The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Is it not possible to convert any spring motor into an "öil bath" motor?

With varying degrees of difficulty I suppose, but why would you?

It would not be diffficult.
For the same reason that Garrard and HMV did it.

The lid, of a piece of Tupperwear large enough to house the motor, can be interposed between motor and motorboard. The body of the tupperware with a little oil in the bottom can be clipped into the lid to provide the oilbath.

You'd need to prevent oil getting inside the spring canister and diluting the grease. Oil isn't suitable for lubricating the springs. Some owners of Garrard Super Motors have experienced problems with this in recent years, possibly because the original volume of oil that should be in the oil bath remains a mystery.

Orchorsol wrote:You'd need to prevent oil getting inside the spring canister and diluting the grease.

Yes Andy, thats why I specified "a little oil in the bottom" so as to avoid having the springs in the oil.
A brass spritzer from a high end spray bottle can be used to deliver oil to the spindle top bearing from where it should distribute by direct contact and gravity throughout the gears and over the governor of the machine.

Daithi wrote:

Orchorsol wrote:You'd need to prevent oil getting inside the spring canister and diluting the grease.

Yes Andy, thats why I specified "a little oil in the bottom" so as to avoid having the springs in the oil.
A brass spritzer from a high end spray bottle can be used to deliver oil to the spindle top bearing from where it should distribute by direct contact and gravity throughout the gears and over the governor of the machine.

It should be a really interesting project!

Daithi wrote:It would not be difficult.
For the same reason that Garrard and HMV did it.

I suppose, but with the many thousands of "non-oil bath" phonograph motors having survived in fine condition, I just don't see the need.

Its simple and can be made from easily available materials. It can even be used dry without oil to contain the squidgy mess that issues from spring barrels and often seems to find its way around every corner inside the cabinet and drip all over the horn etc.
The drawback is that there is probably little clearance between the motor and the horn etc, so the piece of tupperware may need to be molded like kydex to fit.

An oil bath motor has channels in which the oil is delivered and fed to the appropriate points that need oil.
That won't be achieved by simply sitting a motor in a pool of oil.
Like Jerry, I don't see the need to do this, especially since it won't work in the manner it supposed to.