Stripping a Show Girl (Stripping and Polishing a Yoyo)

Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance
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Just my opinion, but if all you want to do is polish a yoyo, you don’t need to strip it. You only need to strip if you want to re-anodize it. Sanding off the surface removes the anodization. Here’s a couple of " how to polish" topics…

Neither requires any chemicals. Just roll up yer sleeves and have at it.

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42

Ah yes, jhb is right.

You absolutely can skip the chemicals and strip physically with sandpaper first. I personally like to chem strip because I have found it gentler than hitting it with 400 grit sand paper, but you can absolutely go the non chemical route.

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I think he(@Ryanm7277) wants to make the existing matte ano shiny, without stripping it. Some of my blasted yo-yos are getting kinda shiny where my hands wear on them, so couldn’t he just polish the existing ano?

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Oh if you just want to ‘polish’ up an anodized yoyo without stripping it, here’s what you do:

  1. Take it apart. Remove axle and bearing.
  2. Wash it with soap and water. Make sure you are careful with the pads/response.
  3. Dry yoyo completely, making sure axle hole is dry.
  4. Spray a tiny bit of Wd40 on a paper towel and rub down the whole yoyo.
  5. Reassemble.

The WD40 trick makes the yoyo look extra glossy. I followed the above procedure for everything I anodized.

I would refrain from polishing an anodized yoyo with polishing compounds or even over aggressively with rags/cloth. You don’t want to wear away the anodized layer.

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45

If you substitute WD40 for a teflon lubricant such as GT85 you get a longer lasting shine.

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So I’m planning on giving this a try. I was wondering though if it’s feasible to do a finish that would grind well. I’ve seen people sandpaper plastic yo-yos and get an Ok grind finish. Is there a way to get a good(or even just ok) grind finish with an Al yo-yo that looks good and is doable at home without much in the way of special tools? I’ve done some googling and found some pretty… bad looking attempts at it, and some just kinda Ok, but nothing good.

Also, I assume none of this—stripping and polishing in general—is doable with bimetals…?

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47

I use a little scotchbrite on a LOT of things that I want to satin-up. Guitar necks, my Wanker, my Poppet. Never done it on raw AL though, so I couldn’t speak to its softness.

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What kind of scotchbrite do you use on your Wanker? Does it satin up enough to do grinds with it, or is it just aesthetic?

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…original? Lol it’s just what was unused under my sink. Nothing special, and definitely the only one they carry at the grocery store. It satinned(?) the Wanker up enough for a quick grind, yes, but that is Ti, so YMMV.

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There’s all kinds. There’s the synthetic ones which come in several colors, green being the most common one, but they also make stainless steel and copper scrubbers kinda like steel wool.

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Mine is… green. Sorry I’m no help at all.

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52

Same concept and method for aluminum as plastic. use a 150-200 grit wet/dry paper, but use it dry. Just a light pressure is all that’s required.

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Man I come back to the forums and I see “stripping a showgirl”

Never change, forums.

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54

Wow. This looks amazing.

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Here’s my attempt for a mirror finish. My Boa

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@ReticNeil might want to see your work. Looking good :+1:

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Looks good.

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Thanks. When I saw that showpony, it blew my mind. That thing sooooooooo pretty.