Hello fellow yoyoers!
I have an issue with a couple of my bearings. I have been yoyoing for about 4 years. I found that when I throw my unresponsive yoyo, it spins as it should (not trying to point the obvious, but for clarification). This part is great! The yoyo can spin and do tricks like it is designed to do. However, unresponsive play yoyos do not return when tugging the string. The overall issue my bearing is having is that the spin time is still the same, but when I tug like I would in a responsive yoyo, the yoyo comes back. One example to describe is when doing black hops, the yoyo snagged on the string and came back to my hand. This is concerning considering it hurt my hand for a moment, but the bigger concern is doing other jump and slack tricks with the yoyo snagging and accidently hitting me in the face.
This bearing was designed for solely unresponsive play. I think that the bearing could be slightly large and possibly scrapping the inside part of the yoyo where the bearing lies. I know it is not my yoyo because I switched bearings with another yoyo, and it was spinning without any issues. The bearing I described came with the yoyo after purchase. The day after receiving the package is when the yoyo began to do as described before with coming back to my hand when tugging like a responsive yoyo. However, I want other people’s opinions about this issue. I would appreciate any type of reply!
This.
Bearing is most likely dirty.
Clean it.
I use mineral spirits. Others use acetone.
Others use different solvents.
Do a search in the maintenance section. There is a plethora of useful info on the subject.
If you don’t have spirits or solvents, you can just use dishwashing liquid in some water as long as you don’t leave it in there for more than a few hours, rinse, and dry it well afterward.
This literally just happened to me as well. Me and a friend could not diagnose it, however, in the end, I learned that I was using the wrong solvents to clean. Do not use “Nail Polish Remover”
Yes, it has acetone in it, but it also has other stuff like minerals and vitamins which could cause even more debris to get caught in the bearings.
The solution that worked for me was a good soak and shake in 91% alcohol (Tbf, I’m not a competition player, I just wanted my unresponsive throw to be, y’know, unresponsive). I let it dry on a paper towel for about 5 mins on either side then spun it around on my bearing tool a few times until I was satisfied it was spinning freely.
Failing that, I was going try the paper method, but the 91% alcohol was sufficient enough for my needs.
My method is swish in 99% alcohol, rinse it in the sink with water while spinning the bearing, then spin it dry with an air compressor designed for dusting electronics. Solvents are only necessary with lube in the bearing, otherwise running water is much better than soaking in whatever for removing debris and it’s way less hassle.
