Part 1: A modification and you.Every mod does something new and exciting to a yoyo, whether it be a polish job on metal, a dye job on plastic or something as simple as introducing silicone sealant to a deep smooth recess. Some of us, however forget just how and what mods do and why they're done.
But first... what is a mod?
A mod is anything; and I mean anything that's done to a yoyo in order to change or enhance it's performance. It can be anywhere from completely reshaping and creating an all new yoyo or just changing a response pad. Anything that changes the yoyo is considered a mod.
HOWEVER! We must ask ourselves. Why mod anything at all? Is nothing good stock?
Most mods are done for the following reasons::
-Aesthetics, as in painting, dyeing or anodizing a yoyo
-Performance, such as a satin finish, a KK bearing, new pads or silicone.
-Random idiocy, such as throwing your yoyo onto concrete over and over again.
Most people who attempt a mod are people who have done it before. That said, most people who are doing these mods know what they are doing. They are skilled, hardened individuals who could silicone a yoyo in under 4 minutes and 33 seconds. Other struggle and contort at the thought of doing something they have never before attempted. FEAR NOT! We were all once a person who never attempted something we've never done until we attempted it. Learning is about experience. Without experience and effort one cannot gain anything. So here we are. Let us delve now deeper into the modding culture with some safety advice.
Part 2: Safety and why it saves millions of lives every year.The yoyo world, unlike most hobbies and trends is full of things that; while modding a yoyo... under some circumstances can kill you.
Here's a list of the most popular substances found during yoyo modding that can most certainly, depending on use; kill you.
-Acetone
-Sulfuric Acid
-Bleach
-Silicone
-Metal
-Sharp screwdrivers
-Things that sharpen sharp screwdrivers.
-Things that sharpen the things that sharpen sharp screwdrivers.
Safety is key in this regard. Remember, acetone has been linked to cancer. Sharp objects have been linked to impaling and bleach has been linked to the late King of Pop's face.
Remember... safety first. I Dye a lot of yoyos, I've done quite a few. I wouldn't be caught dead not wearing rubber gloves when I dye. Sometimes, if I'm using Acetone or other chemicals, I apply a face mask to protect my senses from such terrible woes as cancer and what-not. Don't be a square, be in the know! I'd rather have a nice looking yoyo than a melted face any day. Heck, without safety you'd have both!
Part 3: Your Ego is not your friend.Every so often a young man appears before us willing to take the plunge into suddenly knowing everything strait out of the womb. He is obviously thousands of years older than any of us by his soul alone, I'm afraid. He's a skilled genius from zygote onto preteen.
WRONG!
Things yoyo modding is::
-Fun
-Awesome
-Easy to learn the basics of
-Delicious(if playing with candy yoyos that don't exist)
Things yoyo modding isn't::
-Auto part building
-Soldering
-quick-prototyping
-welding
-the list goes on and on.
For instance, let us say that you have many years experience molding little plastic Buddha figurines that all rub their stomach's mechanically. You toiled at your work, gaining recognition, amazing favor. You became a god among men. Suddenly you decide that you want to make a yoyo. Heck, you can do this. You make Buddha out of plastic. How hard could making a yoyo really be?
In another instance you can find one person just about monthly here state that they have properly siliconed every yoyo they own and it constantly rips out. I want to make this clear to all of you.
-There are a good 5,000+ yoyoers in existence that are a part of this community or are aware of this community.
-A good 85-90% of those people can properly silicone a yoyo and have no problem with it.
-You are one of hundreds of people who have had this same question and have all been solved eventually.
-It isn't the silicone.
-It sure an't the yoyo.
-take a guess.
-Yep, it's you!
Practice makes perfect and watching other people who have no problems helps more. Learn from your peers. This can sway many problems in the yoyoing world. You aren't alone, don't act like you are. We're all in the same big melting pot of a world that you are so don't feel like you're the only person who has ever had this problem.
Just because you can boil an egg doesn't mean you can make a yoyo. There are things that many people will never understand. My grandfather is a machinist. He knows nothing at all about yoyos yet can thread a needle on a lathe even though that's impossible. He can warp reality via metal tools. Anyway, we decided we were going to start the production of yoyos. I come back a week later and find strange wobbly things dangling about his shop that play like rocks on a string.
Just remember when you're making egotistical statements. There are people here that have been doing this for more than a decade, some even more. We knew what we were doing before you got here and we still know what we're doing now that you are here. We are the help. We're the best you've got. From Icthus to whoever's username starts with Z. We know. We've heard the same questions for years upon years. We've answered the same one you're asking many times and even if we haven't. It's not a far-off shot that we might still know what we're talking about.
