The requirement for a lubricant is a function of the force on the gear tooth and the tooth design. In the brass - steel case as it relates to the edison phonograph only the thinnest coat of lube is recommended. If you can see it, it is too much. If you check the big clock world you will find that the lubricationof brass - steel gear teeth is not recommended except for the finest coat of a very light synthetic clock oil. The Machinery's Handbook deals more with the larger gears. Slathering the gears with a petrolium jelly - graphite mix or dunking in the Edison recommended 3 In 1 oil is not recommended. On Tue, 2 Jan 2007 11:01:00 -0800, Loran T. Hughes wrote: >How odd then that oiling gear teeth was recommended in Edison's >instruction sheets. It's been a while since all those mechanical >engineering courses, but I don't recall anything about dissimilar >metal gears being "self lubricating." I even pulled out my >Machinery's Handbook just to make sure.... not one word about it. >Keep the gears clean and lightly oiled. >Regards, >Loran >On Jan 2, 2007, at 10:21 AM, Rich wrote: >> Try this then. Why do you suppose that The Edison Co. went to all >> of the trouble to build motors >> where there was a brass gear meshed with a steel gear? It is not >> an accident. Look at any Edison >> motor. This dissimilar metal mesh cost a lot of money to manufacture. >> >> Rich >> >> On Tue, 2 Jan 2007 12:21:09 -0500, Ron L wrote: >> >>> I can agree with the possibility of dirt getting in grease and >>> causing wear >>> but I'm not sure about the "self lubricating" aspect of this >>> post. Anyone >>> else want to weigh in on this? >> >>> Ron L >_______________________________________________ >Phono-L mailing list >http://phono-l.oldcrank.org