M3/spinet drawbar lubrication

[snacks]

Hi all,

I now have two M3s with noticeably stiff drawbars. I know I can use deoxit to get a better connection, but I wondered what tips people had for general lubrication. I also wondered if there's a good way to get at them - the top of one M3 started to come off on its own, so I could probably remove it the rest of the way, but the second is pretty firmly attached.

Thanks,

Snacks

[Wes]

Don't disassemble the cabinet. Remove the music desk and all will be become clear.

They are probably stiff because of dried up 50 year old lubricant.

Wes

[snacks]

Okay! What kind of lubricant is good for the drawbars? Are there kinds I should avoid? and I'm guessing this will become clear once I remove the music desk, but should the whole drawbar assembly be taken apart, or can you just drip/spray some stuff on the drawbars from the outside and work them in and out?

[Roger Memphis]

Okay! What kind of lubricant is good for the drawbars? Are there kinds I should avoid? and I'm guessing this will become clear once I remove the music desk, but should the whole drawbar assembly be taken apart, or can you just drip/spray some stuff on the drawbars from the outside and work them in and out?

Hi Snacks -
Opinions vary and what needs to be done and depends upon how "stiff" the drawbars are, and what may have been done to them
by previous owner(s). Do not disassemble the drawbar assembly unless you suspect that the drawbar contacts are really, really dirty ... it's a very labor intensive job to get it all back together. If none of the wires are broken off of the back end of the drawbars, you really don't even need to remove the music rack and desk.
For starters, try this: Using a cotton swab like a Q-Tip, wipe a *TINY* amount of Vaseline or Silicone lubricant along only the outside edges of each drawbar. Work them back and forth until they are quiet and operating smoothly. Hopefully, that's all you need to do. But maybe the De-Oxit will help, too.

If they are all gummed up with dirt and grease and you feel you must disassemble to clean, watch Bob Mann's video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOGa-iQ37DA .
He's cleaning a Model H, but the procedure is essentially the same. Avoid this if you can... it's a lot of work. I hope this is helpful !
Roger Memphis