[rcag_ils]

Now I finally have some time to look at the extra platter that I have, platter only, no bearing.

It's black, lead filled, no cork to cover the lead at the bottom. 3/4" thick. The seller told me it was a MK-4, but I suspect it is a MK-3.

Also I look at the Jr acrylic platter, and bearing well, there's no ball bearing in the well, and there's a tiny ball at the end of the spindle shaft, is it how it's supposed to be? I always thought it has a hard ball bearing inside the well.

The bearing well is filled with black grease, not oil. The original owner's manual has no mention of bearing maintenance of any kind, nothing. The current download version of the owner's manual from VPI saying use 40W, Slick 50, or any motor oil. Some says to use grease, mine has black grease, is the black color indicating bearing should be cleaned and filled with new grease, or oil, or whatever?

As a new proud VPI owner, I appreciate any inputs, thanks in advance.

[Wayner]

The black grease may be just old dirty oil. I use Slick 50 in my HW-19jr and it seems to work fine for me. I'd clean out the bearing with rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab or 20 (heh, heh) and re-lube it with something. Frank even suggests using Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil as a  lube.

Hope that helps

Wayner

[Letitroll98]

The bearing and spindle are correct, ball bearing on the shaft, thrust plate at the bottom of the sleeve bearing.  Yes black stuff should be cleaned out, and Wayne is correct it takes about a dozen Q-tips for me.  I like to twist the cotton ends of the Q-tips a bit tighter to avoid leaving lint inside the bearing well, any alcohol will work.  There should be a layer of cork on the bottom of the platter, they can get oil soaked and delaminate when people put way too much oil in the bearing well and it climbs up the shaft into the platter.

With these non-inverted bearings the best lubrication is light weight machine oil.  The 10W viscosity allows the lubricant to climb the bearing walls more effectively than heavier oils.  This has been supported by techs at VPI in emails to me.  However, it's a pretty non-critical application and almost any decent lubrication will work well enough as long as you clean it periodically and use enough fluid to create a proper oil bath in the bearing well.  I have read internet theories that higher viscosity oils result in better sound, damping the bearing or something, untested by me. 

[bauzace50]

Hi Letitroll98 and all,

Great to cross paths with good mates!   In total agreement!  My HW-19 Mk III has been working beautifully with relatively light lubricant for several years.  In this case I substituted the original factory oil with "Once Turntable Lubricant".  This is from an Australian manufacturer and audiophile at www.onceanalog.com.au The owner and audiophile is Vince Hamilton, who has several products: the lubricant, a very friendly and durable cartridge alignment-template-and-strobe disc, a gorgeous turntable designed by himself, and great prices!

Highly recommended!  See at www.onceanalog.com.au

The turntable lubricant has been perfect for my HW-19 Mk III for three year since I chose to use it.  May I say that car engine oil has ingredients which are not needed in turntable use.  But Once Lubricant is designed specifically for turntables.

Regards,
bauzace50

[BaMorin]

The bearing and spindle are correct, ball bearing on the shaft, thrust plate at the bottom of the sleeve bearing.  Yes black stuff should be cleaned out, and Wayne is correct it takes about a dozen Q-tips for me.  I like to twist the cotton ends of the Q-tips a bit tighter to avoid leaving lint inside the bearing well, any alcohol will work.  There should be a layer of cork on the bottom of the platter, they can get oil soaked and delaminate when people put way too much oil in the bearing well and it climbs up the shaft into the platter.

With these non-inverted bearings the best lubrication is light weight machine oil.  The 10W viscosity allows the lubricant to climb the bearing walls more effectively than heavier oils.  This has been supported by techs at VPI in emails to me.  However, it's a pretty non-critical application and almost any decent lubrication will work well enough as long as you clean it periodically and use enough fluid to create a proper oil bath in the bearing well.  I have read internet theories that higher viscosity oils result in better sound, damping the bearing or something, untested by me.

I'm not sure about other tables, but if you go to a heavier oil than 20W in an AR, rumble goes off the charts. The belt doesn't like pushing, or dragging the extra viscosity...........viscosity and lubricity are not the same thing.

[Letitroll98]

I'm not sure about other tables, but if you go to a heavier oil than 20W in an AR, rumble goes off the charts. The belt doesn't like pushing, or dragging the extra viscosity...........viscosity and lubricity are not the same thing.

Yes, exactly my point.  But then we've agreed about this at other places and other times.  Some people don't understand lubrication principals, which is not their fault, but it becomes so when they parrot what they've heard elsewhere as gospel without knowing what they're talking about.  P.S. calm down folks, not commenting about anyone's post here, just a general statement about the internet, and other such disclaimers to keep id%&@s from flaming me.  (I should really stop at one double Martini after work)

Anyway, for others in the discussion, think about what you have here, an oil bath with a well that when in operation comes under some moderate pressure, evacuating any excess fluid.  Then at rest you have a reservoir well where the oil level doesn't reach the top of the sleeve bearing.  A lighter viscosity climbs the shaft more quickly reducing wear on start up, the time when you're most likely to encounter wear conditions (unless you don't lubricate the bearing at all, in which case none of this could ever help you and you need to go back to digital).  Grease could theoretically do the same job, but I don't believe the conditions are severe enough to consistently liquefy the grease, thus reducing its lubricity and defeating the idea of a low friction environment.  Note one caveat that grease is the only option on the VPI inverted bearings as there isn't an oil bath designed in the application and of course there's no oil pump on a VPI.

I'm gonna go make another Martini and put on some Dead Can Dance, see ya.