Hello all,

This is Jay here, I'm One Drops one man R&D department. I invite all of you to submit your technical questions to me for thorough scientific and highly technical responses. Some of you have been asking some pretty probing questions and we do have some trade secrets to protect. Things other yoyo companies would dearly like to know.

I apologize if we're not direct in answering some of your questions, and I hope that everyone will understand. If yours is one of these questions and you are not getting satisfaction from the answers posted on the boards, then drop me a private message and I might (no promises) be able to answer your question more directly in private.

Some things are sensitive such as pricing and sourcing information. How much we pay for things and how long our machining cycle times and spindle times are and some such. I hope this explanation is helpful to you all of you.

Best Regards, Jay
One Drop Creative Team
R&D Departement

Maybe it is just me, but I feel like OD is the most transparent company I have dealt with. Shawn and Dave gave out their code for the Project for cryin' out loud.

Thanks, we appreciate your understanding.

We're trying real hard to be as transparent as possible, any suggestion you might have on how we can be more responsive to our customers would be greatly appreciated. And thank you for your business!

Best Regards, Jay
One Drop Creative Team
R&D Department

I guess I'm guilty of the probing questions... I totally understand the trade secret issue. You don't have to be evasive about it, just say it's a trade secret and that is completely cool!

In a semi-related vein, let me ask this: why is the amount of time it takes to machine the stock into a yo-yo a trade secret? I am guessing that spindle time relates to the time on the lathe vs. cycle time is time in the CNC machine?

Thanks!!

Erik

More or less correct

Does that mean less is more correct or is more less correct?

db

youd be a great polititon hah!

I have a few question for you. How does the testing phase of a new design work? Specifically how many different revisions does a product go through before it goes into final production? Also, does One Drop still have the revisions of the their yo-yos before they reach the production level product? I would love to see, in picture, the evolution of the Project or the M1 from initial design to finished product. Final question, where did the idea to nickel plate the Markmont come from? It just seems like an odd choice for a finish.

awsome idea

We've showed this on the ShopCam a few times.

The problem with the shop cam is that most of the time it happens while i am at work. While my students wouldn't mind seeing you guys, I do not think my district would appreciate it too much.

That and the fact that your shop cam is blocked by the schools fire wall.

We do have all the protos for the Project, M1 and Project 2. I'll see what I can do about getting some photos put up. The prototypes of the original Project are awesome. Each time we make a new yoyo, the number of revisions becomes less. I think the original Project had about 7 or 8. The M1 had 6. The Project 2 had 4. As for Nickel, we had the original Projects done in several finishes, Raw, Clear, Black and Nickel. When we started working with Mark on his signature edition, Nickel is what he requested.

Does the nickel have a different feel than the other types of anodizing? Also, did the Markmont go through the same revision process as a normal yo-yo or was it a more refined process since you were dealing with the preferences of a specific user and already had a production level product to work from?

We started with a Project when we sat down to make the Markmont. He told us what modifications he wanted (wider,heavier,bigger gap, nickel finish), they were pretty easy to implement since the Project was already a solid throw.

Hey, I have a question!

I am wondering if you need to make compensations in bearing seat
setups in consideration of the added thickness of an anno.

IE does a standard anodization job add a thick enough
layer to effect bearing seat performance?

Yes, the tolerance for bearing seat is razor edge and anodizing does add enough thickness to take it out of tolerance. This is the most difficult part of metal yo-yo production and we have a window of tolerance on the size we cut the bearing post and the anodizers have a window of thickness they add. We are able to hold a tighter tolerance on our end because anodizing is not the most exacting science but using a system of averages we are able to hit the mark most of the time. It takes constant vigilance and in looking at our vast yo-yo collection it's clear the most common issue in metal yo-yo making is getting the bearing post the correct size. If it's too loose, you get vibe. It it's too tight the bearing won't fit. The difference between a good and bad post is so small you can't see it.

Great question!

Thanks a ton for the thorough (and QUICK!) answer.

Considering that this is my first yoyo, would it be
advisable (or possible) to mask the seat?

(to whom it may concern....I'm a Minneapolis based musician
and electronic technician who recently re-discovered yoyoing
and have decided to jump right into the micryo-brew market
with a lil' deal called PowerYoYoLabs having a focus on
scientific aesthetic and optics. Here's the deal though,
I NO IDEA WHAT THE HE** I'm doing, and would love
to hear some suggestions for an upstart hobbiest.)

You don't want a raw bearing seat as it will not last.

This is what I thought.
Thanks!