[Help Thread] Lubrication Thread

[Dom]

Depends on what you want. You might want it faster, slower, smoother, maybe stickier, perhaps you just want to get rid of spring noise... We can't tell you your preference.

I always suggest people at least have Lubicle Standard, Silk, and Maru to play around with, but that's not the end-all be-all solution.

Is there a lube bundle you recommend that has a good amount of the lube essentials? Or maybe your preferred combinations of must-have lubes for an new cube enthusiast?

 

[Dash Lambda]

Is there a lube bundle you recommend that has a good amount of the lube essentials? Or maybe your preferred combinations of must-have lubes for an new cube enthusiast?

The lubes I use most frequently are Lubicle Standard and Speedy, Silk, and Maru. I recommend Standard, Silk, and Maru because those each have what I'd consider the most distinctive feels -Standard has that slightly gummy feeling you get from silicone lubricants (and also works better on the core than the thinner Speedy), Silk has a unique smooth and soft feeling, and Maru feels fast and usually preserves the texture of scratchy/sandy cubes. Rather than just being thicker or thinner than each other, they each change the feeling of the cube in a certain way that the others don't.

I'd say that The Cubicle did a good job putting together their bundles, so I'd suggest the balanced lube kit for people whose preference leans more towards contrallability and the light lube kit for those who lean more towards speed. Aside from the Maru (which goes quickly in any event), there's enough lube in those kits to last quite a while -I still haven't run out of anything from the first set I bought.

I haven't tried any of the Gans lubes or QiYi M-lube, though.

 

[Dom]

What's the difference between Traxxas 50k and Cubicle weight 5? Some people say they're the same. Others disagree. What's the scoop on this stuff? I've tried weight 5, but not 50k.

 

[allanboss131]

What's the difference between Traxxas 50k and Cubicle weight 5? Some people say they're the same. Others disagree. What's the scoop on this stuff? I've tried weight 5, but not 50k.

I'm the opposite- haven't tried weight 5. But 50k is great if you want a super smooth buttery feeling. Great for hardware and overlubing

 

[A1d3n.f0rd]

This is just my preference but when I set up my weipo I use weight 4 on core, weight 2 on pieces and Maru to maintain performance. And for my gts I use weight 5 on core and weight 3 and silk on pieces and I takes like 75-100 solves to break in but after that it's amazing

 

[pinser]

I feel like speedcubeshop lube is thicker than cubicle lube. Do you guys feel the same or is it just me?

 

[allanboss131]

I feel like speedcubeshop lube is thicker than cubicle lube. Do you guys feel the same or is it just me?

Weight 8 is amazing. Put it on hardware. When used on pieces it slows it down but doesn't give as gummy of a feel as traxxas 50k. Just slow and super smooth. I think speedcube lube is thicker than thecubicle lube.

 

[JohnnyReggae]

I have a question around lubrication.... I've seen and heard of people mixing various lubes when lubing their cubes. Excuse my ignorant question or observation rather .... if you mix 2 different viscosity lubes eg, weight 1, and weight 3, you wouldn't get both of their properties but rather a somewhere in between viscosity when they mix ?

Does it make a difference when you use a silicone lube and mix a water based lube, eg Maru with that ? Would it not be simpler to pick a particular lube that give you the feeling you are looking for rather than mixing ?

 

[CornerCutter]

I need to lube my Valk 3 and I have some Traxxas 50k.

I'm planning just to put a little on the pieces like 1 corner and 1 edge. Is that the right thing to do?

Should I put some in-between the core and the center as well?

 

[kb3dow]

I have a question around lubrication.... I've seen and heard of people mixing various lubes when lubing their cubes. Excuse my ignorant question or observation rather .... if you mix 2 different viscosity lubes eg, weight 1, and weight 3, you wouldn't get both of their properties but rather a somewhere in between viscosity when they mix ?

Does it make a difference when you use a silicone lube and mix a water based lube, eg Maru with that ? Would it not be simpler to pick a particular lube that give you the feeling you are looking for rather than mixing ?

They are using the more viscous lube on the core for the metal-plastic contact surfaces and the thinner lube is used on the edges, corners for the plastic-plastic contact areas.

Sent from my SM-G925T using Tapatalk

 

[Dash Lambda]

I have a question around lubrication.... I've seen and heard of people mixing various lubes when lubing their cubes. Excuse my ignorant question or observation rather.... if you mix 2 different viscosity lubes eg, weight 1, and weight 3, you wouldn't get both of their properties but rather a somewhere in between viscosity when they mix?

Does it make a difference when you use a silicone lube and mix a water based lube, eg Maru with that? Would it not be simpler to pick a particular lube that give you the feeling you are looking for rather than mixing?

I've never heard of people mixing different weights of silicone, but there are very good reasons to mix lubricants in general.
Different lubricants change the cube in different ways, for instance in my standard mixture:
-Silicone gel makes the cube smoother and a little more fluid, some people say gummy. Its primary purpose is to eliminate harsh friction and/or mask the texture of the plastic, it doesn't usually make the cube much faster. Heavier weights make the cube slower if applied to the pieces, but they're usually favored for the core because they last longer (thinner gels disperse a lot more quickly).
-Lubicle Silk makes the cube quieter and reduces the blocky/plasticy feeling of most cubes, The Cubicle describes it as a "plush" feeling.
-Maru doesn't change the texture of the cube much, all it really does is make the cube faster.

