Does Oil Damage Gold Plating?

[oldphonographsteve]

This is just a quick question that I have for you all. Does WD 40 or other kerosene or petroleum based lubricants hurt gold plating on Victrolas? I want to make sure before I lubricate joints and other parts of the machine I have.

-Steve

[JerryVan]

The gold should be impervious to those things and so too should the base metals, usually brass, steel or cast iron. So, I would say that oil would not damage, and may actually help preserve, gold plating.

However, I believe originally, there was a protective finish over the gold. It's almost always gone by now but some really nice examples still seem to have it. Solvents may remove that finish, but I don't believe oil will.

Keep in mind, WD40 is not oil.

[gramophone78]

Ammonia will brighten gold plated parts right up. It will make them look as good as possible without re-plating. The reaction is instant and showed be washed off right away.

[oldphonographsteve]

Okay great! I was just wondering about this because some of the areas near the joint between the goose neck and the tone arm were tarnished as if from oil that accumulated there.

-Steve

[howardpgh]

It seems that whatever that protective finish is, it turned blackish on the gold parts of my VVXVI.

[oldphonographsteve]

It seems that whatever that protective finish is, it turned blackish on the gold parts of my VVXVI.

I think that black stuff was just corrosion, I have that on some parts of my L Door. Were you able to clean the black stuff off? I am curious as to whether this is removable without damaging the gold plating around it.

-Steve

[Springmotor70]

Gold Plating may be cleaned by soaking it briefly in a strong ammonia solution and water. It will remove the darkened coating and brighten the gold. This will remove dirt and darkened shellac only. I learned this trick years ago from some other collectors. Places where the plating is worn through will continue to just show base metal. I have found that only places where the hardware is touched constantly - like the u-tube of the tone arm or the brake lever is where the plating really wears from contact.

Also, to second the above mention...WD-40 is not oil and not a lubricant - it can be used successfully for cleaning, electrical contacts or water displacement (That's what the WD stands for...) but it should not be used as a lubricant...
Keep it away from your phonograph motor.