Hmm… The industrial ABEC-1 bearings I ordered from Misumi were in the 5-6$ range each and were just standard double steel shield bearings made by NSK with the equivalent JIS tolerance to ABEC-1 (MR105ZZ Class 0). They came greased so I cleaned them out with acetone. The spin immediately got up to the nice unlubed yoyo bearing kind of speeds and sleep times, but they stayed damn near silent. I only bought a couple way back when, and the only one that I’ve still got is on the V1 Queen. It’s on there so tight I’d have to break it apart to get it off, too, so I can’t test it with the V2’s.
I got a good price on the yoyo-targeted NSK bearings, so I figured I’d go with the more “premium” product with what I’m shipping out. Lesson learned, I guess >_>
You’re not the only one who got stuck in La Mirada. Dunno what’s up with that hub, but UPS seems to be having a hard time clearing packages through there.
Yeah, I think we’re all aware that you used higher end bearings.
For responsive throws, I’ve had better luck with cheaper lower quality bearings than with higher end ones. Rubber shielded are generally cheaper than metal shielded, but I prefer them because the rubber adds a tiny bit of resistance that helps keep them responsive, they do a much better job of keeping lube in (and dirt out), and it’s exponentially easier to remove and replace the shields.
I’ll keep that in mind and go hunt some down to test. I defaulted to “lets go with the good stuff” because I figured if I’m going to try and make a premium product I don’t wanna cheap out on one of the more important aspects of the yoyo.
Thanks for the insight on the rubber shield vs metal shield, I’ll look to get my hands on an assortment to test.
I feel like I’ve presented myself to come across like I’m being defensive and trying to dodge responsibility or something by pointing at the invoice for the bearings and going “but look! I spent the money so they can’t be bad!” That’s not at all what I’m attempting to put across.
The only reason I’m pointing out the source/manufacturer because I expected the ones I chose to be an option befitting the cost of the yoyo in terms of stability, noise output, and longevity, that’s all. With people pointing out that they are louder than expected I’m just trying to say that I’m surprised that my choice of bearings didn’t pan out.
In my head, a premium bearing should be a bearing that can be purchased reliably over time with the expectation that it is free of manufacturing errors, will provide a more pleasant experience when used compared to other options, and will last a long enough time to justify its use for the cost. NSK-made bearings seem to be the top-end option when it comes to yoyos, so I assumed that they would be a solid choice for my stuff. Then again I still consider myself fairly new to the hobby and I’m definitely a newbie in the realm of design, so I don’t doubt that the people giving me feedback have a greater depth of insight than I do.
If I’ve paid a higher cost for bearings that aren’t up to snuff then that’s my own problem. If the bearings that Mlxkell has available end up being the better option for responsive designs, then my lack is around not trying more options.
I always appreciate people pointing out my blind spots. One of the main goals for this prototyping process was to help me learn, after all
Bearings are often as much personal preference as anything else. You did great, I really like the throw, and it seems like everyone else that’s got one so far does too. NSK makes great bearings, and the one you included works well after adding some lube. I do prefer rubber shielded for responsive as I mentioned, but I also think I’m probably way far in the minority on that because they don’t seem to be popular for yoyos at all.
@kretzschmar I did, and it’s very quiet when the string is centered. When the string rubs against the brake pads it makes a pleasant buzzing with a very high pitched tin that’s unique to titanium. Tried to create a quick vid to give you an idea, let me see if I can post it:
Also, I was going back through the modern responsive PIF box earlier, and realized that the Queen Bee is a lot like an ultra premium version of the Confusion. I prefer the balance on the Queen Bee, and the classic feel of the response from the brake pads, but they feel very similar both in the hand and on the string.
I love seeing all this come together, been a lot of fun so far! All seems super positive as well! I don’t actually consider bearing issues that uncommon regardless. I feel like it’s often a mixed bag on what you’re going to receive no matter the style or brand. I remember reading before about yoyo manufacturers who go through piles sometimes testing them out, haha. Grand scheme, if that’s one of the more concerning bits, then it seems to be going pretty smooth in my mind.
The Queen Bee is a titanium ode to the BumbleBee GT, if I’m remembering correctly. The Confusion is an ode to the Cold Fusion GT, which was also a premium version of the BumbleBee GT.
Correct! Most of my yoyo exposure was late 90s and early 00s. My design style reflects that, I think. Even the organic non-responsive I made is more retro-styled. When I first designed it I even kinda took inspiration from the Butterfly’s shape and tried to make it responsive. I failed at both of those lmao
I’ve only ever seen a Confusion in person once, and only super briefly at a meetup in the bay area frew months ago at that. I’ve had eyes out to get my hands on one in the BST groups (just missed one the other week T_T) and I’d love to find one of the Ti Confusions that I know exist just to see how it is. It looks considerably different to what I wanted, though:
I preferred the larger, full round rim that the original BBGT has. I love the look of the profiles of the AL Confusion and my bimetal Cold Fusion, too. It’s a considerably larger challenge to get the tool paths to match up properly, though…
Speaking of hard-to-match toolpaths, am I hallucinating or are there witness marks on the outer diameters of those Confusion wings?
I haven’t seen many other people do stalls and other older tricks with the Queen. I like that it’s turning out to be more versatile than I was expecting
I’m almost ready to send the modern responsive PIF on to the next person, and it contains the AL Confusion pictured (along with a bunch of other fun responsive throws). Yeah, the TI Confusion definitely looks different, and is too heavy for my taste.
Sure looks like witness marks to me.
What else was I gonna do with a throwback style responsive?
I’ll see myself out 