The reason you can't just pick a single lube is because each lube does something different, and each person has their own preference that would require a different blend.
There's also the fact that certain lubes last longer than others. I pretty much only ever replace silicone gel after I've cleaned a cube, but I put Maru in usually multiple times a day, and I'm still trying to nail down how long Silk lasts.

I need to lube my Valk 3 and I have some Traxxas 50k.

I'm planning just to put a little on the pieces like 1 corner and 1 edge. Is that the right thing to do?

Should I put some in-between the core and the center as well?

Usually people put a line running along the middle of the surface of a corner or edge, more than that (especially with heavier silicone gel) is usually considered over-lubing. Over-lubing isn't necessarily bad, of course, in fact it's preferred sometimes (like with the Thunderclap, if I recall), but it's all preference.

You should absolutely lube the core, that's often the most important part. The Valk doesn't even have washers, so I'd say doubly so.

 

[VenomCubing]

I know that a lot of people say that the KungFu 2x2 is too fast for them, but mine is way too slow. I have maru, and that works, but it wears out too quickly for my liking, and I hate taking my 2x2 apart to relube it. What lube would you suggest that's quick but controllable, doesn't wear out, and is under 10 dollars?

 

[Dash Lambda]

I know that a lot of people say that the KungFu 2x2 is too fast for them, but mine is way too slow. I have maru, and that works, but it wears out too quickly for my liking, and I hate taking my 2x2 apart to relube it. What lube would you suggest that's quick but controllable, doesn't wear out, and is under 10 dollars?

I don't have it yet (my order's shipping right now), but people are saying DNM-37 is basically Maru that lasts quite a lot longer.

 

[MTTR2K16]

Hey guys

I've been cubing for a few years now... my pb is 10 seconds! Although i've been lubing my cubes up nice and properly, sometimes the lube clumps up? I dont know how to explain it properly, but when i disassemble the cube i can see the "lube" turn grey in the crevasses in the edges, corners etc. I have been careful not to overlube or anything. It happened on my Dayan Zanchi (stickerless) and moyu weilong v2 (not stickerless) so it doesnt have anything to do with the plastic? Does anyone know what the problem is? Im using lubix right now btw, but it also happened with calvins lube.

 

[VenomCubing]

Hey guys

I've been cubing for a few years now... my pb is 10 seconds! Although i've been lubing my cubes up nice and properly, sometimes the lube clumps up? I dont know how to explain it properly, but when i disassemble the cube i can see the "lube" turn grey in the crevasses in the edges, corners etc. I have been careful not to overlube or anything. It happened on my Dayan Zanchi (stickerless) and moyu weilong v2 (not stickerless) so it doesnt have anything to do with the plastic? Does anyone know what the problem is? Im using lubix right now btw, but it also happened with calvins lube.

that's just the lube evaporating. It happens with pretty much every lube you can think of. Maru, Lubicle, Z lube, you name it. you just need to relube it when that happens. nothing to worry about.

 

[CasualCuber]

Does anyone know the difference between gan standard lube and gan magic lube?

 

[JumpyPlug]

What sort of lube is used on the Valk 3, in the factory? I feel that it is very light and it really brings out the feeling of the cube.. looking to buy it.

 

[NewCuber000]

Hmm, I'm no expert, but I do know from personal experience that silicone sprays are BAD for cubes. I used to use Jigaloo on my Aolong v1 back when I started cubing, and after a few lubes my cube was completely destroyed. Basically it softens the pieces and they get all weird and morphed, especially if you didnt apply the spray in a very specific way.

I wouldn't use silicone spray ever again, and if I were you, I'd get my hands on some actual lubricant such as the ones you can find in cube stores. Personally I use Maru lube (short lasting) that I got from an online cubing store, and another lube called 50k traxxus (longer lasting) which I got from ebay. As for fixing your current cube, you should probably hear somebody elses advice on that because I'm not really sure.

 

[Dash Lambda]

I just got my new Gans 356 Air this past Saturday and have been using it everyday since. I just finished attempting to lube my cube around 1 hour before this thread is being posted. I removed all peices from the core except for the centers and laid them out on a clean sheet after dipping each in cold water to cleanse, I then sprayed over the peices from about 2 feet away with my Silicone Spray. I flipped the corner pieces and sprayed again to get both sides. I waited 15 minutes or so and places all pieces back onto the cube, I've been playing around with it now and it still feels a bit rough as if I just put the pieces back on. Did I mess up my new cube or do I just need to wait for the spray to settle in?

I've never used silicone spray on a cube before, but I feel like it would increase the static friction on the Gans Air quite a bit due to the large flat surfaces.
If it's really just silicone, you're probably fine, just need to clean it out if the lube isn't doing well (though I'm not an expert on sprays). You don't need to go through that trouble to apply the lube, though -I just clean my cubes with paper towels, apply thicker lubes in a line on a corner or edge (while assembling), and drop thinner lubricants through the Florian cuts.

EDIT: I should probably ask, what specific spray are you using?

 

[Dom]

What's the best way to use DNM-37? I'm trying to find a good way to put it in my Wuque without making it slow.