# Homemade yoyos **URL:** \ **Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance\ **Created:** [September 12, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878 "2011-09-12T22:24:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Canadian\_Caribou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Canadian\_Caribou](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Canadian_Caribou)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/1 "2011-09-12T22:24:31Z")
``` I was just wondering what tools you need to make yoyos and how they are made. I was considering derlin or aluminum. After I get all the supplies, what exactly do you do to shape the yoyo. I am a total beginner in the art of making yoyos. Thank you in advance. ``` ---
**Author:** ![jhb8426](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jhb8426/32/631_2.png) [@jhb8426](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/jhb8426)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/2 "2011-09-12T22:36:27Z")
Primarily you need a lathe. A wood lathe will do for a wood or plastic yoyo, a metal lathe is needed for a metal yoyo. A metal lathe will also work better for plastic or wood, you can get better tolerances. Unless you go big bucks, you need to make templates to check the shape as you cut. ---
**Author:** ![Canadian\_Caribou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Canadian\_Caribou](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Canadian_Caribou)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/3 "2011-09-12T22:42:42Z")
Thank you. Just checking, but derlin is done on a metal lathe too right? ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Elliott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@Jake\_Elliott](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Jake_Elliott)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/4 "2011-09-12T22:55:35Z")
> [@Canadian\_Caribou](#): > > Thank you. Just checking, but derlin is done on a metal lathe too right? I believe so. But the lathe should be running at low speeds. a CNC lathe is a yoyo maker’s best friend. ---
**Author:** ![jhb8426](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jhb8426/32/631_2.png) [@jhb8426](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/jhb8426)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/5 "2011-09-12T23:51:21Z")
> [@Jake\_Elliott](#): > > a CNC lathe is a yoyo maker’s best friend. And big $$$ ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Elliott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@Jake\_Elliott](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Jake_Elliott)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/6 "2011-09-12T23:52:31Z")
> [@jhb8426](#): > > > [@Jake\_Elliott](#): > > > > a CNC lathe is a yoyo maker’s best friend. > > And big $$$ Hey, he might know a guy. ---
**Author:** ![yoyoguy4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/db5fbb/32.png) [@yoyoguy4](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/yoyoguy4)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/7 "2011-09-12T23:56:36Z")
> [@Jake\_Elliott](#): > > Hey, he might know a guy. Who knows a guy. ---
**Author:** ![Canadian\_Caribou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Canadian\_Caribou](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Canadian_Caribou)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/8 "2011-09-13T00:02:07Z")
Thank you, this is going to be so useful, and I do not know a guy ---
**Author:** ![PlasticWhip](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/plasticwhip/32/896_2.png) [@PlasticWhip](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/PlasticWhip)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/9 "2011-09-14T00:00:31Z")
I make mine on drill presses. _Hopes to get a lathe for Christmas_ ---
**Author:** ![yoyospirit](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/yoyospirit/32/219875_2.png) [@yoyospirit](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/yoyospirit)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/10 "2011-09-14T00:14:31Z")
> [@PlasticWhip](#): > > I make mine on drill presses. > > _Hopes to get a lathe for Christmas_ Dude, my parents would never buy me a lathe. And, it’s impossible to make a yoyo on a drill press. ---
**Author:** ![jhb8426](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jhb8426/32/631_2.png) [@jhb8426](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/jhb8426)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/11 "2011-09-14T01:03:04Z")
Actually, it’s not. I believe Tom Kuhn originally made his prototypes on a drill press. ---
**Author:** ![PlasticWhip](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/plasticwhip/32/896_2.png) [@PlasticWhip](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/PlasticWhip)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 11:53am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/12 "2011-09-14T11:53:01Z")
> [@yoyospirit](#): > > > [@PlasticWhip](#): > > > > I make mine on drill presses. > > > > _Hopes to get a lathe for Christmas_ > > Dude, my parents would never buy me a lathe. And, it’s impossible to make a yoyo on a drill press. You don’t know that. Have you tried it? It works fine. I’ve done it twice and the only reason I haven’t put pics of the second yoyo up is because I need to get some T-Screws. ---
**Author:** ![yoyospirit](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/yoyospirit/32/219875_2.png) [@yoyospirit](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/yoyospirit)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/13 "2011-09-14T21:01:30Z")
Literally machine your own smooth playing yoyo? I would like to those pics. ---
**Author:** ![jhb8426](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jhb8426/32/631_2.png) [@jhb8426](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/jhb8426)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/14 "2011-09-15T01:05:54Z")
> [@yoyospirit](#): > > Literally machine your own smooth playing yoyo? I would like to those pics. It’s not unheard of. ---
**Author:** ![yoyospirit](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/yoyospirit/32/219875_2.png) [@yoyospirit](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/yoyospirit)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/15 "2011-09-15T01:08:09Z")
I meant on a drill press. ---
**Author:** ![jhb8426](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jhb8426/32/631_2.png) [@jhb8426](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/jhb8426)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/16 "2011-09-15T02:15:41Z")
So did I. ---
**Author:** ![yoyospirit](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/yoyospirit/32/219875_2.png) [@yoyospirit](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/yoyospirit)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 11:13am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/17 "2011-09-15T11:13:09Z")
> [@jhb8426](#): > > So did I. Fine. Then I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![XminusmikeX](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/xminusmikex/32/294_2.png) [@XminusmikeX](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/XminusmikeX)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/18 "2011-09-15T14:57:35Z")
> [@Jake\_Elliott](#): > > > [@jhb8426](#): > > > > > [@Jake\_Elliott](#): > > > > > > a CNC lathe is a yoyo maker’s best friend. > > > > And big $$$ > > Hey, he might know a guy. I know a guy, wink wink 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PlasticWhip](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/plasticwhip/32/896_2.png) [@PlasticWhip](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/PlasticWhip)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/homemade-yoyos/29878/19 "2011-09-15T20:32:43Z")
> [@XminusmikeX](#): > > > [@Jake\_Elliott](#): > > > > > [@jhb8426](#): > > > > > > > [@Jake\_Elliott](#): > > > > > > > > a CNC lathe is a yoyo maker’s best friend. > > > > > > And big $$$ > > > > Hey, he might know a guy. > > I know a guy, wink wink 😃 Are you the guy? ;D > [@yoyospirit](#): > > Literally machine your own smooth playing yoyo? I would like to those pics. Look for the homemade yoyo thread started by plasticwhip. It should be on page 3 or 4