<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV><DIV>On Oct 3, 2006, at 3:28 AM, Ric Brekne wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Hi Ken</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">I've always like felt better then any other solution thats come up through the years.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>And the reason is simple.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>It is so darned easy to replace in a jiffy. All you need to carry around is appropriate felt... and I always have some of that. <SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>As for longevity.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>I think the key question is whether either/both live long enough... not so much whether one generally outlives the other.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>Felt does just fine IMHO in that regard.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>Teflon has its uses.... but FMP only in powdered form :)</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Cheers</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">RicB</FONT></P> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><DIV>I find felt lasts plenty long, but only if lubricated well (very well) and, as Ed points out, the axle is smooth and polished. I smear a bunch of ProLube (is it MLP?), really work it in. Original felts I have found over the years, which lasted sometimes fifty or more years of at least moderately heavy use, seem to be impregnated with tallow. Yep, they tend to be green and scuzzy, but often still functional and firm.<BR><DIV><DIV>Regards,</DIV><DIV>Fred Sturm</DIV><DIV>University of New Mexico</DIV><DIV><A href="mailto:fssturm@unm.edu">fssturm@unm.edu</A></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV></DIV><BR></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV></BODY></HTML>