Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Week Delay
There has been a week delay since the Summer Camp will not go to the park this Thursday, but next Thursday. So I have another week to perfect my performance, and get ready. So far, I am mostly ready, including my surveys, my tricks, and how I plan to perform and teach the tricks. I want to take a few days to learna few more tricks, and perfect the ones I already know.
Final Preparations and Practice
If I get the "Okay" from the Summer Camp leader to be able to do my performance tomorrow, then today is the last day that I have to practice. So far, I have these tricks integrated into my combo of tricks that will be in my performance:
-Sleeper
-Tower
-Rock the Baby
-Elevator
-Braintwister
-Trapeze
-Split the Atom
-Double or Nothing/Cold Fusion
-Mach 5
-Pop n' Fresh
-Plastic Whip
(also, I will be adding one or two other tricks that were not in the String Trick Ladder that I learned out of interest along the way)
Those are most of my tricks that I learned, so there should be a variety of tricks. Also, I figured that it's going to be less of a performance, but more of a active interaction between the me and the kids. I was thinking: "They're definitely going to ask me how to do this and that, and I should show them", so I will teach them a few tricks to get them into the performance as well.
In regards to my trick progress, I have learned Gerbil, but I still need to work on how smooth it is and not make the yoyo spin out before I finish. I will definitely keep working on Gerbil as I progress through other tricks, because it will help me work on my smoothness. I have also learned Plastic Whip, which I will show in my presentation. I thought that it was going to be difficult, but it was easier than I thought.
-Sleeper
-Tower
-Rock the Baby
-Elevator
-Braintwister
-Trapeze
-Split the Atom
-Double or Nothing/Cold Fusion
-Mach 5
-Pop n' Fresh
-Plastic Whip
(also, I will be adding one or two other tricks that were not in the String Trick Ladder that I learned out of interest along the way)
Those are most of my tricks that I learned, so there should be a variety of tricks. Also, I figured that it's going to be less of a performance, but more of a active interaction between the me and the kids. I was thinking: "They're definitely going to ask me how to do this and that, and I should show them", so I will teach them a few tricks to get them into the performance as well.
In regards to my trick progress, I have learned Gerbil, but I still need to work on how smooth it is and not make the yoyo spin out before I finish. I will definitely keep working on Gerbil as I progress through other tricks, because it will help me work on my smoothness. I have also learned Plastic Whip, which I will show in my presentation. I thought that it was going to be difficult, but it was easier than I thought.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Beginning Work on Presentation
I have momentarily stopped work on the String Trick Ladder part of my project to focus on my presentation, which will be either this Thursday or sometime next week. I do not have to learn all the tricks to be able to present, but it is more of a showcase of my progress. I will be trying to integrate what I have learned before into a combination of tricks.
I still have to make the survey paper, which will most likely just be a paper with places to mark in ratings from 1 - Very Bad, to 10 - Very Good.
EDIT: Here is the finished Performance Survey:
I have made it so that there are ratings from 1 to 10, and there are 14 surveys altogether. I'm going to need about three or four of these pages for the kids, as there are about 50 of them. I also made the choice bubbles with color, because it's easier if they know that red means bad, and green means good.
I still have to make the survey paper, which will most likely just be a paper with places to mark in ratings from 1 - Very Bad, to 10 - Very Good.
EDIT: Here is the finished Performance Survey:
YoYo Performance Sheet
I have made it so that there are ratings from 1 to 10, and there are 14 surveys altogether. I'm going to need about three or four of these pages for the kids, as there are about 50 of them. I also made the choice bubbles with color, because it's easier if they know that red means bad, and green means good.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Pop n' Fresh Done
After the bearing cleaning, I found that I could pop the yoyo up with more accuracy, and learning this trick took less time than I thought (even though cleaning the bearing put me slightly behind). The only new thing was learning how to pop the yoyo up strongly (which I learned quickly) and how to switch hand positions really quickly (took longer). I can get this trick 4 out of 5 times and I the overall difficulty is 7.
Since I am planning to make my performance either this upcoming week or next week (during the time of the kids' summer camp that I help with), I want to progress quickly and also remember to make the surveys this weekend. Onward to learn the Gerbil!
Since I am planning to make my performance either this upcoming week or next week (during the time of the kids' summer camp that I help with), I want to progress quickly and also remember to make the surveys this weekend. Onward to learn the Gerbil!
