This page is about proper maintenance for your wooden axle yo-yo. Over time, your wooden axle will smoothen, making the yo-yo less responsive. When this happens, you’ll need to replace the wooden axle with a new one.
0. Remove the string and open up the yo-yo
1. Remove the wooden axle
You should be able to either pull the wooden axle free, or screw it off.
If there’s some remnants of the axle left on the yo-yo, wipe them off with a tissue or Q-tip.
2. Insert a new wooden axle
Either press the axle in place, or screw it into place, depending on the yo-yo.
3. Reassemble and… you aren’t done yet!
You could start using the yo-yo right away, but to realize the full potential of your yo-yo, there’s still more to do.
4. Grab a string and wrap it around the axle
You can use a used string for this; this string is to lightly sand down the axle. Try to wrap it close to one end of the string, as you are going to pull it through.
Pull it tight
5. Pull the string through the axle, repeat 5-10 times
Hold the yo-yo in one hand and pull the string through, lightly sanding down the wood axle. Take care not to do this too much, or the yo-yo will stop responding properly.
6. All done!
Throw on a new string and go nuts!
Do I have the replace the axle, or can I still use it?
If you double-wrap the string as you see in the video below, you might be able to continue using it longer. Give it a shot if you don’t want to replace the axle just yet.