Hey everyone. Before I begin, be warned to I am not responsible for any damages that may occur during your bearing cleaning and the chemicals you will be using can cause skin irritation so please ask an adult or be aware of the risks involved.
So i made this video showing a close up look at bearing cleaning. I know there are several videos on KZfaq that has tutorials about it. Generally you will rarely have to clean your bearing as...
1) it's easier to buy a new one as they are relatively inexpensive (besides ceramic bearings)
2) cleaning it is easy but it's also pretty easy to mess something up making your yoyo perform worse
3) some shielded bearings can make this even more difficult but if you want to take your chance, check out this video on how to remove the shields of a bearing. • BEARINGS!!! - TUTORIAL...
Some tell signs of a bearing needing a cleaning is that the string tends to want to grab onto the silicon pads. I know string torsion can also do this, but a dirty bearing will be consistent at turning your unresponsive bearing into a responsive one. The sound will also be different as it can get noisier, some bearings are noisy already but a dirty one will be noisier.
A damaged would have a different noise as well as different performance changes, when I encounter one I'll make a video of it. (I already encountered one a few years ago but didn't record the process of repairing it)
First make sure you have all the tools needed:
-Cleaning solution (Mineral spirits, lighter fluid, industrial acetone [not ones from the comestic or health and beauty ones, they"may" contain other ingredients]) **DO NOT USE ALCOHOL** Because of the amount of water it can potentially make your bearing rust
-Small container (old pill container, small glass bowl [you're working with chemicals by the way], a small cup, you can also use disposable plastic cups but do NOT reuse the cup after you use it to clean your bearing, even after you wash it)
-Bearing removal tool (Optional but recommended)
-Body of a pen (Optional or you can use something that allows you easier handling of the bearing)
Instructions:
-Disassemble the yoyo and remove the bearing
-Pour solution into container and put your bearing in there as well
-Shake it around, spin it to agitate the bearing in the solution
-Use a clean paper towel to dry your bearing
-Set to dry or use another clean paper towel
-Install and you're done. You can apply thin lube or whatever lube you like but I usually do that when the bearing plays well but is noisy or if I wanted a little response. Lube will also protect the life of the bearing
Leave a comment below of what you think of the video or if you have any questions.
Don't forget to LIKE the video and subscribe if you haven't already.