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Bearing Cleaning Successful
The bearing cleaning was successful! Now I can get back to work on Pop n' Fresh. In regards to my upcoming performance for a group of kids, I am getting ready to perform in 1-2 weeks. Here are some specifics:
- The group of refugee kids all go to a summer camp at the Missionaries of Charity. I volunteer there often and I am currently also helping out with their summer camp
- The performance will probably be held during the end of the camp, which is in 2 weeks
- My plan to perform is to make a combination of tricks that looks appealing, smooth, and is interesting for them
- I will create some surveys in the next few days that lets the kids give feedback and grade my performance
- Most of the kids are part of refugee/immigrant families, so I will have to keep my surveys kid-friendly (no elaborate or big words they won't know)
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Cleaning the Bearing
Okay, so this is a mini-blog about cleaning the yoyo bearing so it can be unresponsive in my yoyo.
When cleaning the bearing, you first need to take the bearing out of the yoyo:
After this, if the bearing is shielded, take the shield off. Since my bearing does not have a shield, I don't have to do this.
Then, I need some Mineral Spirits (Paint Thinner, etc.) to clean the bearing with. I searched through my garage and found that I had some (I could've also used Acetone, but it's usually more dangerous, so I did not):
It's 100% Mineral Spirits, which is what I need. After I found the Mineral Spirits, I needed a container that could hold the bearing and the chemical, without the chemical melting/reacting/breaking down the container. These are the types of containers I had in hand:
I asked for help on YoyoExpert forums, but there was mixed opinions. Some users said that only metal and glass containers will work, but others said that some plastics work fine. So, I decided to research about container materials and how they react with Mineral Spirits (and Acetone, just in case I didn't use the original plan). Imagine that, learning about Chemistry right before I begin the course when school starts!
Since I was leaning toward the Contact Cases, I wanted to find out what type of plastic it was. It turns out that usually on plastic, there is a recycle sign and a number inside (and usually a abbreviation) that tells you what type of plastic it is. I looked on my Contact Case and there it was:
It took only a quick search to know what plastic it was. This helpful site revealed that the contact case was made of Polypropylene, or PP for short. That was important because I can now search for PP and see how Mineral Spirits and Acetone affects it. Along the way, I found this site that said that PP can usually handle Mineral Spirits. Still, since I wanted to make sure (it was a public forum website), I read on and found that there was a website where you could compare materials and their compatibility with chemicals, which can be found here. So I plugged in PP and Mineral Spirits/Acetone and found that PP can be compatible with Mineral Spirits with a rating of B-Good, and compatible with Acetone with a rating of A-Excellent. With that in mind, my contact case will be great for cleaning my bearing.
Now, I need some paper towels and a pencil that the bearing will hang on after it's soaked in the Mineral Spirits, pictured here:
Tomorrow I will make a new post of my results.
This was done based on this tutorial: http://yoyoexpert.com/forums/index.php/topic,871.0.html
Tips and Tutorials were also taken from: http://yoyoexpert.com/forums/index.php/topic,76597.0.html
Credit to: http://eartheasy.com/blog/2012/05/plastics-by-the-numbers/
http://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/381280-chemistry-geeks-mineral-spirits-harms.html
http://www.coleparmer.com/Chemical-Resistance
When cleaning the bearing, you first need to take the bearing out of the yoyo:
After this, if the bearing is shielded, take the shield off. Since my bearing does not have a shield, I don't have to do this.
Then, I need some Mineral Spirits (Paint Thinner, etc.) to clean the bearing with. I searched through my garage and found that I had some (I could've also used Acetone, but it's usually more dangerous, so I did not):
It's 100% Mineral Spirits, which is what I need. After I found the Mineral Spirits, I needed a container that could hold the bearing and the chemical, without the chemical melting/reacting/breaking down the container. These are the types of containers I had in hand:
- Large Glass Jars (used for food)
- Contact Lens Cases (plastic) - Was leaning toward this, since I had it in abundance and wasn't being used
- various plastic cups, bags
I asked for help on YoyoExpert forums, but there was mixed opinions. Some users said that only metal and glass containers will work, but others said that some plastics work fine. So, I decided to research about container materials and how they react with Mineral Spirits (and Acetone, just in case I didn't use the original plan). Imagine that, learning about Chemistry right before I begin the course when school starts!
