Cleaning and looking after your diabolo
Cleaning & Maintenance
his Diabolo
A diabolo is a precision tool. Whether it has a fixed axle or ball bearings, it requires regular maintenance to retain its fluidity, balance, and original color. Discover our pro tips to bring your diabolo shells back to life!
- Easy disassembly
- Washing tips
- Customization
On the agenda:
Where does the word "Diabolo" come from?
Before the 20th century, this game was called "The Devil" or "The Lame Devil". It was a real craze among the French bourgeoisie! It was in 1905 that the French engineer Gustave Philippart patented the modern form we know (two cones connected by an axis).
He made his first prototypes from old bicycle tires! He is the one who invented the trade name "Diabolo", derived from the Greek "dia" (through) and "ballo" (to throw).
Why clean your diabolo?
Depending on your model (and especially its material) and the place where you practice, a diabolo inevitably accumulates dust, dirt and traces of friction on the ground.
Whether you juggle indoors on a parquet floor or outdoors on tarmac, regular cleaning has two functions : to preserve the brightness of the colors (especially for translucent or white diabolos) and above all to maintain smooth rotation by preventing dirt from getting into the axle or bearings.
Some high-end models, such as the Circus by Henrys or the Finesse by Babache , use very high-quality elastomers that are particularly easy to wash!
The result of a good cleaning on a white model!
Disassemble and wash the hulls
1. Separate the axis from the hulls
Never wash your diabolo fully assembled (water will rust the metal axle!). Most diabolos can be easily disassembled with two 10mm wrenches . Hold one nut with one wrench while you loosen the other. For the Finesse range, simply use two Allen wrenches.
2. Rub without damaging
Once the hemispheres (the shells) are freed, immerse them in warm soapy water (dish soap is perfect). Use a sponge or an old toothbrush to remove the dirt from the hollow of the cone.
Pro tip: For stubborn black stains, a cotton ball soaked in a little acetone works wonders. Be careful , acetone should only be used on high-quality plastics (Henrys, Play, Babache) or it will melt lower-end models!
⚙️ Warning: The case of Diabolos with Bearings
Disassembling an axle equipped with ball bearings requires great precision! Here are our 3 golden rules to avoid ruining your diabolo:
- Safety precautions: Always disassemble your diabolo over a basin or tray . Small parts have an unfortunate tendency to roll under furniture.
- Paparazzi: Feel free to photograph each step of the disassembly with your phone. You'll thank us when you reassemble the diabolo once it's clean!
- The orientation of the parts: Carefully note the orientation of the curved washers . If they are installed backwards, they will block the bearing, which will then stop rotating altogether. (And of course, never wash a bearing with water!)
Public Enemy Number One: The Beach
You had a superb diabolo session on the sand facing the sunset? Magnificent, but your diabolo is in mortal danger!
Fine sand and sea salt are devastating. Sand will seep into the mechanism (an absolute disaster on a bearing axle), and salt will cause your axle to rust in a few days.
The reflex: Upon returning home, completely disassemble the diabolo. Rinse the shells thoroughly with fresh water, and above all, meticulously dry each metal disc with a dry cloth before reassembling everything.
Which diabolo should I choose for the next step?
Now that you know how to maintain your equipment, it might be time to expand your collection or customize your current diabolo to explore new techniques!
Complete Kits
Ideal as a gift or for getting started. Our kits include the diabolo, a pair of suitable sticks (wood, aluminum or fiber), and an essential spare roll of string!
Discover the Kits ➔Fixed Axis Diabolos
The traditional axis. Perfect for pure learning of the discipline, juggling with several diabolos (2, 3 or 4) and "elevator" type figures where the string must catch the axis.
See Fixed Axes ➔Ball Bearings
A revolution! Equipped with a triple bearing, the axle only rotates in one direction. The diabolo spins up to 20 times longer, giving you plenty of time to perfect your tricks.
