In my informal tests, it has been clear that various combinations of glycerine, KY-Jelly type personal lubricant (I am using generic knock-offs), J-Lube (see Ingredients) and/or SurgiLube have dramatic effects. I haven't yet systematically tested them to see which attributes alone and in combination. To date, the most prolific bubbling solution (with a small wand) has been equal parts (by volume) Dawn Ultra, glycerine, KY-Jelly (or a knockoff), and tap water. This solution also has dramatically longer lasting bubbles than any other solution tested.
So, I am starting today to explore J-Lube.
The mixture started as (by weight)
6 ounces Redwood City tap water (unfiltered)
2 ounces Dawn Pro Pot & Pan (which you can find at Smart & Final)
I ran the small wand test (link to com) and the longevity test. The average number of bubbles per small wand dip was 2. The average longevity was about 7 seconds in the longevity test.
I added 1.8 grams of J-Lube mix. Tthe mix is 1 gram of J-Lube dissolved in 1 ounce of tap water. So, this is about .06 grams of J-Lube! This is equivalent to the smallest amount that a couple of people on the Soap Bubble Fancier's list have recommended. (Equivalent to 1 ounce/gallon of Brian Lawrence's mix).
The small wand results jumped. The average was 17 bubbles per dip (versus the earlier 2). The longevity average was about 10 seconds (which is probably within the test's margin of error or natural variation--other experiments are showing that even with temperature and humidity constant that there are co-ordinated changes in bubble longevity from day to day which may be related to changes in particulate matter).
I will wait 24 hours to see if the values change before adding any more amendments.