Lubrication question

[bangster]

What oil do y'all recommend for the pivots of this Edison motor --or any motor, for that matter? In the past I've used 30 wt motor oil, but I'm happy to be corrected.

What grease do y'all recommend for mainsprings? In the past I've used multi-purpose automotive grease, but etc.

Do you grease the teeth of the gears in the motor? We never oil the teeth of the wheels in clocks, but I've seen phono motors heavily greased up. This one isn't.

bangster

[GrafonolaG50]

I use gun oil and haven't had any problems. For the one spring I have re greased, I used Vaseline and graphite, which is what Edison originally used. The Edison recipe is 10 parts Vaseline to 1 part flake graphite. As for the gears, use light oil such as sewing machine or gun oil. If the gears are worn, feel free to use Vaseline. This information can be found in the book "The Compleat Talking Machine" be Eric Reiss. It is a book that will be very helpful in this hobby. The others should chime in soon with more information. Also, welcome to the hobby and to the forum.

[NEFaurora]

Most collectors today such as myself use what's called "Sewing Machine Oil". It seems to do the job and work the best and has a very thin viscosity. Originally back in the day, A messy Graphite formula grease was usually used, but in today's modern times is found to be really messy even though still sufficient. Just ask anyone that has to clean the original grease out of an old machine. Some people today just use regular 3-in-1 oil which is sufficient for most of the machine, but some people still find even that to be a bit heavy on things such as governors...but it works well enough though if nothing else is around. I have found that you can use light bearing grease such as Castrol on big things such as Winding Springs and huge winding catch gears if necessary, but on small moving parts such as little wheelies, small to mid size gears and governors, The "Sewing Machine Oil" seems to work best. Those have been my experiences over the years. Others here may have their own findings/suggestions.

Edison used to sell Diamond Disc and Diamond Amberola Grease in small jars and small tubes. I would say that these were mostly Graphite based greases.

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

[bangster]

I intensely dislike graphited grease. Leaves a mess wherever it goes. Would straight Vaseline do as well?

[Henry]

Rather than Vaseline, prefer A+D Ointment (Vaseline + lanolin); it doesn't dry out and gum up parts like straight Vaseline can do. Available OTC at the pharmacy.

I have recommended the Labelle line of lubricants. These "synthetic" lubes are sold in pin-point oilers and come in various viscosities as liquids, and there is also a gear grease sold in a tube. Most are marked safe for plastics, if that's a concern. Find Labelle at the hobby shop that specializes in model railroad gear.

I've used these products, as appropriate, on my VV-XI, with good results. Motor and gears run smoothly, quietly, and these lubes are very long-lasting in application.

[phonojim]

The last couple of Edison cylinder machines I've done have been greased with white lithium. Labelle makes a light (white)grease which contains PTFE. I use this on the fine toothed governor gears of Edison cylinder machine motors. I like the fact that it has more body than oil, but it is very light for a grease. My Triumph governor is lubricated with this and runs very smoothly with almost no gear noise. BTW Bangster phono motors are much more rugged than clocks and lubricant selection can vary quite widely without ill effects, unlike clocks.

Jim