I decided to try the Nova Cole Jaw Set. It has soft grips and is adjustable to hold any yoyo size down to 2”/51mm diameter. There are also longer grips available if I need them. I’ll probably have a chance to try it out on Sunday or Monday.
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Looks OK. I’m a little concerned about the length of those little rubber parts holding the half. They could be too short for some designs.
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These kinds of jaws could be better. You can customise them to fit your workpiece.
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Soft jaws are a vital part of my repertoire, both mill and turn (especially for softer materials where an expansion clamp or other workholding solutions might marre the part.)
I don’t turn wood though.
@Glenacius_K 's advice is very sound.
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The soft jaws look like a great solution. If the holders on the Cole jaw set don’t work I’ll try the soft jaws.
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That’s awesome!
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Making prototypes. Three different responses and three different rim variations.
@Glenacius_K , many tears were shed at the lathe in the process.
The agony and ecstasy is real.
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What did you find tricky?
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Oh, just generally a lot of botched attempts before finding a repeatable, precise method for various parts of the process. The feeling of “that’s not going to be quite good enough” before finding something that works. A real first-world problem.
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Better tears than blood!
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That is definitely true!
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Not first world problems, just the difficulties that come with making anything worthwhile.
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Well said
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I tested out the response types on the oak yo-yos this morning.
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The first has no response holes - just the walls of the yoyo. It plays super quietly with almost zero string feedback, and it can do three string wraps before snagging. I think this would work great if you’re into 1a with a wood throw: lots of power in the rims, good spin time, and won’t respond early. But, it doesn’t respond tightly at low rpm and is occasionally slippy, which makes it less ideal for 0a, stalls, regens, flips. I’m thinking that this would get less responsive over time as the sides wear down. Honestly, it’s fun for something different, but probably not what I want most of the time.
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The second has 4 response holes. It plays much like other throws with 4-hole response. Predictable, tight winds even at low rpm, great for 0a yet still able to handle some string trick elements. While the yoyo is very smooth, this response creates some string feedback, especially on less-than-straight throws, but will probably decrease over time. I suspect the this response will stay the most consistent over time.
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The third has 4 modified holes, almost like divots. These were made with just the tip of the drill bit. This plays somewhere between the two, but takes a hair more tug to get it to return than 4-holes. This one plays ok, but I’m not sure that it’s an improvement over the regular 4-hole response unless string feedback really bothers you (although this still has some string feedback). It also winds slightly less tightly. I wonder how the response would change over time as it wears in. Probably less feedback but might lose a bit of responsiveness.
All three versions work, but overall I think the 4-hole response is the best for my taste.
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I’ve narrowed it down to two rim options. What do you all think? (Ignore the differing inlay quality.)
- Angular Rim
- Curved Rim
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voters
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Your work is getting better and better. If I had your skills and equipment I would start a boutique yoyo company.
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I love the look of oak yoyos, my favorite material for wooden fixed axle throws. This thread really is a treat to for the eye!
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Any reason why 6 hole isnt on here? Ive had my knack for a bit and its got 4 hole response. Sometimes it feels like it unwinds “quarter turn at a time”. Not sure if that makes sense. I figured something like 6 hole would make this less apparent.
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