Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Baughbberick]

yup.
everyone here has had every kind of issue with every Duncan and Spintastics top that you can imagine.
even if you are not wanting to spend a bunch of money, it is a bit of a false economy to get the inexpensive tops if you
don't have the experience to mod them. since you work at the bicycle shop, i'm sure you could go nuts modding BKs and Spintastics
stuff to your liking, but you would do well to get one first that is set up correctly, that way you can get some good guidelines on how to
tune them up and make them more durable.
that's the long way around of saying i second the idea (or possibly third it??) of getting a modded top from Neff, or send him your warped
BK to work on. it will improve your game, make you look cooler, and save money in the long term if you get the bug and start throwing a lot.

I considered getting one from Neff but my funds were limited and my pride was not (I'm weird like that). I was able to get this BK for $8 and I also wanted a yoyo so I got a Speedaholic, and my girlfriend wanted a Duncan Pro Z, and then there was the '95 GT Outpost from the thrift store. I have a weakness for things that spin it seems.

Anyway. My other tips were fine, and it spins fine on them (the ones with the bearing), when I can get my throw right. I love sticky-tack (use it for everything), so I'll tune it myself when I can catch a boomerang. I'm such a self-builder that it's hard to not do something myself. That's why I'm volunteering at the co-op, to learn how to fix bikes and have a location to work on my own bike.

I emailed Duncan about the wonky tip, maybe they'll be cool bros and replace it (it would be in their favor when I go looking for a 4A yoyo). I'll have to get a spintastics top at some point though. I mean, patches right?

[studio42]

Anyway. My other tips were fine, and it spins fine on them (the ones with the bearing), when I can get my throw right. I love sticky-tack (use it for everything), so I'll tune it myself when I can catch a boomerang. I'm such a self-builder that it's hard to not do something myself. That's why I'm volunteering at the co-op, to learn how to fix bikes and have a location to work on my own bike.

I emailed Duncan about the wonky tip, maybe they'll be cool bros and replace it (it would be in their favor when I go looking for a 4A yoyo). I'll have to get a spintastics top at some point though. I mean, patches right?

I've had good results with Duncan customer service when I had a bad Metropolis a while ago. Took them forever to exchange it but they did. The first was a string eater, the second was smooth.

For a Duncan 4A, look no further than the Skyhawk. I have two already. It's no JetSet, ZRO, but considering Zac Rubino left his $150 signature ZRO from Chico YoYoCompany for Duncan and the $35 Skyhawk and won US Nationals 4A with it, well, he's an amazing player. With a reversible spacer system that acts similar to an SPR(but the response is in the body), supply your own A-sized bearing for small bearing off-string play. However, I prefer it stock with the included C bearing.

For me, I have 4 BKs right now I set up for bearing play, and I'm trying to buy 4 more for fixed axle play. I've noticed the tips in general are fairly inconsistent. There's always a bubble in the plastic, so that means a weak spot and future break. I may stock up on extra trips. I like the BK's, nothing amazing but cheap and durable. I find the bearings need a good cleaning to really make the tops perform but that's simply DIY stuff. I'm going to dismantle my Spintastics Sidewinder and Trompo Bearing tonight to do bearing maintenace as those are just not up to my standards.

I've also got a bunch of "bad" A-sized bearings to sacrifice to my fixed-tip BK's since all they will be is additional weight. Hey, no waste and I may reclaim some bearings as a result!

[yollector]

FYI,
We told Zac to go with Duncan.
They can do a lot more for him than we could do for
him when it comes to Travel , Hotels , Etc.
We also used to sponsor Gentry Stein ( 2014 1A World champion )
and we told him to go with yoyo factory for the same reasons.
 Richy , Chico yoyo company

[Jack]

Richy , Chico yoyo company

my ignorance scares me sometimes @-@

[Neff]

ONE RING TO MOD THEM ALL LOL

I have some extra tips I will set you up!

[studio42]

FYI,
We told Zac to go with Duncan.
They can do a lot more for him than we could do for
him when it comes to Travel , Hotels , Etc.
We also used to sponsor Gentry Stein ( 2014 1A World champion )
and we told him to go with yoyo factory for the same reasons.
 Richy , Chico yoyo company

I still think the ZRO is one of the best off-strings I've played. Ever.

Anyhow, even as new as I am to spin tops. I'm looking at the Chico 2.0 spintop as a future purchase.

I've been consistently pleased with Chico YoYo Company's products and have several of them.

[Jack]

 I'm looking at the Chico 2.0 spintop as a future purchase.

if only the OWB was still available 

[studio42]

 I'm looking at the Chico 2.0 spintop as a future purchase.

if only the OWB was still available 

YoYoExpert is out of them, but they have a top-on photo showing details, including all markings. It may help people order them:

http://shop.yoyoexpert.com/product/1174/Chico-One-Way-Spin-Top-Bearing

[yollector]

We ordered the OWB for the Chico top
like 5 months ago / they keep jerking us
around / We are just waiting ?
   Makes us look bad but I cant make them
 RFC

[Baughbberick]

ONE RING TO MOD THEM ALL LOL

I have some extra tips I will set you up!

