A: This is not what it sounds like! My son is in the Cub Scouts as a Webelos 1, and they were having a Space Derby rocket race. In the instructions it says to use rubber lubricant on the rubber bands for the rocket propeller, but not WHAT to use as lubricant. I looked up a couple of tips and tricks online, and I found that people recommend silicone more than anything. I just happened to have pure silicone from when I needed some to lubricate my treadmill walking belt, so I put some in a Ziploc bag and soaked the rubber bands in it. A couple of hours later I took them out, wiped off the excess, and installed them in his rocket. It definitely worked -- I was able to wind his propeller over 200 times. His rocket went so fast it rammed the other end of the racecourse (35 ft) and broke off the plastic hanger adaptor. Only one of the other kids' rockets made it that far, and guess why? I loaned him the other two lubricated rubber bands from our set.
By the way, don't use petroleum-based products like Vaseline or WD-40 since they break down the petroleum-based rubber bands, and make sure you stretch your rubber bands before putting them in the silicone. Keep in mind that some spray silicone uses petroleum-based stuff in it along with the propellant, so it's not ideal. Just pure liquid silicone is the best. Good luck!
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