VPI Super Platter

Thanks guys. Now to locate someone with a "very strong magnet". The only ones I have around here are holding pictures and report cards to the 'fridge - and they fall off all the time.

I'll try thinning out the oil/grease under the ball also. I'm sure part of what's holding it is suction in the cup. I truly hope it's not "pressed" into the metal.

Yes, the ball does rotate, but not freely as you might expect. I would definititely say it is designed to rotate about the one contact point and not spin all over the place. So lubrication, and plenty of it is definitely the name of the game. It probably should float in oil and not have just slick grease around the chamber.

Enjoy,
Bob

Contact VPI. Harry has a new lubricant. It looks like petroleum jelly, but he assures me its not. It did make positive changes in my Superscoutmaster

Whatever the designer's original intention, IME there was audible improvement after remounting the stock steel ball in a polished cup in which the bearing moved freely, as compared to the stock set-up in which the bearing rolled but with drag. As there were no flat spots on the steel ball after many years of use, I concluded that the ball had been rolling roughly & noisily and distributing wear around its circumference.

There was further improvement after switching from steel to ceramic.

Hello Dave, Stringreen, All,
Inquiring minds wish to know.... at least mine does!

What I wonder Dave, is that as you've mentioned, that you've never noted any wear on the original Bearing Ball in your particular instance, and I'm believing one of these answers because of this, was most likely, you were the roiginal owner, and you cared for your turntable.

For those who noted palling (is that the proper word?) on thier original Bearing Ball, I'd wager it was because of one of two reasons, one they bought the table used from somebody who cared diddly about thier table, or they themselves cared diddly.

About the topic of lubricants, which I do feel is quite important, I never noted Harry W ever mentioning greases, until the Inverted Bearing came along.

It was always some other hot ticket, like his own oil, or Mobil 1, then "Sick 50" (I call it), or some other concoctions that others "home brewed"

While I can fathom in a non-inverted design, the oil, by gravity goes to the Bottom of the Bearing well, and there it will protect until it either wears out, or loses it's protective properties, but what I wonder about, is what about the Top of the Bearing Well, where these were either Bushed with Brass, (Or was it Bronze?) and some other synthetic. (Was it truly Rulon, or some other material, such as Delrin, Nylon, or?)

I think one problem of the non-inverted bearing, even though it might have been Rulon Bushed, and supposedly is supposed to be maintainence free as far as lubricants go,, was it possibly a lack of lubricants in this specific area that begins to cause excessive play- slop, and then when a user upgrades to a new bearing, notes good improvement, just because the new bearing has tighter tolerances, less slop?

Although Grease was never previously suggested for the non-inverted Bearings as far as I know, maybe a grease of some type, and of a correct viscosity would have merit, as grease would have a better ability to stay put where one places it?

I've thought along these lines, using a high tech teflon fortified grease, perhaps cut with an oil to make a suitable slurry of sorts which could be maye the best of both worlds so to speak?

Sheila responded to my question on VPIs new lubricant. And is selling whats called super lube for 25 dollars. I could not find anything on VPIs web site on it. Going to order some and give it a try.