Well thank you for that correction lmao
Very likely, almost certain. What model is it?
Dif-e-Yo Wide Sport F
This was when I polished for the first time the cup on the left is 20 years of unpolished life. It looks a little hazy but I think it was more small the micro scratches than anything. I could definitely be wrong and it’s just slight oxidation
1 Like
Okay, yeah I mean I just figured it’s probably regular old 6061. Love it either way, and it looks so sick since I polished it to mirror finish.
But back on topic I think, if y’all got any yo-yos to scrap, send them to me to fix them for you first!!!
1 Like
I really wish mine still had the stickers…
1 Like
I was gonna say, what happened to the stickers?!
1 Like
Unfortunately when I bought it back in like 2005 (got it in high school, graduated ‘06) they were already missing, but at least I have the rings. They fit my Glacier Express and my Batheysphere perfectly. Every single time I get a new YoYo it’s “I wonder…” and I check if they can fit somewhere lol
What alloy did yoyojam use? Aged ones can have pretty dark rims.
1 Like
It isn’t oxidation; oxidation creates tiny black spots.
Micro-scratches are inevitable; the dust that any object comes into contact with contains particles much harder than the alloy (diamond, for instance—just think of how many particles grinder discs shed as they wear down), so micro-scratches are bound to occur when dusting a surface.
The dull patina comes from the oils on the hands that touch it and the dirt it comes into contact with.
A mirror polish is essentially just a finish; if you wanted to restore it to the state it was in when it left Dif-e-Yo, you would need to clean it with a paste like Iosso and then use very fine sandpaper and cloths to achieve a mirror shine. Mirror polishing is basically an optical illusion: the surface is treated with progressively finer abrasive papers or pastes, leaving it covered in scratches—but scratches so fine that the human eye cannot see them, and they aren’t significant enough to scatter light improperly.
If you look at a mirror-polished yo-yo under a microscope, you realize there is nothing “mirror-like” about it at all.
2 Likes
ergal (7075) more impact-resistant than 6061
2 Likes
I have a microscope, I will try that, sounds interesting!
That’s a very good point about all the micro particles around us, too.
FWIW, this was polished first with 3m 5 micron sand paper and then cape cod polish cloth
1 Like
I’ve never wasted time mirror-polishing yo-yos because it’s a huge hassle, and within 2–3 months they’re back to how they were before—unless you keep them under a glass dome and never use them; then, sure, they stay shiny.
As for the oxidation issue on raw Ergal models, that was solved by anodizing them…
1 Like
Raw aluminium is incredibly soft, it’s like Mohs hardness level 2–3. If it wasn’t covered in scratches then I would expect you to have had it sealed in an airtight case.
2 Likes
Well, it did spend about 15 years in an attic lol
I only got back into throwing a couple years ago
I always tell my wife if I get too stressed selling yo-yos I’ll just mail them all to some yoyo clubs or drop them off at a toy drive.
1 Like
