What chemical is being used in this video?

I was just cruising around youtube when I came across this video. He basically strips the anno off a YYF monster in 30 minutes using it. In the comments it said that it was “pipeunish” but a google search didn’t reveal anything. I was wondering if any of you knew the english equivalent of this chemical. I also wondered what happened to his bearings after.

Drain cleaner?

That is what I was guessing it was. Drain-o or something like it, but I don’t know.
I have just seen everyone saying that you should not chemically strip anno, but this dude seems to do it successfully without the aluminum being eaten into.

Yeah, I saw an american video where he stripped parts using drain-o and it worked fine. Just take the bearing and axle out obviously(To prevent damage)

A possibly safer alternative - oven cleaner.

http://yoyoexpert.com/forums/index.php/topic,41474.0.html

Oven cleaner is nasty in it’s own right, but I think drain-o exceeds it.

What’s the thing he uses at the end to polish it?

I skipped to somewhere in the 9 minute mark where he’s rinsing in the sink. Looks like a fairly common scrubbing sponge where one side is like a ScotchBrite pad and the other side is just sponge. Nothing you can’t get at any grocery store.

I think the guy purposely left in “sacrificial bearings” because he wanted to preserve the bearing seat. Why he didn’t remove the response pads is a mystery as well. I’m guessing he either cleaned the bearings later or threw them out.

no but the orange stuff in the container that he puts on the sponge if you skip to 44 seconds you can see what i mean.

Just because it ‘has’ been doesn’t does NOT mean it ‘should’ be done.

This process is inherently dangerous to both you and your yoyo. Yes, it will remove the anodizing… yes, it might do so safely and effectively… but there is also a -large- chance that it will -ruin- your yoyo.

Chemicals don’t care what is under the anodizing, they don’t care about which area they remove first, and they don’t care if they remove everything evenly. You are running a -huge- risk that it destroys the tolerances in your yoyo and therefor degrades the quality and performance of that yoyo.

There of course is the always overlooked health risk here too… these are -powerful- and -dangerous- chemicals you are playing with, PLEASE take extreme caution when using them. If you are not over 18 (or even if you are but don’t act like it heh) please get adult supervision… if you’re living with your parents or guardian let them do it for you… or at least watch you carefully. Not only are the chemicals dangerous to your skin, the fumes they put off are toxic… only work in a -well- ventilated area.

Kyle