How to wax string...

[codinghorror]

How so? I’ve seen other people say (not just here, but elsewhere too)

put a poly string on a wood yoyo and it’ll melt after the first hard sleeper!

But … I’ve thrown many many hard sleepers on the No Jive and Eh with a poly string … zero melting in sight?

@edhaponik

Nah, that’s really a holdover from the period when poly was just taking over and the strings were considerably thinner and the quality much lower (AND the wood/axles in the fixies available was way rougher). Gotta remember that before 2007 or so, full poly was junk with most players using slick (50/50) for modern 1a. If you want to see a string melt, grab a brand new russell and some ~2005 shiny white poly and try a couple Warp Drives (ideally near some windows).

With the standards/thickness of current poly string and the smoothness of modern wood, you’re just as safe throwing cotton as poly. I do prefer the feel of cotton with wood, but just because it’s what I’m used to.

[jhb8426 (Resident Curmudgeon)]

I’ll agree on the poly string melting point. On the

@codinghorror

so much out of date info…

I disagree as a general comment. History has a place.

I would venture to say that a good number of people that use poly on fixed axle do so because they don’t know any different. They grew up using poly and continued to use it when they started playing fixed axle. They’ve never played 100% cotton or slick string (50/50 cotton/poly blend) which some people arguably claim is preferable over poly for fixed axle.

[codinghorror]

@jhb8426

They’ve never played 100% cotton or slick string (50/50 cotton/poly blend) which some people arguably claim is preferable over poly for fixed axle.

Considering the 100% cotton string that came with my No Jive broke in a few hours of play, and I broke another cotton string I had on a Smo Bro in an hour, I’m not really inclined to do the whole cotton string thing a whole lot more…

I also had a cotton/poly break on a Daytona responsive. That was a bad day

[Glenacius_K (Spinworthy Glen)]

@codinghorror

But … I’ve thrown many many hard sleepers on the No Jive and Eh with a poly string … zero melting in sight?

I’m sorry, but that’s bollocks.

I’ve done one good hard throw on a poly string on a wooden fixed axle and it melted off the yoyo within 5 seconds, hitting the wall at warp speed. And no, the axle was not rough.

Now if you’re lightly throwing your yoyo around and mainly doing stall based play, you’ll likely be fine.

But as I said; a really hard sleeper will melt that sucker in seconds.

[codinghorror]

I can’t repro. I’m throwing as hard as I can, and no melting in sight on any wood axle I have, even if I let it hang and sleep for 5+ seconds. Not even a singe smell.

Were you using modern poly string, per the above (basically kitty regular, I guess), not super thin?

[Glenacius_K (Spinworthy Glen)]

@codinghorror

Were you using modern poly string, per the above (basically kitty regular, I guess), not super thin?

Regular quality poly.

Perhaps you just throw like small child.

[codinghorror]

I think it is more likely you had a bum string or axle, per

@edhaponik

Nah, that’s really a holdover from the period when poly was just taking over and the strings were considerably thinner and the quality much lower (AND the wood/axles in the fixies available was way rougher). Gotta remember that before 2007 or so, full poly was junk with most players using slick (50/50) for modern 1a. If you want to see a string melt, grab a brand new russell and some ~2005 shiny white poly and try a couple Warp Drives (ideally near some windows).

With the standards/thickness of current poly string and the smoothness of modern wood, you’re just as safe throwing cotton as poly. I do prefer the feel of cotton with wood, but just because it’s what I’m used to.

The bold section definitely correlates with my experience on modern wood axles and modern poly strings.

[Rosenberg (Bring back factory vibe)]

Look at how long ago he made the post… you’re not using the same string

[codinghorror]

I agree but this gets repeated as canon even though I cannot duplicate the problem at all on today’s wood yo-yos and today’s poly strings…