[GreenKeys] More model 15 deep dive

[Ethan Dicks]

On Tue, Jan 14, 2025 at 6:58 PM steve bennett via GreenKeys
<greenkeys at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> My question is about the main shaft.
>
> I know it has felt clutches but don't know how it operates.
> It's time for me to decide whether to clean and lube it in place
> or remove and disassemble it.

When I was cleaning/refurbing multiple M15s and M19s a few years back
with a friend, we found we had to do a full teardown, clean,
reassemble, and oil.  With practice, it's quick, but the first one
takes a long time.

What I did was take lots of photos, starting with fully-assembled,
then removing each section starting at the pawl-end and setting them
out in order of removal.

We did have the scanned manuals available but ISTR it was pretty clear
how to remove each section.

Felt pads got set aside.  All the metal was thoroughly cleaned with
Simple Green and any varnish removed with naphtha (lighter fluid).
Once all the parts were shiny-bright, the stack was reassembled and
the felt pads oiled until dark (not dripping).  Worked a treat after
all that effort.

Note: you don't typically take off the bottom section for regular
maintenance.  IIRC you need a special thin wrench anyway if you do.


Main shaft teardown and cleaning is a part of scheduled maintenance.
It was just something you were expected to do on a periodic basis to
clean out old lubricant and check for worn parts.

Cheers,

-ethan
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