The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

FloridaClay wrote:Looks like Comma CV500G 500g Constant Velocity Lith-Moly Grease is a UK product. Anyone know of a US equivalent?

Clay

Sta-Lube CV Joint Grease You can get this at auto part shops.

FWIW... My experience with white lithium grease is that it separates and dries out in a short time.

Here is a most humble idea:

Take a few tablespoons of Vaseline, put it into
a small jar such as an old mustard or jelly jar.

Add to that about one heaping teaspoon of graphite.

Mix it all up thoroughly, stirring and blending. I use a wooden popsicle stick for this.

That stuff seems to work quite well for me in phonograph springs. After several years when
it starts to dry out a little in there, I just
add a few drops of heavy oil such as 20W50
engine oil.

Then, put a folded paper towel in the bottom
of the motor compartment to soak up the excess
oil as it drools out of there.

Chuck

For the past 6 years I have used Mobil 1 synthetic bearing grease and it has worked very well-with no hardening of any kind at this point. It also does not break down and separate even with the heat in my workshop in an Arizona summer. I have stopped using anything else to repack springs.
Abe

As a newbie, I repacked all my Edison springs in graphite grease thinking I was doing the best and right thing. They all are chugging and thumping and will have to be redone. I will be trying some of the lubricants I have been reading about here. Thanks members.

Also, try to find something with minimal odor; I made a mistake several years back using Sta-Lube black moly-graph grease in the barrels of my Victrola XI... now when you open the lid, the strong smell of petroleum smacks you in the face...

Lubriplate makes a good white lithium grease...

Ditto on the Lubriplate. This is an old-line brand. Works great on Lionel gears!

To kill the odor, Frank, you could try one of those dangly-thingys they sell in auto stores for stinking (oops, I meant "freshening") up your car. You could get pine, cherry, menthol, strawberry, you name it. Better yet, maybe, a little dish of bicarbonate of soda? Or get over to the nearest culm bank and harvest some anthracite fines; carbon is a great odor killer!

Certainly no shortage of culm up here, Henry !