The issue with using oil or grease on metal parts is whether it dries up
and gets sticky over time. This can be especially detrimental on very
low-torque mechanisms such as the escapement or verge of a clockwork.
Also, oiling must be done with the right formula when applied to
non-metallic surfaces such as the fiber gears on some phonographs. Some
people prefer not to oil fiber gears at all. Some fiber gears are designed
to run dry if they mesh with a highly polished worm gear. But high-torque
gears such as the winding gears where the crank shaft meshes with the spring
barrel and the output or bull gear on the spring barrel on phonographs
should be lubricated with a heavy oil or grease. These are often
steel-on-steel gears. I restore both clocks and phonos and I usually grease
the high-torque gears on the spring barrel of phonos and use a 20 weight or
so oil on all the other metal gears, including the high-speed governor gears
and pivots. I actually use a mixture of petroleum oil and a PTFE additive
such as "Slick 50" for my middle weight applications. The PTFE works
especially well on sliding surfaces such as the ways that support the
reproducer on cylinder phonos. Sliding surfaces lubricated this way hold
their lubricity for a very long time.
Clocks have considerably lower torque in their spring barrels, so a
medium weight oil is all that's necessary on them. Then I oil the pivots
and higher speed gears with a very light clock oil. These oils are designed
not to gunk up and won't get sticky. I do not oil the escapement mechanism
at all, whether pendulum or balance wheel type, although I do oil their
pivots with the light oil.
I agree that 3-in-1 oil is not good for these purposes. And WD-40 is a
BAD idea as it gets sticky quite quickly when the solvent evaporates from
it.
Greg Bogantz
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron L" <[email protected]>
To: "'Antique Phonograph List'" <phono-l at oldcrank.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 3:03 PM
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] AB's and gear oiling
> Why would oil "ruin" the phonograph? Is it an issue of uneven wear with
> dissimilar materials?
>
> Ron L
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: phono-l-bounces at oldcrank.org [mailto:phono-l-bounces at
> oldcrank.org]
> On
> Behalf Of Rich
> Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 2:29 PM
> To: Antique Phonograph List
> Subject: Re: [Phono-L] AB's and gear oiling
>
> You do not oil gears except in special cases. Many people are not
> swayed by sound engineering practices and proceed to ruin good
> phonographs. Clocks have brass meshed with steel and so do most
> phonographs. IF you find similar materials meshed with each other then
> an extremely light coat is beneficial. Use a synthetic oil or a clock
> oil. The 3 in 1 oil is crap.
>
> Mike Stitt wrote:
>> The recent thread about the AB MacDonald brings up a good question. Among
>> the many things I collect includes clocks. Now in the world of clocks you
>> never oil gears, no and no. Should you oil gears in phonographs? Would
> the
>> higher rate of speed of the governor be a rationale? Would the presumed
>> higher loads from a larger spring dictate oiling? I do and have oiled
>> phonograph gears. Should we? And break the clock rule?
>> Mike
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>> http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
>>
>>
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