The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

The recent thread on spring replacement has a photo with an Edison spring nicely installed in its barrel, with a reddish-colored grease...

This revived an older question in my mind - what are the best lubricants for old talking machines ?

I made a mistake when re-springing my VV-XI, in that I used Sta-Lube graphite-molybdenum grease on the mainspring and gears.

It's a great lubricant, but unfortunately, stinks pretty bad... so every ime I raise the lid on the XI, it's like sticking my face in a 5# tub of the graphite-grease.

SO... what are the best, non-odiferous lubricants to be using on our 100 year-old machinery, so that it is fit for polite company ?

Thanks !

De Soto Frank

Some years ago I had my XI's spring motor CLA'd by Victrola Repair Service (http://www.victrolarepairservice.com/index.html). They used a reddish-color lubricant on the springs, which resembles the marine Lubriplate "axle grease" I use on my boat trailer wheel bearings. I say "resembles" because I don't know for sure what they used, just what it looks like. Anyhow, the stuff does the trick, although it did seep from the canisters for a few weeks; I simply kept wiping up the spots with paper towels until it finally stopped. For other applications I have always used the LaBelle line of so-called "synthetic" lubricants, very familiar to model railroaders and sold at many hobby shops and train shows. LaBelle comes in a variety of viscosities, from very thin to gear grease, some plastic compatible, some not. Another very thin, highly-refined oil is Wahl Clipper Oil; I have a small can of this which I purchased years ago; you may be able to find it at barber supply places. None of the above-mentioned lubes have an objectionable odor, IMO, but as always, YRMV!

Was it Lucas Red & Tacky? I use this a lot on worm gears both for the victrolas and old Lionel trains. Always worked well for me.

I have settled on using a black lithium/moly grease that comes in 1-lb cans at any automotive store. It is nowhere near as nasty as traditional vaseline/graphite to clean up and I think it provides a better lubricating film. I just use a spoon to dip it from the can and pack the spring barrel as full as I can. The grease squishes back and forth between the coils with every winding and I never hear bumps. As to smell, there must be none, because my wife the human bloodhound would howl if there was anything disagreeable about it.

jsonova99 wrote:Was it Lucas Red & Tacky? I use this a lot on worm gears both for the victrolas and old Lionel trains. Always worked well for me.

Don't know Lucas; it *was* red and tacky, though . As for Vics and Lionel worm gears, I use the LaBelle no. 106 "grease." It comes in a plastic squeeze tube. Works great on my 623 NW-2 Sante Fe switcher (first Lionel with Magne-Traction) and on my 2020 6-8-6 (first production year, 1946, with the double worm drive). Two great classics!

Always found that white Lubriplate and regular thin fine liquid gear oil is best for Lionels. For Edisons, I use the same thin fine liquid gear oil (You can buy it all over Ebay in Needle Pen type vials), and use Castrol Brown Automotive Tub Bearing grease for big Springs and big gears..The smaller the gears, the finer the oil used..is a good rule of thumb...

Original Edison Diamond Disc grease tube grease looks just like the Brown Castrol Bearing Grease..

Tony K.

NEFaurora wrote:Always found that white Lubriplate and regular thin fine liquid gear oil is best for Lionels. For Edisons, I use the same thin fine liquid gear oil (You can buy it all over Ebay in Needle Pen type vials), and use Castrol Brown Automotive Tub Bearing grease for big Springs and big gears..The smaller the gears, the finer the oil used..is a good rule of thumb...

Original Edison Diamond Disc grease tube grease looks just like the Brown Castrol Bearing Grease..

Tony K.

Yep, white (lithium) Lubriplate is great stuff. I've had a tube of it for years, which I eke out as needed. In application, it's somewhat water resistant, too. I've even used it on my snow thrower, to lube the rotating chute collar. Labelle makes a gear oil, their number 102, which I've used on Lionel gear axles. BTW, the white lithium is available in a spray can; the brand I'm familiar with is CRC.

Henry, I learned from another old-timer to make a fair substitute for the expensive Lubriplate by mixing white lithium grease with motor oil. I mix for whatever thickness suits my need. I have used pure white lithium grease to pack mainsprings and now believe the black lithium/moly is even better.

For springs, I use CRC engine assembly lube; it is black with moly and graphite in it. I get the biggest tubes I can and it is a #½ grease which is thinner than the normal #2 greases that are so very easy to find. Stinks really well but works well as well. Like all those wells in that sentence

I use Singer Sewing Machine Oil. It is very high quality light oil. 3-in-1 Oil has too much paraffin and becomes gummy when the lighter ends evaporate.