Response

As many of you know, silicone (a response system used in many unresponsive yoyos) and friction stickers (used in Duncan yoyos) do not last forever. Most of you, know how to replace them. This short guide is a step-by-step run through on how one should go about replacing the response pads in their yo-yo. Thankfully, it is a very simple procedure and this guide will teach you how.

                                  

The process for replacing the friction stickers is the same as replacing silicone.  You will need a yoyo that needs replacement stickers/pads, the friction stickers/pads, and a tool with a flat edge (eg. a screw driver).

Make sure that the area that you are putting the friction sticker onto is cleared of any dried glue or residue from the previous pad.  The flat tool can help you remove the sticker, especially if it is sitting in a groove. 

If there are debris from the old sticker/pad, wipe it off the best you can. You could use the lighter fluid that you use to clean your bearing to assist you with this if there is glue stuck in the gap. Alternatively, you could head down to your favorite D.I.Y. shop to get a bottle of gooey cleaning substances.

**CAUTION: You may choose to use the lighter fluid with Metal yo-yos to clean off residue, but prolong use of lighter fluid onto your plastic yo-yo may cause the plastic on your yo-yo to degenerate.**

Peel off the back of the sticker.

Now, take the friction sticker and put it in the groove that the old one was in.

Finally, smooth down the sticker by pressing on it with the flat tool(if it is a silicone replacement) or using your finger (if it is a replacement for a friction sticker).

And viola, you are done!

***For further questions, you may head over to our Spinworkx Facebook Page to get help from fellow players. Keep Spinning!***