# Silicone grease as a lubricant?



## RMF (Oct 4, 2021)

New to this and can't find a definitive answer. Ive read up on lubricants, I've seen people saying anything silicone based is good but does that go as far as just plain silicone grease? 
Cheers


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

I’ve been curious about this too but I’m too inexperienced with the regular lubricants to know if the result would be positive or negative. Silicone grease states that its 98% pure silicone so my best guess is that it would work fine, but I need to talk someone into trying it that has more experience with lubricants/protectants on bands in general.


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## urbanshooter (Aug 23, 2017)

I'd just store my bands well in a cool, dark place. I tie them well but not too tight so I won't cut them prematurely. I never dry fire and I match my ammo. Plus I'd make sure my frame doesn't have any rough or sharp edges that might abrade a bandset. I also don't leave my set-up frames in the sun or expose it to too much light for too long. And this is about all I need to do to the get the performance and durability I want from a bandset.

I don't think there is any need to lubricate bandsets? Your mileage may vary though. This is just me? I see bandsets as a perishable consummable component of the sport. They are not prohibitively expensive, plus they are easily available - in recent years anyway. We now have many good choices of inexpensive Chinese slingshot rubber. 

And if you really just want the best durability, you could always switch to tubes. 

Adding a lubricant would also be exposing myself to another chemical. Residue probably aerosolizes from bands during shooting and I am not keen to breath that in? We already breath in enough that's not good 

Be as it may, part of the fun is finding out what works for you. These are just some considerations from the perspective of someone who won't lubricate bands. But if lubricating bandsets works for you, don't let this stop you... Enjoy your shooting in good health!


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## JimmyRustler2244 (Sep 20, 2021)

urbanshooter said:


> Adding a lubricant would also be exposing myself to another chemical. Residue probably aerosolizes from bands during shooting and I am not keen to breath that in? We already breath in enough that's not good


Definitely, and Silicone's not great for you, either. 👍

I see it the same as you do, bands are meant to break and wear down, that's half the fun of it.

If you're looking for long term storage options for bandsets, get some of those mylar lined baggies off of ebay, and some Silica dessiccant packets, and store the bands inside the baggie with a silica pack inside to keep them fresh. 

Something maybe worth trying is seeing if storing bandsets in a cigar humidor would make any difference to longevity?


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## RMF (Oct 4, 2021)

Thanks for the tips, I'll not use lubricant on one set and do what you said above, see how it goes. At some point I'll experiment with a few things and update this post with my findings.
Cheers 🍻


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## rowbow (Jul 12, 2021)

RMF said:


> Thanks for the tips, I'll not use lubricant on one set and do what you said above, see how it goes. At some point I'll experiment with a few things and update this post with my findings.
> Cheers 🍻


Have you tried talcum powder


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## rowbow (Jul 12, 2021)

rowbow said:


> Have you tried talcum powder


Or french chalk


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