Since I was leaning toward the Contact Cases, I wanted to find out what type of plastic it was. It turns out that usually on plastic, there is a recycle sign and a number inside (and usually a abbreviation) that tells you what type of plastic it is. I looked on my Contact Case and there it was:
It took only a quick search to know what plastic it was. This helpful site revealed that the contact case was made of Polypropylene, or PP for short. That was important because I can now search for PP and see how Mineral Spirits and Acetone affects it. Along the way, I found this site that said that PP can usually handle Mineral Spirits. Still, since I wanted to make sure (it was a public forum website), I read on and found that there was a website where you could compare materials and their compatibility with chemicals, which can be found here. So I plugged in PP and Mineral Spirits/Acetone and found that PP can be compatible with Mineral Spirits with a rating of B-Good, and compatible with Acetone with a rating of A-Excellent. With that in mind, my contact case will be great for cleaning my bearing.
Now, I need some paper towels and a pencil that the bearing will hang on after it's soaked in the Mineral Spirits, pictured here:
Now that I have all my materials, I am ready to begin! Here are all my materials in one place:
Since the Mineral Spirit Container recommends the user to use it in an outside and open space, that's what I will do. Here's a brief video of the steps that I will take during the cleaning:
- Pour the Mineral Spirits into one side of the contact case
- Put the deshielded bearing into that side of the contact case
- Screw the contact case cap closed firmly, and shake for 5 minutes to dislodge and dissolve all debris
- Let it sit for a little bit (< 5 min.), and then take it out and place on paper towel for 5 minutes
- Put the bearing on the pencil, and shake to get all the Mineral Spirits out
- Let it dry (probably for the night) - Also, I might use a hair blower to speed this process
- Spin it on the pencil again
- Plug into yoyo and play
Here's some pictures of me cleaning the bearing:
This was done based on this tutorial: http://yoyoexpert.com/forums/index.php/topic,871.0.html
Tips and Tutorials were also taken from: http://yoyoexpert.com/forums/index.php/topic,76597.0.html
Credit to: http://eartheasy.com/blog/2012/05/plastics-by-the-numbers/
http://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/381280-chemistry-geeks-mineral-spirits-harms.html
http://www.coleparmer.com/Chemical-Resistance
Monday, July 21, 2014
Hit a Problem
I was working on Pop n' Fresh, but then my yoyo became semi-responsive and would snap back to my hand, so I couldn't finish the trick. I asked for help on the YoyoExpert forum, and a member suggested to clean the bearing. So, I researched more about it and found out some ways that I could use to clean the yoyo bearing. Some ways required to use Mineral Spirits or thin lube, but I did not have those, so I used the paper bearing cleaning to try to fix the problem.
EDIT (7/22/14): So I have tried the paper cleaning technique. It worked for a little bit, but the yoyo still snaps back up, though less frequently. I guess that I will try the other cleaning method, to see if it works. The other method requires taking Mineral Spirits/Acetone to clean the bearing.
(Credit to http://yoyoexpert.com/forums/index.php?;topic=61886.0 and http://yoyoexpert.com/forums/index.php/topic,23234.0.html for explanation of the bearing cleaning)
EDIT (7/22/14): So I have tried the paper cleaning technique. It worked for a little bit, but the yoyo still snaps back up, though less frequently. I guess that I will try the other cleaning method, to see if it works. The other method requires taking Mineral Spirits/Acetone to clean the bearing.
(Credit to http://yoyoexpert.com/forums/index.php?;topic=61886.0 and http://yoyoexpert.com/forums/index.php/topic,23234.0.html for explanation of the bearing cleaning)
Friday, July 18, 2014
Double or Nothing, Mach 5, and Cold Fusion
Over the last 2 days, I have been working on Double or Nothing and Mach 5. The former had a difficulty of 7 out of 10. Double or Nothing began like a Trapeze, but it was frustrating because you let the string swing past instead of catching it. Even more annoying was at the end, where you caught it like a Trapeze. So, I had to get used to not doing Trapeze then doing it again at the end. I usually get Double or Nothing 4 times out of 5. I want to keep practicing this so I can do this easily.
Mach 5 was a different story. I found that it was one of the easiest unresponsive tricks, with a difficulty of 3. It was a variation of Split the Atom, so I got it easily. Plus, it looks really cool! Since I was done with this trick, I decided to save some time and move on to the next trick, which was Cold Fusion. I was full of momentum and thought that I would breeze through the next one, but I was wrong.
