Engraving block movement is stiff - need advice.

I am hoping for advice on how to lubricate my engraving block.

It is a DIXON and I got it in 1975. I used it for a couple of years and then I was sidetracked for about 30 years (way too long). Anyway...

When it was new I remember it turning/rotating easily while cutting. Not just from the leather pad but the top half rotating easily while cutting, at that point only by hand. It was a joy to cut with.

Now the top half will turn, but so slowly that the whole thing rotates on the leather pad more easily than just the top spinning. There is no grinding - just s..l..o..w..., like it is in mud. I have taken it apart and cleaned it and tried a number of lubricants (recleaning each time). I am older (and maybe a little arthritis in hands), the block is stiffer and my left hand/thumb aches after a couple of hours spinning the whole block - not just the top half.

What should I be using? I am thinking about trying the powered graphite sold for locks (we have to maintain a lot of locks and so we have some on hand)

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I have included pictures of block - I think it is very standard but just in case.

Thanks - Candy

there is a bronze bushing that centers it and a bearing it floats on in the bottom if I remember correctly.
if you turn the base upside down there is a slotted screw in a collet, and the whole mess is adjusted and released by that screw.
I would take it all out and clean it.
The bronze bushing tended to move too easily causing it to go out of adjustment, and the old "Farmfix" was to loktite it into place, so maybe it is all gooped up down inside.

From the look of your second picture, the upper, and lower half are to close together. You should not have to oil or grease in the outer 1/2" of the ball flat area. From the look of the first picture, your height adjustment is in the bottom of the shaft. There should be a clearance of about the thickness of a business card, between the top and bottom half.

Exactly what Barry said.

Use a little of the blue loctite, not the red otherwise it won't break loose for adjustment later unless you heat it up.

That screw in the bottom will prevent the top and bottom halves from rubbing and should only be raised just enough to make it clear when it's rotated. Put a dab of grease like lubriplate, lithium, or axle grease on the pointed end of that screw where it contacts the pocket in the end of the tapered shaft affixed to the top half. Now you can forget about it again for another 5 years.

Thank you all so much - I knew if I asked I would get expert advice. I will perform these changes as soon as I get off my day job.

if the friction isn't what you want on your pad, try lining it with a couple layers of plastic shopping bags, wax paper, thin sheet of teflon-- whatever. you'll surely find something that will give the perfect friction you need.