I'm having a terrible time trying to figure out how the arm mechanism works on a dual 1245 turntable. The pickup arm is free and when you turn it on and place it on a record it works fine until the end. It will pick the arm and then put it back down again at the same place and repeats this process until you physically move the arm back to the cradle. I've spent the last 3 hours trying to figure out how it is supposed to work and I can't find anything that will push or pull the arm in the mechanism except one flat steel rod that tells the arm when the end of the record is lifts it up. I can't find any broken parts, broken springs or anything like a hole were something is supposed to be. Any help would be highly appreciate. Thanks, Doug

The arm return is a friction type device. At the rear of the tone arm pivot point there is a nylon nub that would ride on a felt pad that drags the tone arm back. This is a common problem with the Duel turntable. The felt pad may be worn or missing. The tone arm itself must swing with no friction. It takes very little drag to return the tone arm.

On some turntables there may not be a felt pad. It is just plastic to nylon friction device. The large plastic piece the rides in the main cam gear has its own pivot point. (rocking point) This is what returns the tone arm. It lifts at its rocking point and then comes in contact with the nylon nub to drag the arm back. I hope you get this. best explanation I can come up with.

There is a free website that I have found to be indespensable in the repair of turntables. Go to the vinylengine.com and register. Service manuals and technical forums are availible to members.
Record changers are sensitive to friction. Some parts you won't want to oil as the oil viscosity will create drag and upset the mechanism.
Other parts that are greased have the decades-old grease hardened into candle wax. Either case will cause a changer malfunction.
Turntable popularity seems to be on the rise as everything old is new again. Radio Shack now sells a turntable again, but no record cleaning kit for it.

But thanks for all of your help and it does make sense now. I really appreciate you giving me that web site. thanks again for all of your help, Doug: There is a free website that I have found to be indespensable in the repair of turntables. Go to the vinylengine.com and register. Service manuals and technical forums are availible to members.
: Record changers are sensitive to friction. Some parts you won't want to oil as the oil viscosity will create drag and upset the mechanism.
: Other parts that are greased have the decades-old grease hardened into candle wax. Either case will cause a changer malfunction.
: Turntable popularity seems to be on the rise as everything old is new again. Radio Shack now sells a turntable again, but no record cleaning kit for it.
:

On my dad's DUAL I think that I was lazy and sanded the surface that the little nylon pad thingie is supposed to push against. I sanded scratches that were perpendicular to movement of the arm, so that the nylon thing could grip well. Worked ever since.

The mechanism is under the motorboard, so sanding doesn't affect aesthetics. ...And yes, all parts that should be oiled, should be oiled, and the ones that shouldn't, well, shouldn't. The pivot points on the tone arm, if oiled, should be oiled with a very light body oil. The friction point, of course, should not be lubricated in any way. Sometimes cleaning with alcohol or acetone, depending on the material, helps clean off any oils.