Cold Fusion was even more frustrating than Double or Nothing! The reason is because you start off doing the Double or Nothing (guess I should practice that trick even more), then you have to manipulate your fingers around a lot, and furthermore you have to land the yoyo on the string at the end. I had to watch the tutorial video many times to make sure I was doing it right. After trying and failing many times, I finally got the trick right. To make sure that I have Cold Fusion truly done, I'm going to spend today to keep working on it. I give it a difficulty of 8. Here is a video of me practicing Cold Fusion (to be updated)
Mach 5 was a different story. I found that it was one of the easiest unresponsive tricks, with a difficulty of 3. It was a variation of Split the Atom, so I got it easily. Plus, it looks really cool! Since I was done with this trick, I decided to save some time and move on to the next trick, which was Cold Fusion. I was full of momentum and thought that I would breeze through the next one, but I was wrong.
Cold Fusion was even more frustrating than Double or Nothing! The reason is because you start off doing the Double or Nothing (guess I should practice that trick even more), then you have to manipulate your fingers around a lot, and furthermore you have to land the yoyo on the string at the end. I had to watch the tutorial video many times to make sure I was doing it right. After trying and failing many times, I finally got the trick right. To make sure that I have Cold Fusion truly done, I'm going to spend today to keep working on it. I give it a difficulty of 8. Here is a video of me practicing Cold Fusion (to be updated)
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
A Lot Accomplished Today
I accomplished a lot today, including:
That being said, I still have 17 tricks to go through, and it only gets harder from here. I am still hoping to finish in time so that I can prepare for my performance as well.
- adding a "Check my Progress" page to keep track of progress
- adding a "Bibliography" page so I can remember who to give rightful credit to
- finishing all the responsive tricks #1 through #6.
- getting pictures taken of some of my yoyos to add to my blog
That being said, I still have 17 tricks to go through, and it only gets harder from here. I am still hoping to finish in time so that I can prepare for my performance as well.
Added a "Check my Progress" Page
I added this page because I wanted to have a page where I can view my progress without having to go through all my older posts, or by memory.
Also, instead of you having to scroll down through all my posts to read my progress, I created a mini page that lets you read through my tricks and a paraphrased description on how I did. The tricks that have not been published on the main blog is not marked "Published".
Hopefully this will aid my project, and make it more organized for not only myself but for viewers as well.
Also, instead of you having to scroll down through all my posts to read my progress, I created a mini page that lets you read through my tricks and a paraphrased description on how I did. The tricks that have not been published on the main blog is not marked "Published".
Hopefully this will aid my project, and make it more organized for not only myself but for viewers as well.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Respsonsive Yoyo has Arrived
Since that my responsive yoyo has arrived, I am going to work on those first few tricks before I keep progressing with my unresponsive tricks. I want to stay in order as much as I can, so I don't miss anything that is needed for the harder tricks. So now I'm starting with Sleeper and hopefully it will help me with the later tricks. Here are some pictures of the YYJ Classic:
Back from Vacation
I'm home from a week of vacation at the beach/emergency funeral in California. Since the emergency trip to California took such a long time, I am behind further than I'd like with my yoyo tricks. I was only able to learn 2 unresponsive yoyo tricks, and I hope to quicken my pace now that I'm at home.
Also, here is a picture of me practicing while on my vacation:
Also, here is a picture of me practicing while on my vacation:
 |
| Practicing "Split the Atom" |
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Weekly Update 7/12/14
Most of this week, I was away at the beach for a vacation and at California for an unexpected funeral. So, I was unable to work on my project most of the time.
I finished Trapeze early last week, and I am working to perfect it. I had to learn Breakaway first to learn this trick. It was hard at first, trying to throw it right and getting it to catch on the string. I got it in the end though, and when practicing, I can usually get it right 3 out of 5 times. I just need to make it more accurate as I go on. Maybe 4/10 for difficulty.
Split the Atom was also finished last week, but it was much harder. I had to learn the split bottom mount first, and then I had to watch a video tutorial to learn it. The tutorial often confused me because of close hand positioning and he sometimes progressed too quickly. After watching it continuously, I got the hang of it and I can now do it 4/5 times. Difficulty was about 6/10.