See Bearings ➔Light-Up Kits & Diabolos
A clean, translucent diabolo is a blank canvas! By adding small rechargeable LED kits to each side of the axle, transform your nighttime sessions into true light shows.
Light up your diabolo ➔Diabolo Fire Kits
Turn up the heat! Some diabolos can be fitted with Kevlar wicks soaked in firewater. (Caution: for adults and trained professionals only).
Discover the Fire Kits ➔
I use my diabolo every day (up to 4 hours/day) I just wanted to know the lifespan of the ball bearings, what signs of wear will be visible or felt?
Oh yes, bearings wear out... In general, we are looking at a lifespan of about 1 year with intensive use on a Henrys or Juggle Dream type diabolo with triple bearings. If you have a single bearing diabolo with this type of use, you risk quickly wearing it out...
Hello, my bearing diabolo shakes when accelerating and there is a little play between the shells at the bearing level. Should I tighten the axle nuts?
It's a hyperspin T (diabolo dance Theatre)
This doesn't seem right to me. I invite you to make a short video and send it to us by email; our email address is at the top of the site. Then we can watch it together.
Hello. When I grip my diabolo on each side, there is some play. It turns a little. How do I tighten it? Thank you.
It depends on the diabolo but on the sides there are bolts and you need an 8 key to tighten the two sides.
It's a Hurricane.
Hello, I have the Hurrican diabolo and it makes a lot of noise but for so long it is not the bearing but the friction of the bearing in the middle which rubs the white and black plastic. Do you have a solution?
Good morning,
So I practice the diabolo quite frequently and sometimes I drop it during a "missed throw" and therefore scratch it more or less.
Is there a miracle solution to limit or completely erase these unsightly signs of wear?
Thanks in advance !
I have a 3 stud buster III ball bearing diabolo that doesn't hold its speed.
How to do it
Sorry, we don't sell the model you're talking about. We have a range of quality diabolos that won't cause you this type of problem. We have after-sales support in case of any issues with equipment that comes from us.
I have a juggle dream triple ball bearing diabolo and as soon as I accelerate it starts to twist. I looked and there is a little play between the shells and the bearings. Is it the play that causes the diabolo to twist?
It's very likely that this is because you're not giving it enough speed. I invite you to contact our after-sales service so we can take a look together.
How to clean a triple ball bearing diabolo?
Exactly the same technique. Disassemble the axle, clean the cups and reassemble the axle. You will need two 10mm wrenches and reassemble the axle with the parts facing the same direction :-).
Hello, is the Firefly fire diabolo dismountable?
We do not sell Fyrefli fire diabolos! Contact the manufacturer, they will likely be able to answer your questions.
Hello, I have a Mr Babache that is visibly unbalanced. In fact, when I start rotating it, it spins and becomes uncontrollable. I took everything apart and cleaned it, but I can't find the source of the problem.
Any opinions?
It's quite rare to encounter a problem like this with a Mister Babache diabolo, so I invite you to contact our after-sales service. You'll find our contact details at the top or bottom of the site :-)
Apart from telling us to buy a diabolo, do you have any advice because mine does that too.
Any advice? Maybe avoid buying a Mister Babache bearing diabolo!
If you bought the diabolo from us, do not hesitate to call us, this kind of behavior is abnormal. On high-end diabolos from the Henrys, Hyperspin, Sundia brands, it is very very rare that this can happen, we will intervene. On diabolos from the Juggle Dream range equipped with triple bearings, it almost never happens. After that, it can happen on first-price toy-type diabolos, in which case it means that you use it intensively and it might be interesting to consider a diabolo more capable of enduring intensive use!
The 10 keys, is that a standard size for all diabolos?!
Diabolos that don't require a 10mm wrench to disassemble are rare. Which diabolo do you want to disassemble? The Finesse, the Tornado, and some diabolos from other Asian brands require a wrench other than a 10mm wrench...
elbow grease is found in a supermarket?
Elbow grease is an expression that basically means you're going to have to scrub! So it's all in the strength of your arms!
xD