Cleaning a yoyo, especially the bearing, is crucial for maintaining optimal performance, particularly with modern unresponsive yoyos. The primary focus of cleaning often involves removing dirt, dust, or old lubricant from the bearing to restore its smooth, long-spinning capability.
A key component of yoyo maintenance is cleaning the bearing. Over time, bearings can accumulate debris, which significantly reduces spin time and responsiveness.
Step-by-Step Yoyo Bearing Cleaning
Cleaning a yoyo bearing typically involves removing it from the yoyo and soaking it in a solvent. Here is a common method incorporating the use of mineral spirits or paint thinner:
Materials You Might Need:
- Mineral Spirits or Paint Thinner: These act as solvents to dissolve old lubricant and grime.
- A small container, such as a contact lenses cleaner case, is ideal for soaking the bearing.
- Tweezers or a pencil to handle the bearing without touching it directly with your fingers after cleaning.
- Paper towels or a clean cloth for drying.
The Cleaning Process:
- Remove the Bearing: Carefully detach the bearing from your yoyo. This might require a bearing removal tool, though some yoyos allow it to be popped off with a fingernail or similar small tool.
- Remove C-clips and Shields (if applicable): For many performance yoyo bearings, you'll need to remove the protective shields. These are often held in place by tiny c-clips. Use a needle or pin to gently pry off the c-clip and then remove the shield. Both c-clips and shields should be removed before cleaning.
- Soak the Bearing: Place the bearing in a container (like a contact lenses cleaner case). Place bearing soaking in solvent (Mineral Spirits or Paint Thinner). Allow it to soak for a period to let the solvent work. You can often swirl the container gently.
- Remove and Dry the Bearing: After soaking, carefully place bearing on tweezers or pencil to remove it from the solvent. Allow the bearing to air dry completely, or gently blow it dry with compressed air (like from an air duster can). Ensure all solvent has evaporated before proceeding. Spinning the dry bearing should produce a loud, 'gritty' sound, indicating it's free of lubricant.
- Reassemble and Place in Yoyo: If you removed shields and c-clips, you can optionally put them back on (though some players prefer to run bearings shield-less for easier future cleaning). Cleaned bearing place in yo-yo. Reattach the bearing securely to the yoyo axle.
After cleaning and drying, your bearing should spin much more freely. Some players choose to add a tiny amount of specific yoyo bearing lube (often referred to as "thin" lube) to maintain smoothness, while others prefer a completely dry, unresponsive bearing for tricks.
Proper bearing maintenance is key to keeping your yoyo spinning at its best.
