Wow, time flies when you’re yo-yoing, huh?
I just started unresponsive in February this year, and it’s been a joyful experience, sometimes frustrating, often relaxing. I’m not the best yo-yoer but I love practicing and sharing my hobby with others. At some point earlier this year, Jordan Blofeld of Smashing Yoyos was helping me get into CAD, and he challenged me to make a yo-yo that other people would want to buy.
With his frequent feedback and help, I now I have my own yo-yo to share, which I call the Diffraction. Making this was a several-month-long process, documented in the Yoyo CAD & Prototyping Adventures thread.
I’ve named my company Mk. 1 Yoyos because my name is Mark and and this is the first version of my yo-yo.
The Diffraction is a full-sized, slightly-wide yoyo with slightly less weight than usual. I designed it to be an all-rounder, with finger-spin, thumb-grind, and finger-grind capabilities. Due to the nature of 7075 aluminum, I was able to reduce the wall thickness to give it enough rim weight, despite the finger-spin area requiring more material near the center.
The engraving was designed by Erin Soward. I know it looks like some text around a circle, but it took 9 designs and different typefaces to get there. Don’t underestimate how much work graphic design can take.
This yo-yo was manufactured by Fenghuida Precision Manufacture Co., who did a fantastic job on both the machining and surface treatment. I am really happy with how the Diffraction turned out, and if you give my yo-yo a try, I hope you enjoy it, too.
I will probably be making another yo-yo next year after this project is done. I need some time to rest and finally learn some tricks I’ve been putting off.
Diffraction Specs:
7075 Aluminum
8mm axle
~64g
46 mm wide
56 mm diameter
4.66 mm gap
Note: These are all spoken for (thank you so much!) but keep an eye on my instagram for whatever my next project may be.
