Fixed Axle Friday Throws

its been a good Friday

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i thought about doing this! i started and realized i might not drill the VERY center (which i did not). is there some acceptable deviation for drill placement? did you use a walnut axle replacement? thanks!

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Unfortunately there’s not a lot of wiggle room with a centered axle and getting a result that doesn’t vibe. There are a variety of vices and jigs that you can get to assist you in getting dead center.

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I eyeballed it, and I’ve got a little vibe. Used Walnut rods I got off Amazon.

I’ve actually had people literally just epoxy the broken valves back together. No drill or replacing anything. Everyone who mentioned it (I think like 3 people) reported success.

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My college had a tool rental shop that let you borrow stuff for a week at a time for free

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Throwing this gruesome twosome today.

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Zeta

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Happy Friday! Throwing this updated Skip proto while waiting to fetch my son from school.

As my most pocketable model, I often carry an extra Skip in my pouch to give away to people when I play outside.

This updated version is even more pocketable, with a smaller diameter than before (54.5mm from 56.5mm). The shoulders are also slightly more flared.

It also features a 5/16" hickory axle instead of the standard 1/4" that I’ve been using lately. Actually, I’m considering using 5/16" axles again for all of my 3d-printed fixies, as my play style and preferences have slightly shifted.

Edit: I like the plain burgundy look on this proto. Especially since it’s density and how it feels on the string is somewhat similar to purpleheart.

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Legit thought it was purple heart, sounds like an amazing throw

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So purdy!

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Moonwalking with a Duncan Butterfly this morning.
I have been trying to improve my Shoot The Moon skills for years, and got lots and lots of fancy yo-yos along the way, but this works for me as well as any of them so far.

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@Ardeus, your 3D printed yoyos are art. :fire:

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@kretzschmar @Xanadu
I appreciate the kind words, my friends! I’ve been enjoying making these.
Have a great day/weekend! :yo-yo:

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Only fixed axle left after a 10 year hiatus. It’s a bit bent too. And I only have one cotton string left :sweat_smile:

But I did land my first stall today.

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White Oak 2012 eH unengraved

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Would you mind explaining if you could what the extra axle thickness does for play? Is it easier to control the rotational speed when you throw (like a lower gear on a bike)? I’ve noticed that for stall play I need to try to throw softer but not too soft to get things to work right. But it seems like regardless of how hard the throw, the spin will slow faster with a larger axle.

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The low gear on a bike is a really good metaphor. The thicker axle should spin a little slower for the same power. For modern responsive play, where most tricks don’t require speed or long spin, the added control may be preferable.

Thicker axles have other advantages that might encourage one to use one for making a fixie, most notably durability.

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