I finished Trapeze early last week, and I am working to perfect it. I had to learn Breakaway first to learn this trick. It was hard at first, trying to throw it right and getting it to catch on the string. I got it in the end though, and when practicing, I can usually get it right 3 out of 5 times. I just need to make it more accurate as I go on. Maybe 4/10 for difficulty.
Split the Atom was also finished last week, but it was much harder. I had to learn the split bottom mount first, and then I had to watch a video tutorial to learn it. The tutorial often confused me because of close hand positioning and he sometimes progressed too quickly. After watching it continuously, I got the hang of it and I can now do it 4/5 times. Difficulty was about 6/10.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
My N12 Yoyo has arrived! After checking the shipping info for my responsive yoyo, it will come next week. I will be on vacation during that time, so I won't be able to work on the responsive tricks. I will work on the unresponsive tricks over the next week, starting with Trapeze, and hopefully getting through (and mastering) as many unresponsive tricks as I can. Here are some pictures of the N12 Yoyo that arrived today:
String Trick Ladder Review
These are the tricks I'm required to do for the Trick Ladder, and the yoyo that I will use for doing it (in italics). Credit to http://contest.nationalyoyo.org/sport-ladder-info/ for the tricks and descriptions:
String Trick Ladder
1. Sleeper (3 seconds): Responsive
2. Side Throw: Responsive
3. Tower: Responsive
4. Rock the Baby (3 full rocks): Responsive
5. Elevator: Responsive
6. Braintwister (1 Somersault): Responsive
7. Trapeze: Unresponsive
8. Split the Atom (3 somersaults): Unresponsive
9. Double or Nothing: Unresponsive
10. Mach 5 (5 Rotations): Unresponsive
11. Cold Fusion: Unresponsive
12. Pop’n’Fresh (2 reps): Unresponsive
13. Gerbil: Unresponsive
14. Plastic Whip: Unresponsive
15. Eli Hop (3 Reps): Unresponsive
16. Boingy Boingy (5 Reps): Unresponsive
17. Gyroscopic Flop: Unresponsive
18. Kwijibo: Unresponsive
19. Hook: Unresponsive
20. Suicide Catch (2 Reps): Unresponsive
21. Iron Whip (2 Reps): Unresponsive
22. Kamikaze: Unresponsive
23. Sprit Bomb: Unresponsive
24. Throwhand Grind (2-Grinds): Unresponsive
25. Black Hop: Unresponsive
String Trick Ladder
1. Sleeper (3 seconds): Responsive
2. Side Throw: Responsive
3. Tower: Responsive
4. Rock the Baby (3 full rocks): Responsive
5. Elevator: Responsive
6. Braintwister (1 Somersault): Responsive
7. Trapeze: Unresponsive
8. Split the Atom (3 somersaults): Unresponsive
9. Double or Nothing: Unresponsive
10. Mach 5 (5 Rotations): Unresponsive
11. Cold Fusion: Unresponsive
12. Pop’n’Fresh (2 reps): Unresponsive
13. Gerbil: Unresponsive
14. Plastic Whip: Unresponsive
15. Eli Hop (3 Reps): Unresponsive
16. Boingy Boingy (5 Reps): Unresponsive
17. Gyroscopic Flop: Unresponsive
18. Kwijibo: Unresponsive
19. Hook: Unresponsive
20. Suicide Catch (2 Reps): Unresponsive
21. Iron Whip (2 Reps): Unresponsive
22. Kamikaze: Unresponsive
23. Sprit Bomb: Unresponsive
24. Throwhand Grind (2-Grinds): Unresponsive
25. Black Hop: Unresponsive
6 Responsive / 19 Unresponsive Tricks
The tricks go from responsive to unresponsive, and corresponds with the tricks becoming harder as you progress.
The tricks go from responsive to unresponsive, and corresponds with the tricks becoming harder as you progress.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
I have purchased the YoyoJam Classic and Magic Yoyo N12 for my project. The yoyos are very budget friendly, fitting for the Trick Ladder, and was very recommended by people on yoyo forums when a researched more about them. Plus, the N12 comes with a yoyo glove and five extra strings. The extra string will help if the yoyo's string frays and breaks, and the yoyo glove helps to relieve friction on the hand that you do tricks with.
Also, I have started to look over videos of the Trick Ladder and get ready to get started.
Also, I have started to look over videos of the Trick Ladder and get ready to get started.
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