Talked to an old repair guy at the shop yesterday and now I'm rethinking everything

He was fixing a turntable from the 70s and said the problem was someone used the wrong lubricant. Said WD-40 is a killer for old tech and most people just don't let the oil settle for 24 hours. Made me realize I've been rushing all my repairs just to get them done fast. Has anyone else been told to slow way down on the lube process?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant13010d ago

My dad was a tv repairman in the 80s and he used to swear by WD-40 for certain things, but he always said to let it sit for a full day before you touch it again. But I actually disagree with the old guy a little bit. In my experience, a lot of old gear just needs a drop of 3-in-1 oil on the moving parts and that's it, no waiting. I've fixed up five or six old turntables for buddies and never had a problem by just oiling it and playing a record right away. Maybe the guy was just being extra careful, but I think people overthink this stuff. Your mileage may vary though, every machine is different.

theaw6510d ago

Man that's exactly what I've found too. There's definitely a school of thought that says you gotta let WD-40 soak overnight but honestly half the time I think that's just old timer lore. I've got this old Pioneer turntable from like 1978 that I just put a tiny drop of sewing machine oil on the motor spindle and it was spinning perfectly in like ten minutes. No waiting no nothing. My uncle was the same way with his old reel to reel gear, he'd just hit it with some lightweight oil and fire it up immediately. Never had an issue with any of it as long as you don't drown the thing.