Yes, the rumors are true.  We finally fixed the set up and were able to run full production. 

Now, on to anodizing!

Finally a prototype:  I still have lots of work to do on this but so far a great start.

Under process

Did you miss out on the pre-orders?  Well here is your chance to grab a special edition yo-yo from Cat-n-Mouse at the Illinois State Yo-yo contest.

It will look like this:

These will be extremely limited and available at Illinois State Yo-Yo contest.

Voting is now closed. Thanks to everyone who voted. It was extremely close and the winner one by only 1 vote. If you are still interested in purchasing one be alert at Illinois State Competition for your chance to purchase a very limited edition


The winning yo-yo is:

The Blue Speckled

I'm excited for this color combo.  I think it will look really good paired with the laser engraving.

Pre-Orders are now available at Cat-N-Mouse webstore.  The Pre-order yo-yo's will be a special price so be sure to order yours before they run out.  Plus, for everyone who pre-orders their name will be engraved on the side of the yo-yo as shown in the pictures.

Final Specs:

Diameter: 54.6mm

Width: 44.1mm

Mass: 68.2g

Gap: 4.7mm

Bearing: Dif-e-yo KonKave

Response: CBC Slim Pads

String: Dead Threads

This one is still my favorite.  I think the laser engraving will look sharp with the silver speckles.

Voting for the best anodizing should be up soon so be watching for it.

A couple more pictures just to drool over

Small update to the Chicago logo.  It now says YoYo Club instead of Illinois.  

Thanks to David for the suggestion

Light blue with a dark blue spash and yellow/green highlights

This is one of my favorites so far.  But, it is a little misleading as the white in the picture will actually be clear.  I need to adjust the color a little more.

How about red and yellow?

Give me your suggestions and I will mock it up.

Another idea of mine using the same anodizing.  I thought to myself, "What do all Yo-yo'ers have in common?  And the answer was immediate. "easy...Yo-yos."

Anyone interested in having a yo-yo on their yo-yo?

For those of you who have been waiting for results on the winning design here it is: the new and improved Alpha design.  (we really do need a better name)

I've been sticking with the Chicago theme and going with the colors of the flag.  Here are a few pictures I've been working on:

Blue and white for Chicago.  Can anyone recognize the text?

Similar but with only white speckles for a little cleaner look

I have to admit the Chicago symbol is growing on me.

As the design is winding down I have started to focus on the final look and finishing of the yo-yo.  This is an image I had come up with for a different project but I think would look sharp if it was laser engraved into the center of the yo-yo.

What do you think?

I have been trying to come up with ways to have this yo-yo capture Chicago whether that be in mimicking the flag, or something else that Chicago is known for like Jazz, or Pizza.  Any ideas out there?

Cally has recently been inspired by a new Monkey finger yo-yo and asked me to update his design with a couple of changes.  I was more than happy to do so and while I was at it I thought I would post a couple of pictures of both Cally's and Jack's concepts.

Cally's Yo-Yo

Jack's Yo-Yo

Next time you see them make sure to tell them how awesome their designs are.

For those of you who were not at the meeting but still want to give your vote to the final design of the yo-yo here is your chance.  The top two winners were:

Take your pick

Be sure to vote to the right.   One vote per person please!
(if you voted at the meeting please don't vote again)

September in China Town

At this months meeting we voted on the design of the yo-yo through an elaborate sticker method which picked the finish of the yo-yo and the shape at the same time.  Here are some pictures of what went down.

and the leading yo-yo is:

 This yo-yo is only leading by one vote so far.  So for those of you who did not make it to the meeting and would like your say on the design take the poll on the right to cast your vote.

The first group design yoyo takes the wing design and softens the edges and gives it a flat rim.

GROUP DESIGN 1

STATISTICS

• Diameter: 54.7mm
• Width: 46.7mm
• Gap: 4.7mm
• Weight: 68.5g
• Bearing: C size

The second group design takes the same outer shape and decreases the diameter and adds a little flare to the rims.

GROUP DESIGN 2

STATISTICS

• Diameter: 50.8mm
• Width: 46.5mm
• Gap: 4.7mm
• Weight: 67.8g
• Bearing: C size

Both these designs look awesome.  I will have all these designs printed out for the next club meeting on the 15th for everyone to vote on.  

Here we go.

The first design is by club member Cally.  It is more of a rounded shape with an even weight distribution.

CALLY

STATISTICS

• Diameter: 51mm
• Width: 41mm
• Gap: 4.7mm
• Weight: 63.4g
• Bearing: C size

The next design is by club member Jack.  A medium sized yo-yo this design has a sharp look with steep lines and hard edges.

JACK

STATISTICS

• Diameter: 55.9mm
• Width: 45.2mm
• Gap: 4.7mm
• Weight: 65.5g
• Bearing: C size

This design is by club member Kevin Kelly (me).  The idea behind this yo-yo was to create a shape that mimics a wing foil.   It has smooth lines with a natural looking shape.  This is the same yo-yo as the shiny rendered picture below.

KEVIN

STATISTICS

• Diameter: 51.1mm
• Width: 41.5mm
• Gap: 4.7mm
• Weight: 64g
• Bearing: C size

______________________________________________________

Next up will be the design based off of the survey.  There are going to be two designs off of this so keep watching and tell me what you think.  I appreciate all the input as it helps keep me focused.

Alright everyone.  I am back in action excited to move on.  Expect some pictures and statistics this week.

I haven't had a lot of time this week as I am moving into the Suburbs this weekend, but here is a taste of what I have going on.  

This yo-yo needs a little more tweaking, but I really like where it is headed.  I will post stats for it when I am done.

I'm going to start uploading some models onto this blog very soon.  I will have lots of pictures and stats as well as the 3D model.  If you are interested in viewing the model here is a free software which you can use to view/measure and explode the yo-yo.

http://www.edrawingsviewer.com/

It is safe and free, I use it all the time at work.  All you will be able to do is view it, sorry no manipulation possible.  But, it is still neat.  Check back soon for some prototypes.

*update 9/21* It turns out I can't upload any 3D models to the blog so if you still want to view the model shoot me an email and I will send it to you.

Lot's of great ideas came in over the weekend at the meet up.  I will have models up soon to vote on so keep watching.  Thanks to everyone who filled out a form.  If you haven't yet there is still time.  Expect a lot of new posts coming from me in the next couple of weeks as I finish with these designs.

What I need from everyone now is a laser engraving idea.  Any suggestions?

Welcome All! I have decided to make a small run of custom yo-yo's for the club.  This is your chance to have a very unique yo-yo in your collection designed by and for the Chicago yo-yo club.  On this blog you will find all the information about the design of our new yo-yo.  I will be updating this with information on design choices, progress, pictures, and much more.  These yo-yo's are going to go on pre-sale at an amazing cost through Cat & Mouse so be watching for them soon and jump on-board early to get the best price.

Please take a minute to fill out the survey to the right.  This will greatly speed up the process.  Once I receive 10 votes I will start publishing the data.

This Saturday the 18th at the club meeting I will be bringing my laptop to work on the design.  Come with ideas.  I will be running CAD so that we can dynamically make changes and see the results instantaneously.

Finally, this is your design, not mine so be active in your inputs and give some feedback.  If you have ideas send me an email or look me up on facebook.  This is going to be awesome.