Hi,
A bit more progress with the drive belts. I've experimented a bit at jointing the timing belts with some success.
First job was to come up with an easy but accurate method of removing the unwanted timing belt teeth? Looking around at my assorted workshop kit I wondered if I could use the newly restored Wilmac band-saw if I could arrange decent guides? It was only meant as an experiment so I wasn't going to spend a lot of time playing around I just wanted initial results.
Off-cuts of MDF and angle iron were selected; the MDF was run half way through the blade and left in position this would act as a "zero clearance" throat plate a common tip to prevent small pieces of waste jamming between the blade and table. The belt was accurately measured for thickness from the bottom of the teeth gullet to the outer face of the belt giving I think 2mm. Searching around I found an old power saw blade I use as a scraper it having had its teeth removed; this was slightly thicker but ideal for setting the guide for this experiment; with one guide set the belt was then used to set the second guide.
The saw was switched on and taking care to feed the belt the correct way round it actually worked a treat very accurately removing the unwanted teeth by simply gently pulling the belt through the guides. This not only proved the method but also proved the accuracy of the bandsaw so it was a success. I now know that if I adjusted the guides I could actually remove the entire teeth from these belts leaving a truly flat belt; on this experiment I played safe but even so the result is impressive and so easily achieved.
One major problem was thrown up in that I've not used this band-saw after its full restoration but it sure does need fitting with dust extraction; the pictures show the teeth removal set up and how dirty the job was without dust extraction.
I'm also running this Lorch story on Practical Machinist Forum in America and Jim on PM kindly suggested I use "Serpentine" belts; at first I was unsure what Serpentine belts were thinking them to be timing belts but after a bit of web browsing Serpentine belts are Poly-V belts and Jim shows how to cut and joint these belts using super-glue. Jim grinds the joint tapers on his belt sander; I tried both the belt sander and also using a Stanley shoulder plane; the plane is much more tedious but gives a better taper; super-glue is added to the tapers and the joint quickly closed it being a rapid process. The joints I've so far made are rather stiff but I think with more experimenting I can improve on this although the joints thus made are sound and would work.
Now for the really good part; anyone having problems in obtaining original style leather belts with their associated high cost can use these Poly-V drive belts as substitutes. On this Lorch; one belt is very easy to install this being the motor to counter-shaft but the counter-shaft to mandrel belt has got to be joined in the lathe. Yesterday I collected a 61" x 1" Poly-V drive belt from Huddersfield Bearings this belt only costing £17.94 inclusive. I selected a "J" section belt so this meant ordering a belt with 11 ribs; for wider belts simply order more ribs and these Poly-V belts come in a number of rib widths so take your pick and pay your money. Jim recommends running the belt with the ribs to the pulleys. Poly-V belt information and data is readily available by browsing the web; smaller pulleys will require the thinner belts but for our use I believe the "J" section belts will be just the job.
I've now got the motor belt fully sorted which is dead easy now I know all the information and for the longer mandrel belt I've so far removed the teeth from two timing belts and joined the two together with a single joint the second joint will have to be closed once the belt is being installed but now I know about Poly-V belts and the huge range of sizes and how cheap these belts are I think I'll just order a second Poly-V belt say 110" long then this will give plenty of spare to practice jointing the finished size is around 88" and the belt will then only need one joint.
I've spent hours trying to track down leather drive belt suppliers and found one in the states who charge so many cents per square inch but it still works out very expensive. Poly-V belts don't stretch or at least stretch very little indeed whereas leather belts stretch quite a lot.
Many years ago working both in the pit and in the mill leather drive belts were used in quantity in fact in the mill there was a dedicated leather drive belt department which always smelled nice as I walked in. Try to buy a 1" wide leather drive belt now though and be surprised as I was hence I've gone to considerable time and trouble ending up with Poly-V belts which are not only available but are very cheap.
I've not yet tested the super-glued joints on the Poly-V belt but I know Jim on PM will never go back to using leather belts which is good enough for me knowing it works for him.
I visited Rufforth Auto Jumble once again this morning arriving on site at 7:15 am whilst it was still frosty. I didn't actually need anything but even so bought a nice selection of useful goodies; 3 boxes (100 each) gloves £3.50 per box but £10 for the three. an HSS tap at £2; 2 metres of 7 core trailer cable at 50P each so bought two just to have in stock; 12" lengths of round plastic at 70P per length; 1/2" shank heavy duty router tipped bits at £1 each so I bought six for £5 for use in my big router; large buffing pad at £2.50; 3 file handles I think £2.50 the three; compressed air coupling £2.50 and at £1 a set of star washers which are grindstone dresser replacements; these star washers being very tough hopefully will be converted into a profiling tools for use in woodturning? All in all money well spent and not bad considering I didn't need anything?
