Yoyo lube is an important aspect of maintaining the bearing in good condition. If you don’t lube it, you may have a chance of encountering some problems while playing with the yoyo and you’ll have to change the bearing at some point.
The bearing itself doesn’t cost so much, but having in mind that it wears out in a month or two, you may not want to spend around 10 dollars for every bearing that you choose.
Instead of replacing the bearing, you can use the lubricant to improve the lifespan of the bearing so that you can use it practically forever. So, stay tuned to find out more about the maintenance of the bearing!
1.Thin yoyo lube
It is a special lube with a consistency similar to the water. Thin lube is used mostly for unresponsive yoyos as it keeps the ball bearing in good shape and it reduces the friction between the balls and the inside stainless steel surface. When your yoyo has problems, there will be some clues that something is not OK.
Thin lube can be found in any online yoyo store. The recommended lube would be the one from YoyoFactory, as they are specialized with yoyos and accessories.
1.1Signs your yoyo bearing wears out
- The bearing makes more sound than usual
- The bearing locks up.
- The yoyo starts to become more responsive with time due to the increased friction between the bearing balls and their grooved metal track they siton..
If the yoyo happens to show any of the above-mentioned signs, it means that is time to maintain your yoyo bearing
2. How to lube the ball-bearing
2.1What do you need
- A small bottle of thin lube ;
- a needle
- a bearing
- a sheet of paper
- Patience(seriously)
2.2 The lubing process explained
First, take the needle and the bearing and try to find a tiny hole through which to squeeze your needle and take out one of the shielding rings of the yoyo.
Try to remove it with caution. You may not succeed the first time, but you need to persist until you accomplish your task.
Use your needle to take a small drop of thin lube. Pour the lubricant from the needle onto a ball and then to another one the opposite side.
After you have taken out the shield of the yoyo bearing you need to put to less lube onto the bearing than in the case in which you don’t remove the metal cover. That’s it. You can put the bearing back onto the yoyo and see if it makes any difference.
Use the sheet of paper and rub the bearing with it to remove any excess lube. That should be enough.
2.3What are the benefits of lubing your yoyo?
You don’t necessarily have an improved spin time but the main advantage of leaving your yoyo is that It keeps the bearing safe and you reduce the friction between the main parts( bearing balls and the metal groove) which results in a quieter spin. I think this is the best aspects of maintaining the bearing properly.
Make sure not to use too much lube because it will flood the bearing and it will make your yoyo responsive(go here to see how you can make your yoyo responsive or unresponsive), and that’s not a thing you may want.
3.Thick yoyo lube
It is used mostly with the responsive yoyos especially the looping ones. After constant use, you may realize that your isn’t as responsive as it should.
To solve this issue, you need to apply the same method mentioned above and you’ll see a major difference in yo-yo play. You may not necessarily need to use the needle to unravel the shield around the bearing balls, but in this case, it is more precise to apply only some drops of thick yoyo lube.
Learn more about the yoyo lube from Andre Boulay! Even though YoyoJam doesn’t exist any more the principles behind thick and thin lube remain the same. Just watch the video below by double-clicking it!
4.Learn how to make your own lube
You need only two materials to get started. Firstly you need to get a regular three in one oil found in any hardware store and the paint thinner/ mineral spirit/ white spirit to decrease the oil viscosity.
Take a jar or any kind of jar with a cap that can be securely closed and put one part of oil and three parts of paint thinner. Shake the jar and mix the ingredients together.
Introduce the yo-yo bearings into the jar and let it stay for a while If you want to clean them. Get the bearing out with pliers and put it back onto your skill toy.
For bearing maintenance you need to take a needle and put some drops onto one or two balls. This will be enough for having your yoyo maintained.
5. To sum up
Yoyo lube is an important part for maintaining your toy as it keeps the bearing in good condition, thus avoiding excessive friction and noise.
The yoyo will slow a bit down for a while but don’t worry, the spin will come back to the original state. Be careful at your type of yoyo to not use the wrong lube for it! Any questions and opinions are welcomed in the comments section!
Happy yoyoing!
Hi Sebastian,
Really awesome post and great ideas on how to deal with Yoyo lube.Personally I have thought of ideas you just came out with.
Thank you for being so helpful .
Glad to help any time,Omar!
Just got a Henry’s viper as soon as I land on the string the yo yo snags so its impossible to do string tricks. Any idea why this could be?
I think it is the yoyo’s problem. It seems that the yoyo is snaggy in general because of the starburst system and the strange bearing in the middle. Not to forget that gap width is too small and you barely have enough room for more strings to fit in when you do the Man on The Flying Trapeze or other more complex tricks.
The yoyo is too light and you have less spin time. The most you can do with Henry Viper is to play 4AHonestly I would recommend you to loosen the yoyo and increase the gap width or buy another one like the Replay Pro. You can find more info about Replay Pro by typing this name into the search bar on the top right corner.
Is this recipe working for responsive yoyos?
The method of lubing the yoyo works for both types of yoyos responsive and unresponsive. The method of making new lube applies to unresponsive yoyos. Hope it helps to clarify your question.