feed screw lubrication

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bangster
Victor O
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feed screw lubrication

Post by bangster »

What's the received opinion on using graphite on the feed screw?

bamgster

52089
Victor VI
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Re: feed screw lubrication

Post by 52089 »

I've never tried graphite. I use a drop of sewing machine oil. You definitely don't want anything thick or heavy.

Jerry B.
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Re: feed screw lubrication

Post by Jerry B. »

Maybe you should place an inquiry about cleaning and then lubricating the feed screw. What are opinions about cleaning? I've worn safety glasses and rubber gloves and used carburetor cleaner followed by light weight oil. Jerry Blais

Dave D
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Re: feed screw lubrication

Post by Dave D »

Bangster,
I know you do clock repair, so if you have an ultrasonic cleaner, use that for your feedscrew. I find it does a great job of getting all the junk out of the threads. I used to use graphite lock lube on feecscrews, but now I use synthetic oil for guns.
Dave

bangster
Victor O
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Re: feed screw lubrication

Post by bangster »

I didn't think to run it through the ultrasonic while I had it apart. But I dosed it with watch oil, and it seems to have worked OK.

While I have your attention, what causes the stylus to skip? Most likely irregularities in the cylinder? I got these off ebay and they have a certain amount of runout. Needed reamed to fit on the mandrel, and reaming may not have been even. Anyhow, this type "O" reproducer has the floating business,and I can watch the stylus going along and playing, then give a hop. And do it repeatedly.

bangster

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Lucius1958
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Re: feed screw lubrication

Post by Lucius1958 »

bangster wrote:I didn't think to run it through the ultrasonic while I had it apart. But I dosed it with watch oil, and it seems to have worked OK.

While I have your attention, what causes the stylus to skip? Most likely irregularities in the cylinder? I got these off ebay and they have a certain amount of runout. Needed reamed to fit on the mandrel, and reaming may not have been even. Anyhow, this type "O" reproducer has the floating business,and I can watch the stylus going along and playing, then give a hop. And do it repeatedly.

bangster
What sort of cylinders are they: wax or celluloid?

The "Indestructible" cylinders do sometimes have a skipping problem, because the celluloid has shrunk over time, and changed the groove pitch so that it is out of sync with the feed screw.

Bill

bangster
Victor O
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Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2016 7:30 pm

Re: feed screw lubrication

Post by bangster »

Celluloid. Blue Amberol. I need a good and true cylinder, to test the machine for playing, before I can give it back to the customer. Where can I find one, at a reasonable price? Does Ron Sitko carry cylinders warranted to play?

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NEFaurora
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Re: feed screw lubrication

Post by NEFaurora »

I've learned to stay away from graphite on Phonographs...except maybe for some mainspring lubrication on certain projects.. It usually just makes a big mess (now and in the future)...so I just stick mainly with Sewing machine oil and Castrol GTX brown bearing grease... Has worked out with excellent results and my machines are much cleaner! (Cleaner looking)....lol... so that's what I'd personally recommend as far as lubrication goes. The original Edison Vaseline/Navel/Petroleum Jelly & Graphite formula will work but tends to gum up after a few years not to mention create a big mess and get on everything..Yuck...lol..

:o)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

phonojim
Victor IV
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Location: Mid - Michigan

Re: feed screw lubrication

Post by phonojim »

Tony, do you use the Castrol GTX grease on springs also or just on the gears? After years of repairing phonographs, I'm still looking for a spring grease I like.

Jim

donniej
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Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: feed screw lubrication

Post by donniej »

I've recently restored or repaired my 5th phonograph and on all of them I've used synthetic grease inside the spring barrel and sewing machine oil everywhere else.

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