I have been into modern yoyoing since the late 90's I first started professionally machine altering yoyos in late 2006 when there were several others doing the same. I was forced to take a break due to hard times financially after 2008/2009. I have planned and waited for the day I would do this again. As of spring 2017 I am quickly setting those dreams into motion, with the love support of my wife and our son.(I want to give a HUGE shoutout to my wife for all her help and support. She made the logo, took pics and helped me with the wording on all of this page. Couldn't have done it without her!!)
I am working on a basic metal lathe with hand shaped cutting tools. I do mods, repairs, set-up and maintenance as a skilled hobbyist. I am not a full machine shop, nor do I want to be. I have an eye and feel for much of what I am doing that comes with years of/lots of the right experience. When I am not modding yoyos I have a full time job, in custodial service. Description of what I do:
Modding a yoyo can have several goals the main of which is to improve play. Everyone has a different preference on what makes a yoyo great. Plus with different styles of play and Responsive vs. Unresponsive, basically the possibilities are endless. For most people getting a modded yoyo is the closest thing to getting your own signature yoyo, every single modded yoyo something that is truly one of a kind. Most common mods:
Refinish a favorite throw that has marks and damage from play or maybe even stock it came with a finish that just isn't your thing. To repair yo-yo that no longer is playable, whether caused by damage or defect. In this category as well you might be looking to make your yoyo have different response system that is better suited to your needs whether that be recessing the pads, different pads or a silicone groove. And finally create something new with otherwise spare parts for the fun and art of it. These usually aren't yoyos you would use everyday or where damage might occur simply because it's not as easily replaced as a production yoyo. This especially is something to note with hub and ring mods, please have fun with them, but do not hit them on any surface, even carpet or they will most likely need repair and adjustment. Even aggressive play with hard binds or catches runs this risk! Cleaning your bearing is probably the most important thing I offer as an additional to mods if you request it. Yes most yoyoers do fine cleaning their own bearings. Some methods have less than desired results or just can't clean as well as others especially depending on typically what you need to clean out of a bearing over time. I have been using the same method for over 14 years and run bearings dry. Before you throw out that "locked" bearing let me take a look, have saved many bearings that just needed a little more attention. If you desire to l**e your bearing after it wont hurt it, but keep in mind that unless you play with your yoyo in a literal clean room undesired junk will get in your bearing. I find l**e just makes it easy for some of this junk to stick or cause you to clean bearings more often. Disclaimer: Modding is not foolproof. Sometimes things don't work out, I try my best to give you something we can both be happy with. There's also some yoyos that just can't be modded or fixed. Or RARELY sometimes there can be equipment issues and damage can happen, I will be as honest about these as possible and try to make it right. If something were to be completely be destroyed beyond repair my Agreement to you is to pay for this loss at reasonable value or try to replace it with a same or similar yoyo if possible. For this reason if a yoyo is hard or expensive to replace I may not take on some mods. I do not have a huge stock pile of parts, but I am willing to do just about any mod you or I can think of. If you need help figuring out what parts you need we can discuss your options.
