How do I remove the printing from my plastic freehand caps

Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance
1

I would like to remove the printing from my plastic freehand and Hornet caps without ruining them and still leave the smooth and shiny.

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2

Generally things with high alcohol content like rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover.

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3

The nail Polish remover is acetone which will remove the prints from the caps however it will also wear the caps if left in contact for extended periods of time.
Also I seem to remember people using brake fluid?? It could have been brake cleaner which is an even more aggressive solvent. Good luck.

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4

If you throw your yo-yo one-million times that print will just wear right off.

Seriously though, acetone would be the way to go I think. I would try a cotton ball soaked with it and see if it’ll rub off because as mentioned, soaking it will start to eat the plastic itself in time.

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5

0000 grade steel wool and some plastic polish. The steel wool will remove the lettering, and the plastic polish will shine the plastic up again. You can use something like brake fluid but you risk weakening the integrity of the plastic.

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6

^^this^^

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7

Another option if you have it is to use the rubber Guitar Fret Erasers, then plastic polish.

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8

Way back in another time and place people used brake fluid to remove printing from Duncan caps. Yoyospirit’s steel wool and polish sound like a good choice as well. Avoid the acetone as it will attack the plastic.

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9

Thank you all for your input, I will try the steel wool and polish and see what happens on some extra caps first.

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10

I’ll throw in another option 3d print a new cap

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11

Hold the caps at arms length and say ‘Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice’.

Or…. A quart of fresh Venom from a 12 foot King Cobra.

Or…… just drop the caps in the core of a Particle Beam accelerator.

Or best bet would a 5 Gallon barrel of Plastic side cap letter removal gel.

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12

Steel wool sounds kinda abrasive. Cotton balls and 91% isopropyl alcohol and elbow grease worked well for me. Also like others have said, definitely don’t use acetone as it will eat the plastic.

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13

I keep two in the pantry at all times just in case.

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14

You know…I forgot all about plastic side cap letter removal gel!! What was I thinking? Acetone!! :roll_eyes:

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15

Actually 0000 grade steel wool is used quite frequently as a final finish in polishing. I use it regularly to apply Watco oil finish in many projects. Also to rub out gel coat.

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I am not sure but maybe steal wool may work.