Part 4:: Is the effort worth the effort?This is the question to most everything you could possible ask. Is it worth the effort. A guy walks into a bar... um, a yoyo bar. He has no experience modding yoyos and wants to mod a butterfly to accept a C-sized bearing using silicone and utilizing hubstacks.
Would this person be better suited doing::
A: Buying a b-grade 888 and shutting the hell up.
B: Asking millions of questions on something he can't do on his own.
C: Attempting the mod with no previous advice.
D: Growing a Beard
The answer of course is D, growing a beard. We would also accept A. Some mods, even though this is arguably false or true depending on who you are; aren't worth the effort. Lets take a look at the things you would have to gather in order to undertake this mod, shall we?
-A Duncan Butterfly
-A Large SPR Kit
-A Drill press or Lathe
-A way to tap an axle into the butterfly
-An axle for the butterfly
-A Bearing
-Pads
-and so on and so on.
Yoyos that are sold stock that are made the way they are are sold that way for a reason, so you'll buy them. A rock is still a rock no matter how many wheels you put on it. It doesn't make it a car. Effort is indeed important when considering a modification. Here's a few mods that are practical::
-Modding an M1 to accept hubstacks. It takes 5 minutes to do, it's easy and it creates an all-new play experience for the yoyo. It's also very stable and very efficient.
-Siliconing a yoyo that can accept silicone. It may take a little bit of time to dry but a good silicone job can last years.
-Recessing a Freehand Zero. Most people have the parts and utilities to do this without any preparation or purchasing. It can be done with most common household items and results in a very fine yoyo modification.
-Dyeing a plastic yoyo. Do you feel like the David Bowie of the yoyo world? Now you can, get out that glue gun and get out those dyes. It's time to get... faaaaabulouuuus!
Part 5:: If you have a lathe, you are now a Demi-god on the verge of becoming Zeus himself.If you have a lathe or know someone who does, you are now endowed with amazing new abilities. Things you can do on a lathe far outdo the things that are possible on a Drill. For instance, one cannot recess a yoyojam yoyo on a Drill as there is no mounting point on the back. However one can grip the yoyo on a lathe and recess it. Isn't that nifty? I thought it would be.
If you are new to the yoyo world and have access to a lathe, it would be best not to jump in head-first. People with lathes can also hurt things. A lathe is a powerful tool, a magical hammer of the yoyoing gods! You must consider the width of the yoyo, the material of the yoyo, the size of the yoyo and so forth and so on until the end of time for all time.
You also are not alone, many other people on this forum own lathes and are willing to help with your plight. Remember that all rules according to modding still apply if you own a lathe. However it just makes everything 458.23% better. Give or take a few percentiles.
Part 6:: COMMON SENSE IS SOMETIMES RARE or THE GLORY IS IN YOUR HAND, TAKE THE YOYO IN STRIDE!The rules of life and the universe still apply to yoyos. This may shock you, I know.
Here's a list of things that common sense may skip over you with::
-Water rusts things
-Glue gets hard
-Epoxy is not silicone
-Plastic is not metal
-Spraypainting is not anodizing.
-Your teeth aren't a pair of pliers.
-Spit can't clean off counterweight dings
-Lighter fluid whether in the lighter or not, still catches on fire.
-Acetone is a chemical
-Electricity can kill you
-Heat melts things
-Boiling water is still hot, despite it looking like coca cola.
-Fast heavy metal thing + stationary fleshy bone thing = mutilated fleshy bone thing
This is the same for many hobbies. A lot of new PC users will do plenty of seemingly dumb things but when though of at the spare of the moment, seem like good ideas. If you have any doubt as to your ability to do something or if you seem to have some little hint of idea that what you're doing might not work.
STOP.
Get online, here or at any of the other forums.
Ask a question.
Get the answer.
THE PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM ARE HERE TO HELP YOU!
We aren't here to eat your face or stab you with knives.
The internet doesn't allow us that luxury.
We have to stick to answering questions for now.
So.
-Don't yell.
-Don't cuss.
-Don't scream.
-Don't wine.
-Don't insult us.
-You asked us a question because you wanted to know the answer.
"Just be a nice person!"
-Wayne Coyne - The Flaming lips
and if you are nice, we will be too.
Many of you are poor, some are rich. Yoyos cost money. Many of the ones we're trying to modify cost close to one-hundred dollars. That's a lot to lose if something goes wrong. Be careful with your things, they should be important enough to you that you personally would like to be proud of your work. When you modify a yoyo, if you modify a yoyo; you want to make sure that you do the best job possible with the tools you have available to you. That's what we're here for. Some of us may come off as mean pissy people but we're just telling you the truth. Many things aren't possible, a lot of things are. Until those impossible things become possible, we'll still be here.
And that's all.
