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:

• 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:

1. Pour the Mineral Spirits into one side of the contact case
2. Put the deshielded bearing into that side of the contact case
3. Screw the contact case cap closed firmly, and shake for 5 minutes to dislodge and dissolve all debris
4. Let it sit for a little bit (< 5 min.), and then take it out and place on paper towel for 5 minutes
5. Put the bearing on the pencil, and shake to get all the Mineral Spirits out
6. Let it dry (probably for the night) - Also, I might use a hair blower to speed this process
7. Spin it on the pencil again
8. Plug into yoyo and play

Here's some pictures of me cleaning the bearing:

   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