# Anything that I can use as thin lube?
**URL:** https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610
**Category:** Looking for Help/Recommendation
**Created:** [June 2, 2020, 1:57pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610 "2020-06-02T13:57:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@AdoNo659](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/AdoNo659)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2020, 1:57pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610/1 "2020-06-02T13:57:35Z")
I started playing unresponsive and I’m looking for anything I can use or make thin lube
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### Author:  [@Yoyo\_slacker](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Yoyo_slacker)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2020, 2:06pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610/2 "2020-06-02T14:06:24Z")
> [@How to make your own thin lube](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-to-make-your-own-thin-lube/80265):
>
> In this video former Throw Down team member Dylan Kowalski shows us what you need to make your own thin lube/cleaner on the fly. Just posting If anyone is curious… [http://youtu.be/zriKLNAnb9k](http://youtu.be/zriKLNAnb9k)
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### Author:  [@100FatYoyoDads](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/100FatYoyoDads)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2020, 2:06pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610/3 "2020-06-02T14:06:37Z")
You may not have this, but I used triflow for my yyt atlas and it worked really well!
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### Author:  [@MarkD](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/MarkD)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2020, 2:22pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610/4 "2020-06-02T14:22:34Z")
You don’t need lube to play unresponsive. A clean, dry bearing works just fine, adding even a small amount of thin lube can make it responsive.
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### Author:  [@Myk\_Myk](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Myk_Myk)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610/5 "2020-06-02T15:12:20Z")
I used to use Al Cass Fast valve oil, because I have a trombone with an F attachment. Seemed to work fine, as it’s very thin.
Now when I use lube (I run dry mostly), my very favorite is the Dark Matter (or a dry lube), followed after a bit of play, with a tiny drop of OD V4M.
> **[Dark Matter Bearing Lube](https://shop.yoyoexpert.com/products/dark-matter-bearing-lube-by-yoyofactory)**
>
> Fake News: Dateline 1933: Scientist Fritz Swicky theorizes the existence of unseen matter. He calls it “Dunkle Materie”. Scientists spend the next 85 years trying to capture this elusive substance. Dateline 2018: YoYoFactory(R) researchers announce...
> **[One Drop V4M Lube](https://shop.yoyoexpert.com/products/one-drop-v4m-lube?variant=18870851652)**
>
> This is One Drop V4M bearing lubricant that comes in a 1oz bottle. All it takes is One Drop to keep your bearing lasting a long time and spinning quietly.A 'Thin Lube" that is great for increasing overall lifetime of your ball bearings. All it takes...
The results are quite amazing!
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### Author:  [@Imdavid122](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Imdavid122)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2020, 5:36pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610/6 "2020-06-02T17:36:16Z")
Ive used trumpet valve oil before, but i just suggest a bottle of one drop v4m or dark matter if its in stock.
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### Author:  [@rv06](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/rv06)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2020, 1:19pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610/7 "2020-06-03T13:19:17Z")
Since you mention you run dry, I was wondering what’s the point in thin lube?
It makes yoyos spin quietly, but I’m not sure it’s better for spin time?
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### Author:  [@Kyle](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Kyle)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2020, 1:25pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610/8 "2020-06-03T13:25:56Z")
ppl claim that it helps bearings last longer. It definetly doesnt help spin time, but it does make bearings quieter
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### Author:  [@rv06](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/rv06)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2020, 1:33pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610/9 "2020-06-03T13:33:40Z")
Ok, like I thought.
So, if I don’t care for the noise, acetone bath and air compressor blow is all my bearings need to keep in shape.
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### Author:  [@Myk\_Myk](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Myk_Myk)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610/10 "2020-06-03T14:56:53Z")
I don’t know if it helps spin time, but it seems to, especially dry alone. If done right, even with the thin after the dry, I think you can get increased spin time and a quiet bearing. I just don’t do it all the time, as it’s a bit of a project that I don’t always feel like undertaking when dry bearings play well ,and last plenty long.
I say “seems to”, because I’ve only tested with flick spins, and that may not translate into actual play with a yoyo. I’ve gotten bearings treated with dry lube only, and dry followed by thin both to flick spin for 25+ seconds.
I’ve gotten bearings that haven’t been playing great, and say will only flick spin for less that 8 secs and are not full unresponsive, to spin 15+ after cleaning and treatment.
> [@rv06](#):
>
> So, if I don’t care for the noise, acetone bath and air compressor blow is all my bearings need to keep in shape.
Yeah, I think so. As I said above, you might be able to rehabilitate a bearing with dry lube. I’ve saved some, and others didn’t really improve.
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### Author:  [@Roy\_Dodge](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Roy_Dodge)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2020, 3:13pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610/11 "2020-06-03T15:13:46Z")
I’ve concluded that lubing bearings for unresponsive bearings is a completely unnecessary chore. I followed “proper” procedure (per videos by Brandon Vu, Dylan Kowalski, etc.) multiple times and found that it just wasn’t worth adding some responsiveness (even if temporarily) for the sake of reducing noise. I found that doing so didn’t seem to improve performance during play. Lube might extend the longevity of bearings, but they’re cheap enough to replace as needed. I’ve had exactly one bearing die on me since I came back to the hobby at the start of the year, and it was a more expensive bearing (came stock) that seemed to actually have a little lube in it out of the package.
That’s my 2 cents anyway.
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### Author:  [@MoonageMin](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/MoonageMin)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2020, 3:19pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610/12 "2020-06-03T15:19:21Z")
fortunately my two kids and my wife have now seemingly built up their tolerances for bearing noise in the middle of the night and sleep through all my practice sessions.
So I stopped lubing too, before I loved silent bearings, now without some noise I find it jarring, noise also kind of acts as a good indicator on remaining spin time as well.
I don’t lube my bearings anymore and my almsot new bottle of V4M is kind of just sitting there, I guess it’s always nice to have for when you may need it 🙂
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### Author:  [@Myk\_Myk](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Myk_Myk)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2020, 3:26pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/anything-that-i-can-use-as-thin-lube/321610/13 "2020-06-03T15:26:22Z")
> [@Roy\_Dodge](#):
>
> …multiple times and found that it just wasn’t worth adding some responsiveness (even if temporarily) for the sake of reducing noise.
I think your assessment is generally true. However, the noise part is a personal preference and a situational consideration. The noise is a real put off to some and those around them.
> [@MoonageMin](#):
>
> fortunately my two kids and my wife have now seemingly built up their tolerances for bearing noise in the middle of the night and sleep through all my practice sessions.
For instance, my wife is the opposite of this. It’s like nails on a chalk board to her and has gotten worse, not better. So at home, especially at night, I play responsive or my less noisy throws- probably the ones treated as above or just lightly lubed.
> [@Roy\_Dodge](#):
>
> I found that doing so didn’t seem to improve performance during play.
I think dry lubes, Dark Matter is included, might be able to actually improve performance. I agree it’s debatable if it’s worth the effort. I think it’s worth a try, especially if you enjoy tinkering.