Just Yo-yos.....

[Vaughn McMillan]

I made one for my nephew, I can't remember if I put it up or not....?

Like the elevator business, yo-yo turning has its ups and downs.

[Jeff Horton]

Like the elevator business, yo-yo turning has its ups and downs.

BOO!!! HISSS!!!

[Stuart Ablett]

Errrr, I'll just go sit in a corner and feel inadequate then...

seriously, when you mentioned the difficulty in keeping the two sides the same, I assume you were making it like the other yo-yo's I've seen : two separate sides, joined via a dowel, like this kit from LVT.
Attachment 2135

But now it sounds like you turned this in one piece. Is that right?
Hmm, I wonder which way is stronger. The other way you get long grain going along the plane of the sides, but also going through the length of the dowel. If you turn it in once piece, are you... Hmm, I looked at your photo and it looks like your grain goes along the plane of the disks, so wouldn't that make the spindle weak, if it is one piece? (Hey, I'm no turner, but I do know a few things about grain strength)

later, eh,
...art

Nope, two sides, each side starts out as a square, with a 35mm hole drill into it 10mm deep, the insert is glued in place and then mounted on the mandrel which is mounted in a drill chuck on the lathe.

I guess when I make the last one I'll take a bunch of pics.

Cheers!

Vaughn................

[Tony Falotico]

Stuart, never done a yo yo before (might try one this weekend) but could both sides be turned as one piece (insides out) and then cut in half (either on the lathe or a band saw) ?? Then each side could be re-mounted individually and the outside face finished. Wouldn't that make 'matching' and balancing (diameter) easier ?

[Stuart Ablett]

Tony, not really, here are the instructions from LV's site.....

For this project, you will need two turnings that are as close to identical as possible one for each half of the yo-yo. If the turnings are not alike, the yo-yos balance will be affected. Each wood blank should be a minimum 2-1/2" square by 3/4" thick. Close-grained hardwoods are most suited.
Steel bushings are not required for this project.
Mark the center of the inside face of each blank. Drill a 1-3/8" (35mm) dia. hole, 11/32" or 3/8" (10mm) deep using a forstner bit to ensure a flat-bottomed hole.
Press the brass hubs into the holes using a bench vise. If the fit is loose, glue the hub into the hole with quick-setting epoxy or cyanoacrylate, and allow to dry.





Screw the hub/blank assembly onto the threaded end of the yo-yo mandrel (88K81.62, available separately). Grip the mandrel in a three-jaw or drill chuck mounted on the headstock. Advance the live center until it touches the outer face of the blank to stabilize the blank during turning. Turn the project wood to the approximate diameter with any tool and at any speed you are comfortable with. Round over the edges of the project wood to a shape of your choosing. Retract the live center after rough turning, then turn the outer face to final shape. Add decorative chatter details as desired. Sand and finish the wood on the lathe. Unscrew the yo-yo half from the mandrel and thread the second hub/blank assembly onto the mandrel. Repeat the turning procedure, making sure the final diameter and shape of the second piece is the same as the first.






Assemble the yo-yo parts as shown in Figure 2. Place the bearing onto the smooth part of the axle, then add the thin washer to the axle, butting it against the face of the bearing. Thread the axle/bearing/washer assembly into the hub with the deep recess. Open the loop at one end of the yo-yo string and slip it onto the bearing. Attach the other hub (with the shallow recess) onto the end of the axle. The gap between the hubs is adjustable for performing specific tricks. A wide gap works best for "sleeping" tricks and longer spins, while a narrower gap allows greater response (return). To adjust the gap, loosen or tighten the axle.

See what I mean?

Cheers!

[Art Mulder]

Ohhhh, I thought you were making them with a wooden axle.

I've got a few yo-yo's (schwag from Computer conferences mostly, plus my old woodie from when I was 10-11 years old) and one has a metal shaft + bearing like in the illustration. That is almost TOO easy to sleep. In fact, I usually need to give it a snap to get it to pop back up the string, or it'll sleep forever.