Hey all! So I got to thinking about yo-yos and the weight rings of choice. Most of the yo-yos I’ve seen with weight rings use Titanium (This is excluding plastic throws.), and a few use steel.
Why don’t they all use steel? Why not just take the titanium and shave it down slightly to get they same weight added to the rims? It seems to me like it would feel identical, but be much easier and cheeper to manufacture. Does anyone have any knowledge on whether or not it would actually feel exactly the same? Or other related thoughts?
Don’t forget, Ti by it’s very nature is really cool I love the fact my H3X has Ti weight rings, if they were only steel I may not have even bothered buying one
Don’t get hung up on Titanium vs. Steel for weight rings. It doesn’t make that much of a difference. What does make a difference in the quality of the machining, especially with bi-metallic yo-yos. Most of the have vibe / wobble. Greater sample to sample variation than the average yo-yo, I think.
I think the Anglam CC (haven’t tries the new 7075 version) is a top 5 yoyo in a collection that includes over 20 YYRs including a Dazzler and draupnir, and 5TPs, and a few ODs, Oxys, CLYWs, etc.
If I could only keep one, it would be the Draupnir, but it would be a close decision.
Pretty much this. Ti ring is Moreso used for wow factor, collectability, sparks, and to get a specific style of ring/distribution that you can’t get with steel. Downside is $$$ and not much (if any) benefit performance wise over a steel yoyo @jjdddn1
Where did this whole notion of ti being this material thats super difficult to work with? There’s a ton of things made from ti. Its 2021- they literally make lasers that blast rust off but leave the steel behind. Diamond cutting tools have been around for awhile now and just about any cutting tool can have it…I’m curious
I agree with the wow factor, collectability, sparks , but not sure about a specific style of ring/distribution that you can’t get with steel .
Since Steel is denser than titanium, I would assume you can always get the same weight distribution with steel rings? If the widths (of ring) are meant to be the same, then make the steel ring thinner; if the thickness are the same, then make the steel ring narrower.
You hit the reasoning but fail the on the application. I’m gonna use a hypothetical do bare wjth me.
Let’s say the rim of a yoyo is 10mm long. If I want to cover that entire rim with SS, it might weigh 25 grams. That’s 50 grams in SS total for both halves!! If I do the same thing with Ti, it might be 12/13 grams. I just made some numbers up, but hopefully that gets the point across
There’s more to it than that. There are several reasons, but a big one is that titanium can’t be machined as quickly as aluminum or steel. It holds heat and can warp. It’s not so much that it’s “hard” to machine as it is more time consuming
I think you are correct and also that it more of a business decision. Time money etc for payout. The margins are probably better with other materials. Or you have a brand like RSO and you pay more for brand (and personal touch)
But my point was- i see it every so often someone mentions how difficult ti is to machine like thats a big factor in decision
Adding to this, titanium literally isn’t too ‘hard’ to cut. Grade 5 titanium, which is what most Ti yoyos use, is only about half the hardness of 316 stainless…at room temperature. Titanium actually tends to get harder as it gets warmer (to a point, obviously); and because it holds heat so much better than steel, you have to cut it much slower.
Ti also has a relatively low Young’s Modulus (modulus of elasticity), so slower machining is required so the workpiece doesn’t jump around a bunch. For those who don’t know, the elastic modulus of a material determines how much ‘springback’ it has. Water has a very low elastic modulus while steel is much higher. So when machining titanium, if you cut too fast the piece can ‘chatter’ off the cutting tool, leaving ugly machine marks and potentially ruining the piece.
Getting back to work hardening; titanium tends to work harden very easily which affects tool life. You can see this property in action for yourself: take a paperclip and bend it back and forth a couple times, you’ll notice the second bend won’t bend in the same place as the first, that’s because when bent, some funny atomic stuff goes on and the material gets much harder in that area - you ‘worked’ the area and it ‘hardened’. This is one of the basic principles behind forging metal.
I should note that I’ve never machined titanium, so I’m drawing from what I’ve read and watched about it. I also have a material science degree so it’s fun for me to geek out about this stuff.
I have to say that my Anglam 7075 with the titanium rings is a fantastic smooth as silk throw. But, that’s my only experience with Ti weight rings. However, from that experience it seems to me that the machining on an aluminum with Ti weight rings is more than possible.
I love the fact my H3X has Ti weight rings, if they were only steel I may not have even bothered buying one 
