Bust away the rust!
Here is a fact of life: some metals can rust. In the case of yoyos, although the yoyo won’t rust, the bearing it comes with can. However, there are ways of preventing your bearing from rusting and, if it happens there are ways to remove it.
This is what a rusted bearing looks like.
The simplest way to prevent rust is to store the yoyo properly. Many people finish playing with their yoyo, roll the string back up, and leave it like that. This is wrong. The yoyo should be stored with the string off. This is because the string absorbs moisture from the players hand and moisture speeds up oxidation, which causes rust.
This is the wrong way to store a yoyo
This is the correct way to store a yoyo
On that note, another way to prevent rust is to store the yoyo in a dry place. For example, leaving your yoyo in the bathroom while you are taking a steaming hot shower is not a good idea. Neither is in the kitchen next to a pot of boiling water.
Also, lubing a bearing after washing it will form a barricade between the metal and the air, so that too will help fight away the rust.
Is it too late? Do you already have rust? No need to worry! Sanding the bearing will help to remove the rust. Be sure to use a fine grain sand paper, and rub it on the bearing. After you are done with the sanding, make sure you wash your bearing.
Begin with fine grain sandpaper
Rub the bearing on the sandpaper
Wash the rust dust off after sanding
When it is done, it will look something like this.
Another thing to keep in mind is that it is perfectly natural for a bearing to tarnish(or turn black). If this happens, there is no need for sanding and you should be able to play as normal.
A tarnished, but proper kept bearing.
If this is all too much for you, there is another solution. You could replace the bearing that your yoyo comes with, to a stainless steel (ezo) bearing. Stainless steel does not react with oxygen, so it will not rust.
EZO Bearing large/medium: SGD$ 8.90
EZO Bearing Small: SGD$ 7.90
January 23rd, 2010 at 8:47 am
OO cool
January 23rd, 2010 at 9:20 am
sweet……..
January 23rd, 2010 at 9:46 am
so,,speaking of washing bearing…
do u have any stock of the washing bottle?…
does Dif-E-Yo bearng rust?………..
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:37 am
Yes!now can do this on my bigyo’s bearing
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:15 pm
WOW thx!!! now i can save on new bearings!!
January 23rd, 2010 at 1:16 pm
o.o cool
January 23rd, 2010 at 1:25 pm
i recently got a EZO bearing for my hayabusa since my old bearing was rusted and Spinworkx told me to not keep the string like they said…
January 23rd, 2010 at 3:00 pm
wow!!!i do not need to waste my money to buy a new ball bearing!!
January 23rd, 2010 at 4:22 pm
thanks to the guys at spinworkx
January 23rd, 2010 at 5:14 pm
how do we remove a dark magic bearing?
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:04 pm
my hitman bearing it sooooooooo rusty cause did not use so long only seldom use my hitman now need a replacement cause i dont use eveytime
January 23rd, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Next spinworkx blog guide should be how to silicone your yoyo!!!
January 24th, 2010 at 12:26 am
@ s.spinner: as usual, ask the correct questions at the correct places. anw, if im not wrong, dif-e-yos should come with kk bearings which dont rust.
@rey mysterio: read http://www.spinworkx.com/blog/maintenance/washing-your-rig/ the 1st part
January 24th, 2010 at 4:17 am
Thanks clowner!!
January 24th, 2010 at 9:56 am
will pgm bearing rust?
January 24th, 2010 at 10:22 am
@ deyoenyo i dont think so my dear friend
January 24th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Does the proper way of storing your yoyo and string applies for looping yoyos as well?
January 24th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
should be. if your looper [sunset for example] has a stock bearing that will rust, you should do the same for it.
January 24th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
May I know how is the spinworkx crew going 2 reply my ques that i sent them on the contact page???
January 24th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
thanks mr saxo
January 24th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Thks for the valuable info!
January 24th, 2010 at 11:20 pm
the spinworkx crew will reply your question through the email that you’ve provided with the contact form.
January 25th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
when we have rusty bearing what will happen the the yoyo plzz reply
January 25th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
hey! someone using my name..!
January 25th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
What abt the inner part of the bearing and the balls in the bearing?
January 25th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
thanks cayons!
January 25th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Boy yo: Rust eats away at metal. The metal will become a powder and start to brush off. It can get pitted, which means that small holes will be created on the metal. Eventually (but it will take a really long time) the rust will cause the bearing to break apart. The more rusted it is, the less it will spin freely.
Joseph: If you store it like the blog says, the inner part won’t rust. However, if it does happen there isn’t anything you can do because there is a big chance it will damage the balls, and then it wont play properly.
January 25th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
LUL! i make it no more rust but after washing i kinda forgot to hahahaha dry it now the whole thinggy is rustty!
January 27th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
hi katie,does spinworkx deliver items?
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Be aware that stainless steel bearings can still rust. It’s just that they are less prone to rust than the regular chrome steel bearings. Other than that, great post!
July 2nd, 2010 at 11:48 pm
after removing the rust,will the yoyo be more responsive?,mine got more responsive n the bearing now has a very werid shape
July 24th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
I wanna concave bearing for my legacy….