I have a built in bench seat in the hallway of my old house. Originally, this was a place for the lady of the house to sit while she talks on the phone all day

. The bench functions but needs to be lubed as it's difficult to unfold. I was thinking I could use wax but I'm inquiring with the brain trust to see if there are better ways. The bench has a portion that slides in a track - it's 100% wood (no modern metal track).
Thanks for any ideas.