Ordered a DarkMagic from here a few days ago and I’m eagerly awaiting its arrival. Haven’t even been asleep yet, but moving on…
Does anyone know what are the EXACT strings that come with the DarkMagic? I want to buy more of them and have replica backups.
And also, I know that thick lube would make a DM responsive, but what if I got the hang of it and want it as unresponsive as it was out of the box? How do I get off the lube and get it back that way?
Also, I head the DarkMagic has an adjustable gap to make it more responsive and less responsive by twisting it… How does that work? I assumed one would strip the inside of a yoyo from twisting it too much, and that it’d open if too loose. It’d be nice if someone thoroughly explained it to me.
For everyone who posts something helpful, thanks and advance!!!
For the strings, I am not sure but I think it is polyester strings.
As for the unresponsiveness that you want, you can clean the bearing, but remember to put a little bit of thin lube the bearing afterwards to stop it from eating itself so easily.
As for the adjustable gap wearing out, you can put some blue threadlocker or teflon tape on the axle to let it screw more tightly.
And also, it is “Dark Magic”, not “Darkmaster”, just to let you know.
I don’t have a dark magic so i dont know what strings come in it. But if you have put some thick lube in the bearing and you want it unresponsive again, you could either… just play with the yoyo untill the thick lube is broken in, or you could clean the bearing. How to Clean Your YoYo Bearing - Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance - YoYoExpert
I’m also not too sure about your last question, but I have heard that the axle in yoyos with an adjustable gap are a little thicker and stronger than yoyos with a fixed axle so they don’t strip as easily, and so they don’t come loose. I’m not completely sure about this so, you might want someone to double check that.
Yeah, I realized the typo. As I said, I’m sleep deprived. And by eating, what do you mean? Making it responsive again? Or the string getting eaten? And darn, I gotta buy lube now… Lol.
And I wanted to avoid the threadlocker or teflon. I want to keep it completely unmodded until I start buying yoyos more frequently, ‘Pocket Change’ being the next one on my list. If someone knows when it’ll be out and up on what site, that’d be nice.
And thanks for the assistance, guy. Can anyone confirm polyester strings on the DM, by the way, and explain how the adjustable gap via twisting makes the yoyo more/less responsive?
The strings that come with the Dark Magic I believe are random. Some come with Poly, some come with slicks. Really depends on your luck.
Anyway, to get the thick lube out, you clean the bearing. Here’s a good guide:
For the last question, the screw or the threads or the hole or whatever its called is very tight (thicker). So, it takes some effort to unscrew the yoyo the first few turns. This makes you allowed to unscrew the yoyo quite a bit before it unscrews in mid air. When you unscrew it, the halfs get further apart, so its gap increases. This makes it less responsive.
By eating, I meant that the bearing might grind itself if it is played when there is no lube in it. If there is lube, at least there is something in it to lubricate and mantain the bearing.
Wow, you guys are so quick and helpful, really. Thanks for all the help!!! And most the strings I saw seem to be a bit thicker than usual, which I’m assuming are polyester? I assume the other small strings like the ones on yomega brain yoyos would be the other kind?
And looking at that cleaning tut looks like a long arse process… How safe is it to play a yoyo without the guard? I never knew you could even take the bearings apart, assuming DM has bearings like the one in that video in the first link of this thread?
And for guards… I know they keep dirt out and such, but I don’t plan on getting my yoyo dirty any. Not for forty bucks, haha. Is there natural ways for them to get dirty easy if the guard is off? And does it help the play any to keep them off? One guy says it plays smoother and makes relubing (I KNOW IT AIN’T A WORD) easier.
And how often should I apply thin lube?
Sorry for the abundance of questions, but even though I’ve yoyoed awhile, this unresponsive yoyo stuff is new…
Edit: Oh, and where do I get mineral spirit? I noticed they don’t sell it here… And suggested brands? Gawd I’m noob.
For the de shielded bearing, dust will get into your yoyo but it is easier to clean.
For the thin lube, it depends on how much you play. For me, I apply it when I feel that the yoyo is grabbier and seems to not slide as easily. If you want to be sure that it is always lubed, I would say every 2 to 4 months depending on play. Remember, add a little!
Also, questions are a good thing! We are here to help!
Also, you can get mineral spirits usually at your hardware store. If you can’t find that, you can use lighter fluid but check to see how many additives there are. You want as little as possible. Also, make sure the bearing is dried before playing. It can destroy the plastic or do other funky things.
If its thicker than usual, its probably a type 8 string, poly or cotton can’t really be defined here. Smaller strings just mean they are cut, or type 6 strings. Type 8 strings have 8 strands, type 6 strings have 6 strands, thats just how they are manufacturered.
Its safe to play without the shields unless you are throwing the yoyo into sand and stuff. Every few weeks some dirt might get into the bearing, you just have to clean it again. And yes, the DM uses that kind of bearing.
