Hey, I recently got an OneDrop Vanguard and around 2 days ago it suddenly started making a loud noise from the bearing. I was in a barber shop and maybe some particles slipped through the shields but I was wondering if there was anything I can do? I cleaned it and used some Terrapin Dry Lube in it and now it only makes a small high pitched sound instead of being ninja silent. (I only put a TINY amount of Dry Lube in it.)
Also, can anyone give me some tips about applying the Dry Lube and anyway to make using it better?
That screech is a hallmark of OD 10-balls. The most common advice is to “play through it” until it calms down and becomes unresponsive again, and then add a single drop of thin lube, break it in, and then rarely worry about the bearing again.
Regarding the Dry Lube, it does indeed impart a “hiss” to a bearing. As long as the bearing is unresponsive, it’s probably just the expected noise.
If you throw a sleeper and then hop the yoyo up gently, does the string “chase” the axle? If so, the bearing is slightly responsive. Otherwise you’re set to go.
If you find there’s too much Dry Lube, Terrapin advises to put in a drop of acetone and work it through. If this doesn’t help after a few attempts, clean the bearing with acetone and try again.
I’ve used the “dilute with acetone” technique and it works.
As usual, GregP speaks the truth. With the dry lube, very little is your friend (I use the dust that clings to the side of the bag). I have used too much and it made the bearing responsive, so, I cleaned it, used less and was good. As Greg said, you can add a small drop of acetone to a responsive bearing and it usually goes unresponsive.
Currently my Valor is has dry lube in the bearing, there is a slight “hiss” sound, while my Summit has thin lube and is nearly silent.
Good luck, and, my biggest advice is do a “safe” throw when testing the bearing. I consider a standard front throw sleeper to be my “safe” throw. I’ve adopted this by being hit one too many times by a yoyo I thought was unresponsive.
add a drop of acetone to the hissy dry lubed bearing. spin dry, and it should be muuch quieter. If needed add a second drop.
Then after a while suddenly itll get noisy again, put another drop of acetone in there and it should be good to go for a while.
only if its really gritty will you need to soak and re apply the dry followed by another drop once its lubed. Just be sure that its totally dry when your adding the lube.
Also forgot to note: when you FIRST start working in the Dry Lube, it will definitely have some crunchiness to it. You have to let the balls crush the lube…
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But really, it has to get even more finely pulverized than it is.
It shouldn’t take TOO long to get it to free-spinning unresponsiveness, though. Like 10-20 flicks of the bearing at the end of a chopstick/pencil or so.
Last night i did one and after the drop of acetone at the end it was still a lil hissy. put a second drop in and now its nearly silent. It took about 10 throws or so to make it SHHhhhhhhl
I use acetone because if you put some on a piece of glass or a mirror, and let it evap, you do not see anything left behind.
Lighter fluids have lubricants and other things to help lighters, but id bet that those lubricants do not evap, leaving something behind, thus defeating the purpose of cleaning to begin with.
If lighter fluid left something useful behind, I’d be all over that.
I don’t need to to evaporate perfectly clean because I always add at least a hint of thin lube (sometimes more). As long as lighter fluid doesn’t interfere with that, I’m good! But imagine lighter fluid left behind just enough “residue” to be seen as an ultra-light lube? Perfect.
I was thinking about that as I was wrinting it. that as well as the video i saw receently about making your own yoyo lube by adding mineral spirits and 3-1 oil. I just know that if it IS leaving something behind, it will build up over time and many cleanings. I would expect a steady decrease in performance. But im still new to the hobby so i could be WAY off base.
