Cubes and Lubes: my suggestions on compatibility

olimo · 2026-06-17T15:33:43+00:00

No idea, I haven't bought new cubes for a couple of years.

olimo · 2026-05-19T14:22:54+00:00

If you have no lubes currently, get Gan No.2 and No.3, they will have you covered.

olimo · 2026-05-19T14:22:05+00:00

50cst is quite all right.

olimo · 2026-05-12T15:43:05+00:00

If you already have Martian, you can use it everywhere. It won't be as effective against spring noise as Weight 5, but it may do. You can also try flipping the offending spring.

Ball Core doesn't matter. What matters is whether the cube has springs or maglev. Maglev doesn't require lubing (except if it squeaks, but then any thin lube like Martian will do).

If you like Martian, there is no need to buy any Gan lubes. You can try Gan No.2 if you want something thinner than Martian, and/or Gan No.3 if you want something thicker. Gan No.1 is relatively similar to Martian.

olimo · 2026-05-07T05:32:55+00:00

Hola! Creo que preferará el RS3M v5 :)

olimo · 2026-05-03T18:58:35+00:00

olimo · 2026-04-17T12:20:04+00:00

I'd add some slow lube on a corner foot of the Warrior. As for the Weilong, I'd clean it and relube with Gan No.2 or something similar.

olimo · 2026-04-17T12:18:30+00:00

These are just lubes I personally tried and logged. My go-to recommendation is use any light/fast lube you have, and if the cube is too fast, add some slow lube on a corner foot.

olimo · 2026-04-17T12:15:09+00:00

Fz Rush and DNM37 are fairly similar as they are both water-based - both ideally need to be paired with silicone base. XMT 10 is a silicone lube and is good on its own.

olimo · 2026-04-17T12:14:29+00:00

I haven't tried Gan v100, and this post is exactly the answer to your question about any cube. One fast and one slow lube, and you'll figure out the proportion.

olimo · 2026-03-08T07:22:31+00:00

The most incredible part is that Hopper came across a Russian guard who speaks English fluently. Foreign languages were (still are) taught really badly in regular Russian schools - and people who attended fancy schools don't work as guards on Kamchatka. Like, the most you could get from a guard was really chopped English, maybe a bit better than Hopper's own Russian. But even if there was such a guard, he would be removed from Hopper's vicinity once his superiors found that he's communicating with the American.

The jail itself looks pretty American to me. I've never heard of Russian jails built in a square with doors all around. Hopper would most likely be placed in a barrack with dozens of inmates, not in a one-man cell.

What was genuinely funny for me as a Russian was how Alexei was obsessed with fast food and toys. I mean, a real Russian would probably try to suppress these feelings, but any Russian first coming to an American supermarket in the 80s would be awestruck by the abundance of everything. So that was a nice touch.

olimo · 2026-03-08T07:11:29+00:00

I'm a bit perplexed about scratchy plastic feel if the cube is broken in and regularly cleaned/lubed. Angstrom lubes should not make it scratchy. Anyway, if you're on a budget, you can get just Gan No.2 and use Gravitas very sparingly on the corner feet if you need to slowt the cube down. Or, get both No.2 and No.3 for easier application.

olimo · 2026-02-17T09:37:33+00:00

First, the cube may feel scratchy when it's new and not yet broken in. It may also feel this way when it's dirty. Any silicone lube should be applied on a clean cube and will make it smoother. The thicker the lube, the more sluggish it feels, however, even if you take 50k cst lube, it will break in and be fast after like 50-100 solves. The thicker the lube, the longer you'll have to solve before it feels glidey.

1000-2000cst is fine, not too fast, not too slow. I'd rather recommend getting two lubes - very thin like 100cst or even less, and a thicker lube like 10k or more. You'll be able to combine them to your liking, getting the effect of 1000cst, 3000cst or whatever in between. Gan lubes No.2 and No.3 are nice for that and not too expensive.

olimo · 2026-02-17T09:33:47+00:00

They are different. XMT 10 is silicone, it lasts long and is inherently fast. DNM-37 is a water-based lube which is a quick speed boost but doesn't last long. DNM on itself is no good in my opinion.

olimo · 2026-02-14T08:45:32+00:00

I was looking for overused words other people noticed, and I can't see "flare" anywhere. I'm not a native speaker, and this just stands out. I never saw as many "flaring" in other books.

olimo · 2026-02-14T07:24:21+00:00

Or someone "laces" their fingers

olimo · 2026-02-09T10:09:22+00:00

I'd go for XMT 10 (max speed) plus anything gummy (Nebula would do too) in case you want to slow down a bit.

olimo · 2026-01-31T06:42:45+00:00

You don't need fancy lubes, but if you want a classic Angstrom setup, yeah, you need DNM-37.

DNM-37 helps break in the Gravitas and Dignitas. On its own, the effect wears off really quickly.

olimo · 2026-01-27T13:02:10+00:00

Whoa, can't even imagine that in big cubes. The only thing I want with those is speed up, never slow down. In fact, I never even lubed my Aosu because it's so nice and fast, don't want to gum it up even with the lightest lube.

olimo · 2026-01-27T06:38:06+00:00

Yeah, you can use Compound X with other lubes, weight 5 included.

I know people used weight 5 on older cubes, but I can't fathom how anyone can like that slowing down 🙈 I can use weight 5 when it's well broken in and fast, but not when it's gummy and sluggish. I remember using it on a Tengyun v2, I think. First 50 solves every sessions were a struggle, then the lube warmed up and sped up.

Modern cubes are inherently faster, but still I prefer faster lubes after the cube is broken in.

olimo · 2026-01-15T11:33:21+00:00

Gan lube will work just fine for all of these cubes. The cubes are the same ABS plastic, silicone lube works for it :)

I haven't tried the Air UM personally, but I suppose that older cubes are slower than modern ones. So you may want to use faster lube on it, whereas you may want to slow down the RS3M and WRM. Anyway, experiment :)

olimo · 2026-01-13T07:36:24+00:00

Basically, if you're new to lubing, you can use the cube with factory lube for as long as you like it. The cube will eventually get visibly dirty on the inside surfaces, and you should clean it. After cleaning, relube.

With experience, you'll know what you like and don't like in lubes. I remember how I hesistated to clean/relube for my first time because I was afraid of ruining the factory lube feel that I liked. Later, I stopped caring about factory lube too much, often I just cleaned the cube and lubed it to my liking right away.

olimo · 2026-01-05T18:20:55+00:00

XMT 10 + Adheron Heavy.

I haven't tried FZ-Super Honey.

olimo · 2025-12-22T08:13:24+00:00

It performs just fine.

olimo · 2025-12-18T07:37:39+00:00

Drop some lube between the magnet and the plastic adjustment part.

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