Remember to change your strings often. If you don’t change your strings, dirt and sweat will accumulate on the strings, and when it wraps around the bearing, that can go in. basically, when you deshield it, it makes it a lot easier for future cleaning.
And you shouldn’t apply thin lube often. Just when it arrives, and after cleaning
I’ll assume eight would be the more thicker looking string. I’m looking at this raider I got, and the string looks like standard string. But the ones in all these unresponsive, expensive arse yoyos look thicker, maybe the eight.
And damn, when I first get it!? I didn’t buy lube when I got it… The forty bucks felt steep enough. Oh gawd. Ouch from yomega said baby oil is good? Anyone second that, or should I wait to use it and get the lube? Oh, and how often should I replace the strings?
-Makes checklist…- [Thin lube, Shims, Strings, Mineral spirit.] Le sigh…
Some strings are just thick because of the way they are made, and how well they are twisted. They are not necessarily type 8. Anyway, some strings are type 9 too ;D
You don’t necessarily need thick lube. Many alternatives for it. I highly recommend Vaseline. Just dump the bearing in a tub of vaseline overnight, and your done, you have a responsive yoyo.
Replace the strings whenever they start to lose color, feel sticky, strands sticking out, when its about to break.
Ah, alright. And I really applaud you guys for having this much patience with me instead of spamming at me to “use the search button”. Searching gives answers more than explanations.
And I meant as far as lubing the yoyo when I get it? Do you mean lubing the bearing with mineral spirit, since its been sitting in a factory, or lubing the yoyo with either thick or thin lube? Honestly, I know all the basics, but I’ve never tried to bind before, so I figured I should keep it unresponsive so I can practice that, but I heard/seen on youtube unboxing videos that it’s really unresponsive out of the box?
And I assume you pick vaseline because it eventually fades away without gunking up, yeah?
Edit: And I mean the string in the picture of the different color DMs in the shop, anyone know what they are, if looking at them is good enough to guess?
And yeah, I meant ‘thin’, but vaseline is good to know for thick. And baby oil would be thin or thick lube? Because I know the cheap baby oil is thinner than others.
Sorry for the double post, but this looks like the string right here in this youtube video. Looking at the site mentioned (which I won’t say since it’d be pretty much website linking)… It looks like the 100% Polyester type 6 string, since the kid mentioned 100 count. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JsNudDqXp0
I agree, people should stop spamming “Use the search function”. I appreciate how Apetrunk is starting to give links to what he found on the search function instead of telling people to search.
Anyway, Don’t lube bearings with mineral spirits. Those are to clean the bearing, not to lube. If you lube it with that stuff, and you play with the yoyo, the stuff is probably gonna corrode the plastic on your yoyo.
I’ll explain. Lubing is giving the bearing a layer of lubricant to prevent rust, and to prevent the bearing from locking up. This will slow the bearing’s spinning, which will make it more responsive. Thin lube usually makes an unoticable amount of responsiveness, but still makes it more responsive. Cleaning is getting completely rid of all the lube. This will make the bearing spin for a very long time, but will eventually kill the bearing. (lock the bearing)This is because there is no lube, so it is spinning dry. Its like door hinges, if you don’t lube it then it doesn’t move well. Eventually it will lock up.
Anyway, for some unboxing videos, they are broken in and cleaned before unboxing. Don’t trust everything you see on youtube.
Anyway, i’m not sure what those strings are, but it will come randomly. Different dark magics come with different strings.
And I’m not sure if baby oil is thin or thick, never saw it for a few years. Sewing machine oil works for thin lube though.
Thanks man, you really are helpful. I’m running out of questions, haha.
Also, I’m planning on getting a few more yoyos. Ones that fall into the category of a DarkMagic, that doesn’t exceed fifty dollars. I aim for things that sleep for long periods, so that practicing/binding would be easier, as far as giving me time. My next yoyo will be the ‘Pocket Change’. I freakin’ love the colors, but I also want two others Aiming for 1A, string tricks and long sleeping. Any suggestions for another two? Everyone seems to like the Speeder and the Speed Maker, so those were the first two that came to mind. Any ones that are under $50 that seem to be played the most, whether its for fun or for tourny-play? Wing shape, preferably, because I suck at catching on string, for now.
Edit: Oh, and I also prefer ones with caps, though one good one without isn’t minded, since thumb grinding is sexy. One with and one without would be nice, but it doesn’t matter… Most are removable… Nvm… Lol.
Velocity? I heard about that. What’s so special about it? The selling point that makes people want it, I mean? It surprises me how so many yoyos look the same with shape yet so many people have different preferences…
Edit: Ooh, just looked at it. Easy adjust gaps… Nice. That will be number three! I wondered what those lil’ dials were on yoyos… Now I gotta find one that’s already capless, out of the box, and suggestions? And anyone know the difference between the Speeder and the Speed Maker, and that yoyo that holds the record for longest sleep? I think it’s the SpinFaktor HK or something?
