I don’t know if this is normal or if this is caused by the change of temperatures (most likely) but I wanted to mention this on the forums to hear people’s opinion.
So far, there is no noticeable damage.
The affected area:
The outer wall of the ballbearing (where the string is attached) although on my ONE, the rust is slightly advancing to the side walls. I’m pretty sure the inner sides of the ballbearing are clean 'cause I pour a drop of thin lube from time to time with the precise intention of prevent corrosion.
The facts:
Since I work at IT, the AC is always on at 20 celcius. The yoyos rest at my desktop and I play with them at lunch.
They have never been exposed to high temperatures at any moment.
Never got any water contact at the ballbearing area.
What am I doing about it?
So far I’ve been cleaning the affected area with turtle wax, trying to be careful enough to not leave any residue inside the ballbearing itself. Besides that, I don’t know what else to do.
I clean it probably once a month and after removing the rust and rub the piece with a clean cloth, I add the 1-2 drops of thin lube and then assemble the yoyo (In other words, I add the thin lube once a month).
I guess it’s worth to mention I sometimes clean the metal part of the dark magic 2 with the turtle wax. I use only a very small amount of it and apply it on the cloth instead of the metal.
I’m not sure what I wanted to archieve with this post… maybe some advise of how to prevent this or maybe I expect someone to tell me “nah, that’s normal. just keep cleaning it the way you’re doing it”, or maybe someone is able to tell me "DUR HUR, the reason this happens is because: … "
At this point, the “dirt” (lets call it dirt from now on) is not in the ballbearing anymore since I removed it with the turtle wax.
I thought it was rust 'cause when I clean it, the stain in the cloth is orange so I automatically assumed it was rust
Is it possible that the turtle wax is somehow leaking down onto the sides of the bearings? Maybe stop using the turtle wax to clean it for a month, and throw in a new bearing, and see if the problem still occurs. Also, do you have any moisture in the air? Also, do you clean the bearing using mineral spirits, or lighter fluid? Also, do you allow the bearing to properly dry before putting it back in the yoyo? My guess, is since it’s not water getting near your bearings, it could be some moisture in the air, or the turtle wax causing the issue. Good luck, and let us know if you’ve solved your problem later. Also, on your next order, maybe just order a few extra C size bearings, they’re pretty cheap. I think you can actually pick up bearings at your local hardware store if you know the exact size.
My guess is that they are picking up moisture due to humidity. You say you are in an air-conditioned environment all day so they are at the ambient room temp. Looking at Honduras weather it appears to be a bit warm and humid. So when you l;eave the building they are exposed to warmer, moister air. An occasional light lube should solve the problem (more than once a month).
Sorry I repplied this late.
I’ve been checking my yoyos and it seems the problem has disappeared
I don’t think the turtle wax caused the issue 'cause the first time I saw the rust, was before using the wax.
Not sure what caused it but it is gone. I made sure to clean the outer side of the bearing with turtle wax (the last time I cleaned it) and then polished the bearing against a white sheet to make sure no TW residue was left behind.
Also, I changed the string.
