Can you use mineral oil as lube

So far I've pretty much just been using mineral oil as lube (FYI, baby oil is mostly mineral oil). I have the 3in1 silicone spray and jig-a-loo, tried them both, and, to me at least, both feel like crap compared to my mineral oil lubed cubes.

I initially tried jig-a-loo on my very well broken in rubik's cube (the only one I had at the time). I cleaned all the mineral oil out using rubbing alcohol, then applied the jig-a-loo to the cube a la badmephisto's lubing vid and gave it some working in. The result was it felt like garbage, almost as bad as when I first got the thing. So I decide to try the silicone, I clean the cube out again, and get some silicone lubricant in there. Now it's marginally better than the jig-a-loo: doesn't really feel lubricated and the static friction is just terrible. At this point I'm pretty frustrated, so I clean the thing out yet again and go back to mineral oil. After some working in, it's nice and buttery once again.

I figured that the crappy feeling may just be from residual cross contamination of all the stuff I tried, but, I now have my C4Y cubes and get to start again fresh. I have them all put together, but the only one I've lubed up so far is the type B (as it was the one that really needed it most). I put it together, messed with it abit, and then said "alright silicone, do your stuff" and lubed it up. It feels noticeably better than it does dry, but still feels as though is has a much higher threshold of motion than what I'm used to with mineral oil. I played with it abit, and wasn't quite satisfied, so, I cleaned it out and applied mineral oil. Now the thing is much more buttery, and with some more breaking in, I know it can feel like my well broken in rubik's.

Personally, I don't think I'll go near jig-a-loo again (I really don't like that melting plastic thing it does, even if only temporarily) and I'll prolly give the silicone a few more tries, just to be sure, but I'm really like my mineral oil the most. The only problem I have with mineral oil, is that being a realtively light non-penetrating oil, it does tend to seep out and make the cube feel a little oily. Though that usually only a problem if too much is applied, and a quick wipe of the faces of the cube with some rubbing alcohol completely cuts through it.

Well, that's my story. Anyone else have experience with this stuff?

Personally, I don't think I want a cube that feels "buttery."

When I first lubed my cube, I actually used a hair serum which was very slippery, and indeed, it felt "buttery." Which at the time I liked, especially in comparison to the stickiness that CRC Heavy Duty brought about.

It's true, CRC contains propellants which may have an adverse melting effect on your plastic, so be careful with it. You have to work it in immediately (And for a lengthy amount of time), otherwise take it apart and spray at a distance, giving the propellants sufficient time to evaporate. The solvent should dry out, leaving a thin film of silicone on your plastic. This is what you want. If all is as it should be, the silicone should be dry to the touch and therefore never "buttery." This is also why you'll never get the seeping out problem you describe.

Now, why don't I like the buttery feel? It may have a lower coefficient of static friction than silicone, however, if lubed right, the flick of a finger should be more than sufficient to overcome the static friction requirement, and IMHO the dynamic friction with the silicone is vastly lower than that of the oil type substances. Also, you don't have to deal with any of the seeping problems you mention. I had a very negative first reaction to the non-buttery feel of silicone, but having tried my original solution again, I feel it is WAAY slower, even if it feels quieter, less clicky, smoother, and yes, more "buttery." ...the silicone, in my experience, is clicky, loud, etc, but incredibly fast.

A: This often-debated issue has no simple answer: It depends on the specific machine, the application, the operating conditions and environment, and other factors.

Mineral-oil-based lubricants can offer advantages such as better solubility with additives, enhanced compatibility with seals, and lower cost. Synthetic-based lubricants can offer benefits such as greater tolerance for extreme temperatures and environments that might be considered hostile for mineral-oil-based fluids. They tend to resist oxidation better, allowing for longer fluid life.

With that in mind, suppose you have an application that experiences high operating temperatures. A synthetic-based formulation might offer longer service life, meaning fewer oil changes and less downtime. But what if the application is constantly exposed to substantial contamination from dust and debris? If the lubricant will need very frequent changes due to contamination, long before oxidation can take its toll, a mineral-oil-based formulation might make more sense economically.

The bottom line: You should let the needs, demands and circumstances of your application drive your lubrication decision. Determine the performance specifications, characteristics and features that your application requires in a lubricant (e.g., viscosity, operating-temperature range, wear protection, and so on). Then, regardless of lubricant composition, select the product that best meets your application’s requirements.

Isel offers one of the most diverse ranges of lubricants available, including mineral-oil-based fluids as well as full-synthetic, partial synthetic and semi-synthetic alternatives. Contact us today to learn more, and let us help you identify the right solution for your needs.

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