I just got my Sleep Machine in the mail today, and I loooove it. It’s gorgeous, and the feel of a lacquered wood yoyo in the hand is fantastic. I’ve got it to the point where it’s giving me as little response as I think is possible, stock (using the adjustable gap. Still have cotton strings loaded, though).
I’d like to be able to make it unresponsive, but it’s not worth doing any cutting or deep mods for it (I like responsive yoyoing - I just think this would be a fun unresponsive throw as well). Does anybody have any recommendations? I was wondering if the size A konkave would fit it - I’ve read that Kuhn yoyo’s use an I or something, but I can’t absolutely confirm that. I could also rip out one of the Turbo Discs, but I don’t want to waste one unless it’s got a good shot of working.
If you want it unresponsive - clean the bearing. That’s about the limit w/o getting into surgery. TKs use an odd size small bearing. You won’t find a stock KK to fit. Removing the turbo discs is not a good idea. The yoyo will not play well at all. It will mostly just fall off the string rather than spin when you throw it. Yoyos need a response system to impart spin to the shell from the string as it is thrown. The response system is more than just a function of the return. You could (should) go to slick 6 or 8 string or 100% poly if that’s your preference. I don’t know how much that will improve the spin time but both of those are far superior to cotton in terms of wear and tendency to break.
I asked a rep at Tom Kuhn about moving my SB2 towards unresponsive play and she said to just be careful as you widen the gap, because the thread in the yoyo is aluminum and will strip if you go too far. I don’t have a Sleep Machine, so I don’t know if this applies, but thought it was worth mentioning.
Yes, the threaded insert is aluminum in the SM as well. I think the bigger issue w/making the gap too large is the string getting caught between the bearing and the shell as the gap gets wider. I suppose if you get it unthreaded too far that there is much less thread to grab posing the possibility of ripping it out but I think that is pretty remote. The yoyo would probably be unplayable before you get to that point.
I can attest to the string getting caught between the bearing and the sidewall if you push the gap width too far. There’s a very obvious maximum width you zero in on right away. Still, I’ve got it a little bit slippy with just the gap adjustment and nothing else. I’ve managed to pull off a suicide as it is, so once I load in a poly string and clean the (visibly greased) bearing, I have high hopes for what it can do.
If I’m not mistaken the TK Sleep machine comes with a 9/64" wide bearing.
You can get the same bearing 7/64" wide. Beefcake two and get 7/32" wide.
If the axle is long enough?