Description
The yo-yos are made from black cherry trees that my father cut down on his farm over seven years ago in southern Wisconsin. Once the tree was cut down, it laid on the ground for over year because my dad could not find a buyer for the wood. Dad contacted a friend who still had a running sawmill on his farm. He agreed to take the trees and saw them into lumber. My uncle loaded up the trees on his trailer and delivered them to the mill. Dean sawed the trees into board lumber and they hauled it back to my dad’s farm where it dried in a shed for over a year. We purchased the lumber from my dad and started making numerous projects which now include the yo-yos. Each yo-yo was assembled with a solid brass 24 kt. gold plated ball bearing hub. I painted each yo-yo with alcohol ink and sealed them with multiple coats of varnish and UV protectant.
I grew up on the family farm with my parents and six siblings. My dad lives on the fifty acres where the hundred year old black cherry tree was cut down.
Troubleshooting Your Yo-Yo:
Your yo-yo is comprised of two halves made of Black Cherry wood connected by a threaded axle. The string is looped around a small sealed ball bearing that sits on the threaded axle between the halves. The halves should be twisted together so that they are snug but not excessively tight. If the halves are too tight the yo-yo will not “sleep” easily. In the event that the yo-yo comes apart it can be reassembled by simply screwing the halves back together (make sure that you don’t lose the bearing). It may become necessary to retie the string, either because the original string wears out or because the yo-yo comes apart. The diagram below shows three different methods for tying the string. We prefer the triple loop but any of them will work. Use your fingers to expand the loop at the end of the string (where the string doubles back on itself) and loop it around the axle of the assembled yo-yo using the method of your choice. If the string wears-out or begins to show damage, replacement strings are available on Amazon.com.
