Thanks! It’s been fun and enlightening. I would really recommend it to anyone who was interested!
I only built a 3 string testing ‘rig’, if you can call it that, on a board. Some hooks from home depot in it for start, mid, and end points with holes drilled at ‘A’ to drop nails in by the hooks #1, #2, & #3. This is for where I take the thread off the dremel hook (pinch string 10mm or so off the hook, spin counter clockwise and it opens the loop, drop a big nail in) and fold over the mid point back to ‘A’ for the kink. Worked great for me so far.
I’ve also noticed the tension while winding the initial twist was causing some inconsistencies in the wrap, or TPI.
Too tight with a mixed thread (heavier poly to lighter) and it has a tiny -tight/loose/tight/loose- looking wind. Very slight, but barely noticeable by eye. Not so much to me in play, but knowing it was there, I wanted to get rid of it.
I got rid of it by winding with less tension. Worked great. Pinch down or no pinch down and it was consistent. Although each varied batch may respond differently, so try some test with each batch until you have what you want!
Also, doing a dual twist, 2 color thread yields a really smooth string with nice tension. Glides on your fingers and the yoyo/bearing and great suicide loops. The only caveat I’ve found is it burns good on sky bind where many others don’t and some tension adjustment.
Another thing I’ve found is the ‘hit’ on the end of a string really differs. A heavy throw hits the end of the string harder with a no-stretch string whereas a string with stretch compensates and gives a nice cushion.
This is the first test batches I did over the week and this weekend. The ones I liked I made more of. I still have a lot more to play and try! My arm/shoulder is dead! ;D
Hi guys, so i need some help, i need both a very soft thread to complete a string. And your opinions on coats and clarks dual duty xp and it’s whiping qualitys.
Really didn’t take that much time once you get your process dialed in over several tries. Maybe an hour a night and a couple hours on the weekend. Have a nice pile of busted threads too!
The Maxilock and Surelock are the softest I have. Well, the Toldilock too. I think they’re all spun poly? Although the Signature Pixelles is soft if wound loosely (15" of twist) on a 12 strand. Whips like mad too. Very much like Dragon string if you used it, no bounce though.
I like the DD XP. I’ve made some strings exclusively of it and it whips slightly above avg imho, if avg is kitty and some others like it. I need to play them more, but they’re on down the list.
It really seems to be a density issue for whips. The denser threads will zip through the air, while the soft stuff is like trying to whip feathers. This is where a tighter twist really helps the soft stuff.
My supply of homemade strings is finally starting to run dry. I had to make some more today. May post pictures later. I find new ways to improve my method every time I twist. I’m probably going to design a 5-string rig soon, and hopefully build it.
Got around to playing some of pure Dual Duty XP thread strings.
They play a little rougher than the maxi/sure/toldi-lock with less stretch. Longer break in, but like others have mentioned, they hold up longer so far too.
Looking up close at the XP you see a tightly wound sheath around a core. I think that is why they whip better and last longer, but also have more texture.
I think I would rank the stuff I’ve tried on 3 levels.
Level one: Soft, more stretch. Some slight change in performance/feel color to color.
Level two: Not as soft, less stretch. Not much change in performance/feel color to color.
Level three: Not as soft as one, no stretch basically. Not much change in performance/feel color to color.
Then those levels would be,
Level 1. All the ‘lock’ threads. Surelock, Maxilock, Toldilock. Lots of colors!
Level 2. All the XP threads. C&C Dual Duty XP Limited colors.
Level 3. All the C&C trilobal along with the Signature Pixelles. Although the Pixelles can be as soft as level one where the C&C trilobal is rougher than XP, it doesn’t have any stretch. Neon colors at least! Couldn’t find any in the maxi/sure/toldi-lock. Somewhat limited colors otherwise, but more than XP has.
All based in store btw. I didn’t shop online. But I need to look for more neon colors!
I’m making a 5 string rig at the moment ill post some pics in a little bit. And are there any string makers in Utah I haven’t met any other thrower or spinners?
[quote=“Big_Yoyo,post:172,topic:46003”]
Let me quantify this question for my own curiousity.
Is it going to spin 5 strings at the ‘same time’ or simply load and hold 5 strings worth of materials in a pending position while each string is spun in order, one after the other.
This thread is responsible for me liking my own string more than Kitty String. The bad part is that I am feeling lazy and not wanting to twist up some right now, haha.
I’ve been liking a bit of roughness to the string and it seems to make the binds tighter, resulting in better unwinding of the yoyo on a throw (vs. Kitty).
Current formula: 6x threads Dual Duty XP, 6x threads surelock (spun poly), winding it down from 122 to 110 inches. gsimian’s hand kink method.
Same here! Really glad I did. I still like other strings and look forward to trying them too (saw some new gstring is coming!), but doing your own is great fun.
I like that thread mix myself. The XP really adds a nice back bone to the string!
Pinch down crew. ;D
Some I still do no-pinch for that super soft feel, but I really don’t like those strings for anything but the softness so I’ve quit making them. Plus at a dozen every 15-18min on a 3 hook board/rig I have to go quality!
I’ve noticed the layout of the threads when ran can affect whether you get a perfect twist or not too. If I run 6 strings at once I noticed some minor variation in twist at times if I had 3 trilobal or similar all together on one side. With them spaced out (like picture) instead of stacked on one side the twist was more consistent.
Hey I like my strings and so does my best friend but I want a fellow string engineer to test em’ out I can send a 50/50 cotton Polly and 100% Polly or some of my prototypes 75% Polly 25% cotton. If you want pm me your address and ill try to send by next week or so . Ill send to 2-5 people 3 strings each so yea get back to me
I’ve run out of strings… but I’m not sure I want to make more
I may spend some time tonight making a multi string rig… at least something where I can loop 5-10 strings worth of material … then just twist them which takes all of nothing with the dremmel
Setting up the string takes time… not sure im up for it… So im in the yye store looking at string.
That’s why I started running 5 or 6 threads at once depending on what I want. That way, 1 lap (A,C,A) and I’m done for that string. On my 3 hook/3 string board it goes easily enough. Also saves on having to tie each string to a hook as a 3 time wrap around on each hook locks it down fine and you can move to the next. So I tie all threads to A (#1 of 3), run to C #1 and back to A #1. Wrap 3x around on A#1 hook, move to A #2 hook, wrap 3x on it and then run to C #2, around and back to A #2. Wrap 3x on A #2, move to A #3, wrap 3x… Keeping the hooks off the end of the board also helps this wrapping go easier/quickly.
I’m sure others have their own way! I started with my board on the floor, which lasted about 3 tries, then I put it up on a couple 2x4’s just above waist high as others mentioned. Much easier!
At the dremel end ‘C’, pinch the string 1" from hook, I un-twist the dremel hook 3 to 5 times and a loop opens, I put a large nail in it, and fold back to ‘A’ putting in a hole there to hold it. Then kink/pinch down each one. Then cut and tie. If you cut/tie #1 off before kinking #2 the 3x wrap may not hold and your string will come undone, so I kink them all, then cut and tie.
