Hello:  While it is true that some older "antique" electric motors used
a felt wick in this lube reserve well to help contain the 30W to 50W
weight oil and keep it from running out of the bearing, there was also
another method and lube used that today is almost long forgotten.

There was once a special lube oil mixture that was once used and
supplied by small fractional horsepower motor builders (GE, Emerson,
Holtzer-Cabot, etc.).  This was a mixture of fine sawdust and 40W oil.
The fine sawdust held the oil in the motor bearing end bell lube well,
but still allowed it to reach the motor shaft when needed without
running out.

Just think how sawdust will absorb spilled oil on the floor.  This is
how this mixture works.

The paste-like mixture is packed tightly into the motor end bell lube
well.  In the bearing is machined a special figure eight, or S-shaped
lube groove.  This groove allows the mixture to lubricate the entire
length and diameter of the bronze bearing.  The oil stays in the
bearing for the most part by the attraction of the sawdust.

This sawdust and oil mixture made the bearings quieter and the oil stay
in the motor bearings much longer.  GE, Emerson, and others sold this
"Special Electric Motor Lube" in cans with a lift-off lid.

The capped oil port on the top outside of the bearing is to allow more
30W to 50W oil only to be added as needed as oil is lost from this
sawdust and oil mixture.  The sawdust stays in place.

Now jump ahead 75 to 100 years later.  You disassemble the motor and
find a clot of dried-up oil in the oil well cavity. If you just clean
out this old gunk and add oil it will soon run or sling out the running
motor shaft.

If you instead make a paste of fine sawdust and oil and pack this into
the lube well you are back in business.  Do not forget to clean out the
machined bearing lube groove.  Then in the future add a small amount of
oil only as needed to the capped motor oil ports.

My 90-year-old father who was, and sill is, an electrical engineer most
of his life, has such a can of sawdust/oil lube once sold by GE.  The
can has the GE logo with "Special Electric Motor Bearing Lube" marked
on this can.

As time passes we soon forget the old products and ways of the past!
Some may seem silly, but they worked very well.  After all, how may
people outside this piano hobby still remember and use hot hide glue
and glue pots, or leather and rubberized bellows cloth and felt?
Just like sawdust and oil paste, they too are all but forgotten by
most today.

Brad Hunter
silverghost1926@msn.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]

 [ That's interesting, Brad, but I think I'll still heed the advice
 [ of the expert who rebuilds old electric motors.  -- Robbie