I wanna start siliconing, but I have no idea what flowable to use. Here are my preferences:
Binds tightly without snagging
Has a cool color to it (I find clear dull, I want my throw to look cool inside and outside)
Easy to use. For I am a n00b
That’s it.
Most people tend to use this stuff:
It should be available at local retailers as well, that same brand in the same packaging. It’s just convenient to order from YYE if you’re already placing an order.
If I had known that, I’d have saved a Classic and showed you how to silicone at BAC.
And forget how dull clear is, you’re not looking at it, so who cares.
What YYJ’s of mine did you play? Oh wait, only my Fiesta XX and my Classics are siliconed at the moment. But my GSquared and Square Wheels and Mad House are.
I don’t have any yoyos at the moment I need to silicone. If you have one you want siliconed at the Fellowship of the Strings, bring it to me and I’ll silicone it for you and you can watch me do one half and you can try the other half.
I recommend the stuff YYE sells here but I get it at a local auto parts store. Should be under $6 for a tube.
Also, if you want colours you’ll probably either have to DIY (not sure the steps, but I’m sure it could be done and create a huge mess while doing it!) or go for the MonkeyfingeR Design “Monkey Snot”:
There are colored types of silicone called “gasket maker” at your local auto parts store. They smell really bad, but come in colors like red, blue and green. They last longer than regular flowable, and provide very snappy binds. I myself am using the red right now.
And the tubes it comes in are almost twice the size and they are cheaper than flowable as well!
Permatex has the largest selection at auto Zone, Walmart and Lowes.
Any place pertaining to those. (Ex. Lowes=home depot Auto Zone= Any Auto store…)
All silicone sealants smell pretty much the same, like vinegar.
Thanks for the warning. I am in need of a tube, and I think I’ll just stick to regular Permatex flowable instead of trying red gasket maker as well.
Oh, I found that the gasket makers smell stronger of that scent than flowable does. Flowable was very tolerable for me, where as with the gasket maker it is a lot stronger. No problem though, I do it in my garage
Don’t go to autozone to get your silicone. I used to but there, but realized Walmart DOES have it, and for maybe a dollar or so cheaper.
But anyways, use Permatex. If you like a very grippy response, use Hi-Temp red Gasket maker. It’s harder to apply, but grips nicely.
If you don’t want stains on the string, use flowable. But have a flashlight with you while applying it to make sure none gets in the bearing seat.
Whats wrong with auto zone? I have gone there once or twice.
I get it in the bearing seat all the time. I just play it and the silicone rips out if the bearing seat.
Instead of a flashlight just use a lamp lol.
With Flowable, just put a little in the top left right and bottom and let it flow. Don’t smooth it out.
With adhesive, or forms of gasket masker, it’s extremely hard to keep it out of the seat.
I have nothing against AutoZone. They’re very friendly employees, but I prefer Walmart due to lower prices.
And I have always Put a tiny circle of press n seal over the bearing seat to keep silicone out, works great.
And I personally smooth mine out.
But you know, everyone’s different and I respect that.
Flowable smooths itself out :P…
I meant when I use gasket maker I smooth it down flush with the surface. 
Well you can custom mix your own colors.
I have never done it though. I suppose you either use dye or food coloring. I suspect both will work.
For me just siliconing in general is very annoying and I would rather not do it at all, but also don’t order stuff often enough to buy pads when I need them so I go the route of silicone now. Other then for my duncans.
I use flowable rather then gasket maker because it leaves me with more grip, and I dont have to level it.
What I do is find a flat and level place to leave the yoyo. My kitchen table is where I do it.
I add silicone to all the yoyos I am working on. Then I go back to each after a minute or two. and add more if I need to to level off the silicone. When it dry’s it shrinks down just a little bit. I don’t scrap or level at all. I just leave it to do that it’s self. Its designed to do just that.
Are you at least removing the excess? That’s all I do when I’m done.
When it cures, the shrinking is usually in the form of the silicone “self-recessing”, not pulling in from the sides.
I also recommend doing it in batches too. Sometimes it doesn’t work that way though. I siliconed 3 Classics, then the next day, I discovered another yoyo needing to be siliconed. Oops. Since it was before BAC, I didn’t want to take any chances so I siliconed whatever needed it when it was needed.
I think my next project might be to silicone the Magic YoYos I have.
nope no scraping, I add less then I need, let it level, then add a very little if it is not sitting flush or just above flush at that point.
Over the years I have gotten very good at not adding to much, When I first started doing this I just over filled like the tutorials said and scraped off. But then I started adding less and less, and ended up not needing the scraping(the part I find to make the most mess.) at all. I don’t spin the yoyo really I just add some to the recces and let it flow around and level. I might add to more then one spot on yoyo with a thin recess like the classic for example, because its so skinny you kinda’ have to fill in more then just one spot, so I do maybe 180 of the reccess, on yoyos like that.
If you do end up adding too much and it is a positive response I found that it wares very fast if you don’t let it cure all the way. So about 10 or so hours after I silicone I swing back by and if I have added to much to any of them I just use that yoyo that day and ware it flush. This is like maybe 1 in 30 or 40 jobs. So not that often.
I’ve done it without the need to scrape before, but the last one I applied the other day I accidentally got a touch on the bearing seat. But I knew it was there, so a paper towel and some CAREFUL fingers, and I managed to wipe it off while still wet. Went around a few more times to ensure not even a trace of it, and then once or twice more with a thumbnail instead of paper towel.
Seems to be playing perfectly!
But my ideal is to apply the flowable in such a way that I don’t need to do anything but pour it. Anything else is too much of a pain to feel like it’s worth it for any more than the occasional yoyo.
Re paper towel an careful fingers; I take a q tip and rip 90% of the cotton of then twist the remainder of the cotton tight back around the qtips stick, which makes it just the right size to get into the bearing seat and clean up any mess.
If I’m not mistaken, MonkeyfingeR made flowable silicone that came in individual tunes that came in a stunning variety of colors, and performed quite exceptionally, but I’m not too sure if it’s still being made.
