I have an old 78 rpm Webster phonograph that has not been in service for years and have noticed that the arm is very stiff back and forth (tracking) with the power off. Are they suppose to be this way. It seems that there is to much force required to move the arm that it would not ride in the groove.

If it is only stiff when the power is off, there could be a brake that holds it in place, though normally there's just a locking device that locks it to one side. It is wise to lubricate tone arms once in a while so that they track properly. Lubricate both the horizontal and the vertical pivot points with 3 in 1 oil.

T.

I did not see any device to keep the arm locked, I may need to look closer. The side to side piviot is a long pin/shaft in a column. I wonder if I need to take that apart so that the oil will reach it.

If you use a thin oil, a few drops will get down into where they belong. Place a few at the top of the shaft. Let it sit for a while. Then place a few at the bottom of the shaft and let the unit sit upside down on a soft surface. If the shaft was frozen, then you'd need to take it apart. If the tone arm moves freely after your oiling, then all is well.

Don't forget to oil the vertical pivot points, and don't forget to lubricate the moving parts of the drive system. Don't oil the velocity trip clutch, though, if this unit has one. If this unit has a rachet trip, then you can oil everything. A rachet trip makes a clicking noise as the tone arm is moved toward the center of the record, and the system doesn't trip unless the tone arm is moved back towards the outside of the record. A velocity trip system trips as soon as the tone arm starts moving quickly towards the center of the record.

T.