Hey guys! Apologies since a lot of people have already asked about this.
My throw has a stuck axle with the hex hole stuck in one of the halves. The other half on the other hand still has its threads but it’s not as tight anymore, leading to it unscrewing easily. I was planning on dealing with the first problem with the Double nut Method but what about the other problem? Should I use Loctite blue or Teflon tape or nothing at all? Scared to death to unscrew it now cause I don’t want the threads deteriorating any further.
A thread replacement would be the cleanest solution, like Helicoil. And some mid-strength Loctite (blue) (Apparently light strength, green Loctite is not a thing no more?) is in order too. I added a slim cover of thread-locker on the tip of the male end of the axle, to prevent your situation, where the axle gets stuck in the wrong half.
But if the threads are already gone, glue will not fix it.
Edit: In the end this is a game of value. Is the monetary loss your gauge or has it more sentimental value? Depending on this, replacing the YoYo may be the step. I am always for a repair. A YoYo probably can entertain you forever, so spending 50-100$ on a Helicoil-set may be worth it to you.
Helicoils are way cheaper than that, but idk if they are available in this size. I’ll see what I can find. Anyone know axle thread pitch and size off hand?
Didn’t take long to find on everyone’s least favorite jungle emporium, and sub $20!
I searched for “m4x.7 thread repair kit”
The down side to using one of these kits:
You need to drill out and tap the damaged threads to an oversize, then the insert is installed to bring it back to the right size. There may not be enough material within the bearing seat/ axle post to do this, and you MUST do it straight. You will need to secured the damaged half somehow as well, never drill into something your are holding in your hand.
All I ever do with a stuck axle is put the yoyo with a stuck axle in a power drill. Then you tighten it until you’re able to twist of the yoyo. I have yet to damage my threads this way. I’ve been able to get a stuck axle out Everytime. Just don’t overtighten.
Helicoils are really only necessary if you absolutely need the axle to be the original size. I would recommend just drilling out the old threads and going the next size up in most instances.
The process should only be done on a lathe too. Otherwise you’ll end up with a vibey mess.
I tried this with one of my throws… it didn’t end well. You have to drill out a much larger hole in order for the helicoil to fit. On mine it wasn’t deep enough and I couldn’t get it straight. My advice would be, if you’re going to do it, do it perfectly on the first go.
The other benefit would be that you have a stainless threaded insert that will hold up better.
Completely agree on the preferred way to line up drill to hole being on a piece of machinery, could be lathe, mill, or even drill press if rigid enough. One would need to make sure of the location by indicating it in. At that point though you may be at about $500-$1000 worth of tooling for one little solution.
Some point I want to test this by hand on a trash throw or two I have, with cheaper tools and trying to maintain the accuracy, although I already own all the precision measurement tools to better ensure accuracy.
I’ll look into this “helicoil” thingy but I don’t really trust myself with power tools nor do I have access to them (like a lathe). But thank you still for sharing!
