Which spindle bearing oil?

Check your turntable bearing with fingers at opposite end of platter to see if there is any play in the bearing. As members have recommended, provided the bearing is in excellent condition and bearing load is not heavy, for the time being you can safely use sewing machine oil, guessing it is mono grade. Usually mono grade SAE-30 is general consensus. Multi grade oil will change viscosity with rising temperature. They have additives. How much it affects TT bearing and sound quality is a thing to be explored. Rough guide is use oil which is mono grade, thick/thin oil (depending on load and bearing quality) with no additives. Check after few weeks if oil film holds on to the surface to be sure of having chosen the right oil.
Regards.
 
Take a look at this advert, the description given by the seller is quite enlightening :)

Xtto TURNTABLE SPINDLE BEARING OIL for Garrard, Linn, Rega, Thorens etc. | eBay

I am pasting the description from the sale, should the post expire:

"I have a number of old turntables, with steel spindles and bushes in brass (Rega, Systemdek etc.), phosphor bronze (Thorens), or Oilite (Garrard, Oracle) and plastics (Linn). I thought long and hard about the best oil which would work for all of them. I could BS about this oil, Xtto, but all it is is 0W30 synthetic blended with Molybdenum Disulphide. I have settled on this blend: too much MoS2 or adding graphite to create a black oil didn't do much, and cost more. Slightly more viscous, 5W30 oil created drag on one deck I have which has very very tight bearing clearances (the spindle was used to grind the bearings, was taken out, and then polished). Too thin an oil, like sewing machine oil, and lubrication can be compromised. MoS2 has a very low coefficient of friction and an extraordinary ability to stick to metal, particular stainless steel (spindles) and alloys (bushes). This plating effect prevents metal to metal contact which would not be possible with oil alone. I don't claim to be an expert on Garrards. I am uncomfortable with not filling the bearing with oil, and relying on drip feeding the bushes after they have been soaked in lubricant. On forums, very thin oils are recommended. Too thin, I think, and all the oil ends up with the lower bush, yet the top one is the one which is subjected to more pressure. MoS2 is useful in reducing the effects of wear in the bearings of old turntables (of which I have a few). Don't, however, expect it to eliminate excessive play in poor bearings. Should your Garrard leak oil, the MoS2 will still be there, preventing metal to metal contact. "

Disclaimer: Posted for generic reading/interest, no association whatsoever with the seller. Promotion not intended.
 
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