Thanks Neff, but Duncan just got back with me and agreed to replace the wonky tip. And I think I'm sold on the blue/black Skyhawk now, should look great with all this neon orange string I got for my smoke colored Speedaholic. Stuff glows in sunlight. <3

Also, I use a lanyard and carabiner to hold extra string, med-tape, and my yoyo; which I'll probably do for the Skyhawk too. But what to do for a top holster?

[Jack]

But what to do for a top holster?

break out the sewing machine   

[Neff]

after you drill your 1" hole in the crown, you will notice that a Duncan Freehand ball fits nice and snuh in the hole...

[Baughbberick]

after you drill your 1" hole in the crown, you will notice that a Duncan Freehand ball fits nice and snuh in the hole...

I'm largely an additive or interchanging modder, subtractive modding always scares me. I like the idea that I can either remove or replace something to put an item back to the way that it was. It may be a while (or two more Bearing Kings) before I'm willing to drill it.

Anyway, here's a bit of an update. I recently dropped internet (saves money and less distracting, plus the library is a healthy mile walk from my apartment, which is where I am now), so I might post a bit more infrequently.

So another question. I did a hunt a few days ago and hit tons of stores looking for something that resembles the string my bearing king came with (because I thought it might be too short), and no one had anything; not Target, Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, Jo-Ann, or our mall's craft store. But Jo-Ann DID have this (http://goo.gl/kgi4fZ). I think I need to work it to narrow it down, but it feels nice. Anyone else have experience using cord versus string? The first thing I noticed is that the tip's groove is a bit shallow for my bearing king, but perhaps that's different for the metal tip tops? The other closest thing I've seen is mason line, which looks just like my string, but it's twisted in the other direction and is made of some kind of plastic, like nylon, to prevent sagging. I wasn't sure if that would work, but they had some neat colors of it. I'm going to check Dollar General on my way home, because they allegedly they have a kind of 3-ply cotton string.

Also, apparently after about hours and hours of throwing, I've gotten to where I can catch a boomerang about 80% of the time, despite my string length not covering the third pebbled surface of my top. Did I just learn to compensate for it? I didn't really change the angle of the top when I threw it (tip is still perpendicular to my index finger), so I'm thinking my throw speed is making the difference as well as my arm technique (I finally quit throwing with the elbow and started throwing with the shoulder).

Still experimenting with holster options, so I'll let you all know if I find something I like.

[Jack]

The first thing I noticed is that the tip's groove is a bit shallow for my bearing king, but perhaps that's different for the metal tip tops?

what do mean exactly by the tips groove being shallow?

So another question. I did a hunt a few days ago and hit tons of stores looking for something that resembles the string my bearing king came with (because I thought it might be too short), and no one had anything; not Target, Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, Jo-Ann, or our mall's craft store. But Jo-Ann DID have this (http://goo.gl/kgi4fZ). I think I need to work it to narrow it down, but it feels nice. Anyone else have experience using cord versus string? The first thing I noticed is that the tip's groove is a bit shallow for my bearing king, but perhaps that's different for the metal tip tops? The other closest thing I've seen is mason line, which looks just like my string, but it's twisted in the other direction and is made of some kind of plastic, like nylon, to prevent sagging. I wasn't sure if that would work, but they had some neat colors of it. I'm going to check Dollar General on my way home, because they allegedly they have a kind of 3-ply cotton string.

ur best bet for smaller tops is either to make your own using crochet thread as is illustrated in mr neffs video, or better yet to buy some from mr. neff as he makes really great strings (from personal experience i vouch for the good quality). heres the vid

Also, apparently after about hours and hours of throwing, I've gotten to where I can catch a boomerang about 80% of the time, despite my string length not covering the third pebbled surface of my top. Did I just learn to compensate for it? I didn't really change the angle of the top when I threw it (tip is still perpendicular to my index finger), so I'm thinking my throw speed is making the difference as well as my arm technique (I finally quit throwing with the elbow and started throwing with the shoulder).

yup ur learning to compensate for string length variances, different tops require different string lengths and everyone has there own absolute set in stone opinion on string length but the truth is the "correct" string length is the one that works for you visible pebbles or not  same thing goes for throwing, shoulder elbow wrist waist ankle canckle whatever works for you is the right way to do it lulz     

[Neff]

Do not try any sort of nylon or polyester string like mason line, it is terrible for tops, the wind-up often collapses because it is so slick, and throwing it can be hazardous.  ACE Hardware, Menards, and Hobby Lobby have carried playable cotton string in the past.  I am not confident that stuff from JoAnn will work.

You have probably modified your release so the spin top comes out of your hand with the tip out, parallel to the ground, instead of pointing to the sky.  This is a great way to compensate for a short string.