Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Step 3Clean the Ball Bearing
After removing the bearing, soak it in a cup of mineral spirits. This will remove the oil that the yo-yo is shipped with. Having a dry (non-lubed) bearing is key in an unresponsive yo-yo.
I personally use mineral spirits, but lighter fluid or rubbing alcohol (use a very high %) will also work. You won't need much, just enough to submerge the bearing. I also like to shake it up well to really clean the bearing.
You'll only need to soak the bearing for 5 or 10 minutes. Afterwards, pour the contents out (being sure not to lose the bearing down the drain) and put your freshly cleaned bearing on a paper towel to dry. To help remove the mineral spirits, I like to place the bearing on the tip of a pencil and spin it with my finger. Centrifugal force tends to pull out the mineral spirits faster than gravity does. If you have access to an air compressor you could use that dry the bearing super fast.
Cleaning a bearing does shorten its lifespan a bit, but it will still last you for a long time. They usually last me for about a year.
If you would like to extend its life a little, though, you can drop one small bead of oil on the bearing races. Yo-yo players use many different kinds of oil, but some common solutions are 3-in-1 sewing machine oil and trumpet valve oil. Be careful not to add too much, or else you'll be defeating the purpose of cleaning it in the first place. (You can also purchase a product called YoYoJam thin lube, which does about the same thing.)
I personally use mineral spirits, but lighter fluid or rubbing alcohol (use a very high %) will also work. You won't need much, just enough to submerge the bearing. I also like to shake it up well to really clean the bearing.
You'll only need to soak the bearing for 5 or 10 minutes. Afterwards, pour the contents out (being sure not to lose the bearing down the drain) and put your freshly cleaned bearing on a paper towel to dry. To help remove the mineral spirits, I like to place the bearing on the tip of a pencil and spin it with my finger. Centrifugal force tends to pull out the mineral spirits faster than gravity does. If you have access to an air compressor you could use that dry the bearing super fast.
Cleaning a bearing does shorten its lifespan a bit, but it will still last you for a long time. They usually last me for about a year.
If you would like to extend its life a little, though, you can drop one small bead of oil on the bearing races. Yo-yo players use many different kinds of oil, but some common solutions are 3-in-1 sewing machine oil and trumpet valve oil. Be careful not to add too much, or else you'll be defeating the purpose of cleaning it in the first place. (You can also purchase a product called YoYoJam thin lube, which does about the same thing.)
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
 |
Add Comment
|
