Jig-a-Loo apparently working better than Lubix

[crashdummy001]

First post. Just because my post count is currently 1 doesn't mean you should all immediately assume I'm a senseless noob. Yes, I've lurked long enough. No, this does not belong in the One Question Answer Thread. No, I am not cheating and thus will not tolerate a lolben. Yes, I've searched for similar threads. I know how you all think a newly registered member must be a complete idiot. I'm not an idiot.

So. A couple years ago, I bought two DIY cubes. I do not remember what kind they are, and my efforts to find out have failed. Don't ask what they are. Let's call them A and B. I assembled both and without lubing, they felt about the same, turning-wise (but not corner-cutting wise). I then lubed both with Jig-a-Loo, and both showed significant improvement, but B was slightly better than A. Then, years later, I decided to get some Lubix. Because B was my main cube at the time, I cleaned out B and lubed it with Lubix. Yes, I lubed the core. Yes, I put one dab on an edge piece. Yes, I worked it in. Certainly 100+ solves is enough. After all this, however, B was actually worse than with Jig-a-Loo, even worse than A. Touching the sides of the edge pieces with my fingers, B (with Lubix) didn't feel slippery, while A (with Jig-a-Loo) felt very slippery.

I have several questions:
1. Is Lubix "universal", meaning that it works equally well on every different type of cube?
2. After applying one dab on an edge piece and working it in, are the edge pieces supposed to feel slippery to touch? If they do, does it mean that there is too much Lubix?
3. Can Jig-a-Loo ever be better than Lubix?
4. Should I lube the core with Lubix, and lube the individual cubies with Jig-a-Loo? Will they conflict in any way?

 

[freshcuber]

1. No, although Lubix is a great thing puzzles react differently to certain lubes based on the kind of plastic they're made from although from my experience with lubing Lubix is all around good for any cube.

2. Not really. After awhile it should dry.

3. Yes, see answer to Question 1.

4. Sure give it a go, it won't have some horrible Frankenstein affect that destroys your cube. Make sure to work in the Jig-a-Loo. Otherwise it can act as a glue.. Make sure by "lubing the core" you're lubing the screws, washers, springs, and anyplace where the screw/washer/spring touch the actual center piece. Also apply just a small amount(enough to make the area shine) to the place where the center meets the core.

 

[Whyusosrs?]

First post. Just because my post count is currently 1 doesn't mean you should all immediately assume I'm a senseless noob. Yes, I've lurked long enough. No, this does not belong in the One Question Answer Thread. No, I am not cheating and thus will not tolerate a lolben. Yes, I've searched for similar threads. I know how you all think a newly registered member must be a complete idiot. I'm not an idiot.

Easy thar, big fella! I won't break your legs before I kill ya!

1. Is Lubix "universal", meaning that it works equally well on every different type of cube?

No.

2. After applying one dab on an edge piece and working it in, are the edge pieces supposed to feel slippery to touch? If they do, does it mean that there is too much Lubix?

The more lubix you put in the harder it is to turn. It will feel gummy.

3. Can Jig-a-Loo ever be better than Lubix?

Yes.

4. Should I lube the core with Lubix, and lube the individual cubies with Jig-a-Loo? Will they conflict in any way?

Shouldn't cause any problems.

 

[MichaelP.]

Ok, we appreciate you lurking and it isn't that the community thinks new members need a harsh introduction, it's just that a lot of new members are idiots and deserve what they get. You seem perfectly intelligent and you haven't done anything wrong.
OT

1. No lubricant works the same on every cube. Lubix is said to work well specifically on the guhong, though it may work well on other cubes.

2. Lubix is silicone, so it isn't wrong if the cube is slippery. It's meant to reduce friction.

3. Jig-a-loo can certainly be better then other cubes. Keep in mind it is purely preference depending on how you like your cubes to turn.

4. It's probably best to stick with one or the other if you only have one cube to test it on. I think Lubix and Jig-a-loo attempt to enhance the quality of a cube through different means and it won't work to combine the two methods.

Nobody's really an expert on this and everyone gets different results and interprets those results differently. Welcome to the forum.

 

[FatBoyXPC]

For what apparently works better, you should probably set up a control group. If you truly lubed the core the way Donovan shows in his videos, this means you had to unscrew the center caps. Did you do that? How do you know you set it to the exact tension? Did you count the turns? To compare lubricants to each other, you should use cubes set up the exact same way, not just cubes that you've used and "know the feel of."

1) Preference.
2) "Too much" is preference to an extent. After I applied lubix I often found that the pieces had a slight shine to them, and they were somewhat slippery to touch.
3) Preference.
4) Rowe Hessler mentioned in one of his youtube videos that he lubed his F2 by first spraying with CRC (disassemble, sweep spray the pieces evenly) then using shock oil (much thinner version of Lubix) and he said it made his F2 amazing.

Just because you said you've lurked and thought about posting before you did, doesn't mean you won't get flamed, by the way. If people don't like your post, they'll flame you, regardless of your post count and/or join date.

I'm going to go ahead and say you conducted your experiment incorrectly (under the assumption that I wanted to see accurate results). Please see badmephisto's video on lube testing for a great comparison and guide to do your next experiment.

 

[izovire]

1. No. Lubix is not universal... the silicone's viscosity fits perfectly with the Guhong/lingyun... and maybe a few others.
2. The more lubix the more 'stick' will start occurring... If you only apply lubix to the core (and not anywhere else) on a guhong you will still have amazing results. It could be the fact that the contours of your cubes are different than the guhong.
3. Do some lab tests and experiments. Or it could just be an opinion.
4. Do some lab tests and experiments.

After all it's just silicone... and there are so many levels of viscosity to be played with in the future.