Is CRC Heavy Duty Silicone a suitable lubricant for a speedcube? I mean this stuff: http://www.crcindustries.com/hd/content ... =05074&S=N
I would just test it, but I've seen how certain chemicals can eat ABS plastic, so. . .

i use it

(if you didn't know you can get it from walmart)

Yeah, I know where to get it, I just figured I should provide an image.
Excellent, thank you for the info. I needed something more effective and less suspicious than vaseline for this.

Yeah me and my friends all use CRC, and it's the lube of preference for about 95% of speedcubers I know. It is pretty easy to find in the US, so that's another plus. It'll sort of melt some of the plastic of your cube, but that's natural for any aerosol lubricant spray. You just need to work in the lube for a little bit. One thing I REALLY like about CRC is that it dries extremely quickly, so it only takes a couple solves to work the lube in.

Or olive oil.

"Why do you have a tub of vaseline?"

"For my fingertricks!"



Yes, CRC works great.

That reminds me of Of Mice and Men, but I won't go there.

Yes CRC is great but never use it while your cubes are assembled otherwise it can be like glue. That is how i broke two pieces on my 7x7x7 But hey they sent me two new pieces and two sets of stickers and they are on their way.

its the butane and the chlorine thats in all silicone sprays that melts the plastic. wait 15 minutes after each coat. spray them on the ground on a newspaper and rotate them for each coat. I use two complete coats on a new broken in cube the first time I lube it. takes 2 hours. works alot better than going back again and again after it sets in.

My guess for what eats the cube is the acetone in it. It probably works in combination with the heptane (essentially gasoline) that is also in it.

If you dont believe me about the gasoline, put a styrofoam cup in some gasoline and see what happens!

I like to use a combination of Permatex Silicone Spray, and CRC Heavy Duty Silicone. I find it gives you the smoothness of Vaseline and the speed of Silicone. Although I have also found using CRC Heavy Duty Silicone alone works just fine.

I have been using CRC Heavy Duty Silicone for almost a year now, but I have just recently (in the past month) switched to using Jig-A-Loo. I had seen some reviews of it on youtube and I figured I should try some. Jig-A-Loo is about $2 more expensive (at Walmart) than CRC however I have found that it makes my cube much faster and smoother.

I have heard people say that you should not spray Jig-A-Loo into a cube while it is assembled, however I have found no problems with that. Also, people say that Jig-A-Loo melts the plastic, but if you spray it in the cube and then work the lubricant in immediately, the lubricant does not melt the plastic of the cube.

I have tested this on a number of cubes/puzzles (3x3 Rubik's, type a, type c, type d, type e, Rubik's 4x4, eastsheen 2x2, 4x4, 5x5, v-cube 7, skewb, pyraminx, brain twist) and the results have only been exceptional.

The only thing people are worried about in CRC is the acetone but that has a pH of about 6 to neutral so i'd say it's perfectly safe. You'd melt more plastic with lemon juice and a couple of years.

It doesn't really have anything to do with the acidity of the spray. People are concerned about the solvents in the spray that can melt the plastic before they have a chance to evaporate. Thats why CRC is very sticky at first. Once the solvents evaporate, only lubricant is left over.

I bought a can of this about a month ago based on some recommendations here. I tested it on some left over parts from some colored plastic C4U DIY cubes. I’m glad I tested it first. It discolored the plastic, leaving lighter colored spots. I’ve seen pictures of this happening from this lube on black plastic parts too. This told me that it was damaging the plastic at the surface. I threw the can away. I have used other lubes which don’t do this. Specifically I prefer Cyclo Heavy Duty Silicone (in an orange can).

I also tested Jig-A-Loo at the same time and found that stuff to just be a sticky mess. I prefer lubes which dry without leaving an oily/wet residue. And after seeing some pictures of how it can melt plastic (especially the plastic of older puzzles like the Rubik’s Domino) I also threw that can away.

That is not true. You could submerge ABS plastic in hydrochloric acid (Ph=0) and it won't dissolve. If you did that with a Rubik's Cube, however, the springs/rivets would dissolve away, leaving nothing but the plastic pieces behind. Likewise, if you dunked a Rubik's Cube in Chloroform, the plastic would dissolve into nothing, leaving just the springs and rivets behind.

Plastic is made from organic polymer. Acids won't attack the plastic but they will attack inorganic minerals, such as rocks and most metals. Organic solvents, depending on how potent they are, will attack the organic polymers in plastics to various degrees, but leave metals and other inorganic minerals unharmed. The reason why silicone oils are so good for plastic parts is that they do not interact with the ogranic polymers, however, for aresol sprays, the silicone oils are dissolved and propelled by organic solvents. Most of the solvents used in aerosol sprays quickly evaporate, leaving the silicone oils behind. While it is possible to buy pure silicone oil, it is very expensive, as it is synthetically created. That's why Cube Lubix is so darned expensive for such a tiny 1oz bottle, but you won't need as much, either.

I use Dupont Silicone/Teflon, which is compatible with plastics. Teflon is a dry flourocarbon polymer which has an incredibly low friction coefficient. Combined with the silicone oil, it works wonders on twisty puzzles. The can will specify on the label whether or not the manufacturer reccommends it's use on plastics or not. If any lubricant can says "not recommended for use on plastics," on the label, then do not use it on your cube. I also use Dupont Silicone/Teflon on my bicycles, with excellent results, and no icky black grease on my chain either.

I shop at Lowes, which carries the Dupont brand name. I believe CRC Silicone (which they sell at home Depot) is just as good.