Rear Mount Columbia Question

[Jerry B.]

I recently picked up a project Columbia BI project machine. I disassembled the back bracket assembly including the elbow and tone arm. I was reminded, once again, that Columbia owners frequently greased the entire assembly. Have others run into this? Did Columbia encourage owners to grease the joints? I can't imagine why. The gaps are too large to use grease as a sealer for air leaks. Thanks for any comments.

Jerry Blais

[Uncle Vanya]

I recently picked up a project Columbia BI project machine. I disassembled the back bracket assembly including the elbow and tone arm. I was reminded, once again, that Columbia owners frequently greased the entire assembly. Have others run into this? Did Columbia encourage owners to grease the joints? I can't imagine why. The gaps are too large to use grease as a sealer for air leaks. Thanks for any comments.

Jerry Blais

Actually, a heavy grease (NLGI No.3 or No. 4) can quite effectively seal that
back bracket assembly. A machine so sealed, which has been fitted with a properly rebuilt Analyzing Reproducer
will play even electric records surprisingly well, though the poor needle point alignment and moving mass of the Columbia
Tone arm will tend to wear these records rather heavily. For best results the rubber sheet between the tone arm and reproducer
Should be quite supple. I use one or two thicknesses of silicone pad material as used for baking sheet liners.