I have an early model of Grafmatic (with three screws in the side of the case) and I have it apart for cleaning and refurbishing. I have two questions:

1) Is there a good source for felt so that I can replace the felt cutoff strips with new?

2) Anyone know the modern substitutes for the lubes specified in the service manual?

To wit:

Neolube
Dow No.44 light consistency silicone grease

Thanks for any help.

You might take a look at Micro-Tools' website for light trap material:

http://www.micro-tools.com/Merchant2/restore.htm

They also have a variety of lubricants. I, too, have been vexed by the specifications in those old manuals, referring to trade names that have been forgotten for thirty years.

Silicone grease is readily available; it's used to improve thermal transfer when mounting heat sinks to electronic components, as well as for lubrication.

Duh.. I have that grease for working on my heat sinks.

Thanks very much. At least one part of the mystery solved. Solvent on cue tip to clean the tracks, plus white thermal grease to relube..

The light traps ("cutoff strips"; never could figure out why they called them that) can be replaced by thick felt or velvet ribbon, both available from the local fabric store. Test whatever material you use to be sure it will not shed debris into the magazine when the tray is slid back and forth over them; the right width of velvet ribbon, with the selvege intact on the edges, should be safe in this regard. You may have to glue a cardstock spacer beneath it to get a good seal.

The best replacement is the right part; I recently got a "new" one from Fred Lustig to replace a missing trap. While it works, it was clearly used, and even had a magnet from the numbering wheel imbedded in it to prove the fact.