Here ya go!
This is a pleasant thread.
How did the PVC yoyo you made play?
You also stripped off the anodize right? Powder coat doesnât adhere very well to anodize.
Do you have any pictures of metal work? Iâm very interested in this.
Well wrote a really long post on my ipad and for some reason it didnât show up. So I will try to recap what I can remember.
Powder Coating:
I did strip off the anodized layer. My basic process is this.
- Media blast. Try to remove as little as needed.
- Use the vibratory tumbler for about 30 min to smooth out the surface. The media doesnât make to very rough, but it isnât silky smooth either. I want to buy some small tumblers and have 2 or 3 levels of media.
- Clean the part. I wear nitrile gloves and use simple green. This takes off the dust and oil.
- pre-heat the parts and dry them in the oven. The powder sticks better this way.
- powder coat them.
- Bake the powder at time and temp determined by the powder. (400 degrees F, 10-20 min cure time)
PVC yoyo:
The pvc yoyo played just okay. The big issue was that it was way to light and had not response system in it. I didnât think about it until I got it done, but designing a plastic yoyo and a metal one are very different. The volume of material in the yoyo has to be very different. The density of cpvc is 2.5 times lighter than aluminum. Delrin is about the same. So that means that a plastic yoyo should have 2.5 time more volume. Since this was a test part and I designed it to be made from aluminum, the pvc one was super light. This isnât a surprise and I am sure everyone that reads this will nod their head and think âwell duhâ. But sometimes you are too focused on the details and miss something like this.
Also, the axle was a little messed up. I threaded the hub and then used that thread to hold the hub in place while I machined the back side of the hub. My stock material started out very thick and I have to remove about 1 inch of material before even starting on the hub. In that process I was a little aggressive and it started to slip. So I tightened it and stripped one hub a little. I think that is what caused the vibrations.
But I learned a lot. First of all, I proved my concept. Even with all the problems the yoyo worked and I was able to do both Atomic Bomb, and The Matrix. [That is the level I am at with tricks. 
] Also, I have a list of improvements to the process that should make the next one better. I want to use an endmill to make the axle hole, this will make the bottom of the hole flat and means it will not require as deep of a hole. I also plan on ordering a bottoming tap so I can thread the hole all the way to the bottom.
This is an interesting project for me and I am learning a lot. What makes it great is getting all the comments and messages from everyone. So keep them coming. I should be able to get some aluminum bar stock and the tap this week. I am also going to laser etch the gnarwale that I powder coated, and try to laser cut out some yoyo stands.
Josh
Do you mean other things I have built in metal? Or metal yoyos I have made?
I have not made any metal yoyos yet. That is the next step. As for other metal work here is a short list of some. I can post pictures of them to my blog and put a link if you want details about them. I am not great at documenting things unless someone wants to see more about them. I feel weird posting stuff when no one reads it. lol
I built a life size aluminum buster sword from final fantasy, I am working on a legend of zelda master sword that is 5160 steel, and I am working on a gladius sword as well. I made a steel captain america shield. I built a furnace to melt aluminum and cast a few parts with limited success so far. I build a small cnc router several years ago and machined the parts for that. I am building a new cnc mill for small projects and am currently working on a cnc lathe design to make more yoyos. But that will be a ways down the road. I make chain mail, built some parts for my motocycle and am working on a electric motorcycle as well. Hmm, those are the ones that come to mind that have metal work in them.
Josh
you should make a keyblade
Since you havenât made metal yoyos yet, Iâm still very interested in seeing any of the metal work. And I would love to see the master sword when done. Legend of Zelda was a good part of my early child hood
Are you applying the powder at PMT or full temp?
Why donât you just get a YYR 6?
Very dofferent
Would it be possible to machine something as intricate as this? The spike coming out of the middle is a spin off of side effects. It would be interchangeable with other parts.
Lol
Thatâs so so SO impossible, it almost hurts 
Its beautiful buttttt.
Honestly, the issues with spin, and durability would be frightening.
If that touches the ground it would fall apart right?:o
Maybe if it were a bit thicker, with a little less curved spikes. As an idea it looks great though 
No
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Why not?