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JohnM wrote:The "closing thingees" are called dash-pots. Put some Neatsfoot Oil into the dash-pot cylinder and it will swell and soften the leather gasket inside and make them work like new again almost instantly.

What is "Neatsfoot Oil" and where do I find it ?
Would 3 in 1 oil or motor oil work too ?

Neatsfoot Oil is an old leather dressing made from animal fats- it was useful as unlike other oils and greases used for the purpose it remained liquid at room temperature. These days it is often a mixture of lard oil & mineral oil. I used a little 3 in 1 oil on my dashpots and it worked very well. It is very tricky to get at them though.

You might want to reconsider using those Tungstone needles you bought. Something has to wear. If it's not the needle, it will be your records. The needle tip is designed to wear down and conform to the groove. With the Tungstone needle, the groove will wear down to conform to the needle.

y2kbruce wrote:

JohnM wrote:The "closing thingees" are called dash-pots. Put some Neatsfoot Oil into the dash-pot cylinder and it will swell and soften the leather gasket inside and make them work like new again almost instantly.

What is "Neatsfoot Oil" and where do I find it ?
Would 3 in 1 oil or motor oil work too ?

What JohnM and estott said. Neatsfoot oil is sold in sporting goods stores and some shoe repair places. It's about the best leather conditioner there is; I've used it on boots for years. It keeps them soft and pliable. 3-in -1 will work also, though it's thicker than Neatsfoot. I would not use motor oil, unless you can find some straight 10-weight motor oil somewhere. I have a quart can of straight 10-weight, non-detergent Quaker State motor oil that I've had for at least 30 years now. I'm thinking of donating it to the Smithsonian!

y2kbruce wrote:

JohnM wrote:The "closing thingees" are called dash-pots. Put some Neatsfoot Oil into the dash-pot cylinder and it will swell and soften the leather gasket inside and make them work like new again almost instantly.

What is "Neatsfoot Oil" and where do I find it ?
Would 3 in 1 oil or motor oil work too ?

Please don't think I'm being a smart asks when I say this, but Google is a very powerful tool for helping to answer most questions. If you have a question about something, try Googling it! Practically all of mankind's knowledge is on the Internet and Google helps you find the specifics of what you are curious about quickly and with lots of direct and related results. Pretty handy! For example, I Googled 'Can 3-In-1 oil be used on leather?', and this was one of the results I got:

http://www.3inone.com/news/in-the-news/ ... her-goods/