I'm now catching up on jobs around the bungalow which means less time on the computer but I still have another thread to update. I'm also having another de-clutter in the garage to make space for items still in the workshop; once the workshop is clear then I can order the new double glazing sealed units which is another job coming to the top of the list for this year; it's better than being bored.
I've added the drive belt details because I'm aware a number of members have machines with leather belt drives so hope the information is of use.
Kind regards, Col.
A bit more progress with the drive belts. I've experimented a bit at jointing the timing belts with some success.
First job was to come up with an easy but accurate method of removing the unwanted timing belt teeth? Looking around at my assorted workshop kit I wondered if I could use the newly restored Wilmac band-saw if I could arrange decent guides? It was only meant as an experiment so I wasn't going to spend a lot of time playing around I just wanted initial results.
Off-cuts of MDF and angle iron were selected; the MDF was run half way through the blade and left in position this would act as a "zero clearance" throat plate a common tip to prevent small pieces of waste jamming between the blade and table. The belt was accurately measured for thickness from the bottom of the teeth gullet to the outer face of the belt giving I think 2mm. Searching around I found an old power saw blade I use as a scraper it having had its teeth removed; this was slightly thicker but ideal for setting the guide for this experiment; with one guide set the belt was then used to set the second guide.
The saw was switched on and taking care to feed the belt the correct way round it actually worked a treat very accurately removing the unwanted teeth by simply gently pulling the belt through the guides. This not only proved the method but also proved the accuracy of the bandsaw so it was a success. I now know that if I adjusted the guides I could actually remove the entire teeth from these belts leaving a truly flat belt; on this experiment I played safe but even so the result is impressive and so easily achieved.
One major problem was thrown up in that I've not used this band-saw after its full restoration but it sure does need fitting with dust extraction; the pictures show the teeth removal set up and how dirty the job was without dust extraction.
I'm also running this Lorch story on Practical Machinist Forum in America and Jim on PM kindly suggested I use "Serpentine" belts; at first I was unsure what Serpentine belts were thinking them to be timing belts but after a bit of web browsing Serpentine belts are Poly-V belts and Jim shows how to cut and joint these belts using super-glue. Jim grinds the joint tapers on his belt sander; I tried both the belt sander and also using a Stanley shoulder plane; the plane is much more tedious but gives a better taper; super-glue is added to the tapers and the joint quickly closed it being a rapid process. The joints I've so far made are rather stiff but I think with more experimenting I can improve on this although the joints thus made are sound and would work.
Now for the really good part; anyone having problems in obtaining original style leather belts with their associated high cost can use these Poly-V drive belts as substitutes. On this Lorch; one belt is very easy to install this being the motor to counter-shaft but the counter-shaft to mandrel belt has got to be joined in the lathe. Yesterday I collected a 61" x 1" Poly-V drive belt from Huddersfield Bearings this belt only costing £17.94 inclusive. I selected a "J" section belt so this meant ordering a belt with 11 ribs; for wider belts simply order more ribs and these Poly-V belts come in a number of rib widths so take your pick and pay your money. Jim recommends running the belt with the ribs to the pulleys. Poly-V belt information and data is readily available by browsing the web; smaller pulleys will require the thinner belts but for our use I believe the "J" section belts will be just the job.
I've now got the motor belt fully sorted which is dead easy now I know all the information and for the longer mandrel belt I've so far removed the teeth from two timing belts and joined the two together with a single joint the second joint will have to be closed once the belt is being installed but now I know about Poly-V belts and the huge range of sizes and how cheap these belts are I think I'll just order a second Poly-V belt say 110" long then this will give plenty of spare to practice jointing the finished size is around 88" and the belt will then only need one joint.
I've spent hours trying to track down leather drive belt suppliers and found one in the states who charge so many cents per square inch but it still works out very expensive. Poly-V belts don't stretch or at least stretch very little indeed whereas leather belts stretch quite a lot.
Many years ago working both in the pit and in the mill leather drive belts were used in quantity in fact in the mill there was a dedicated leather drive belt department which always smelled nice as I walked in. Try to buy a 1" wide leather drive belt now though and be surprised as I was hence I've gone to considerable time and trouble ending up with Poly-V belts which are not only available but are very cheap.
I've not yet tested the super-glued joints on the Poly-V belt but I know Jim on PM will never go back to using leather belts which is good enough for me knowing it works for him.
I visited Rufforth Auto Jumble once again this morning arriving on site at 7:15 am whilst it was still frosty. I didn't actually need anything but even so bought a nice selection of useful goodies; 3 boxes (100 each) gloves £3.50 per box but £10 for the three. an HSS tap at £2; 2 metres of 7 core trailer cable at 50P each so bought two just to have in stock; 12" lengths of round plastic at 70P per length; 1/2" shank heavy duty router tipped bits at £1 each so I bought six for £5 for use in my big router; large buffing pad at £2.50; 3 file handles I think £2.50 the three; compressed air coupling £2.50 and at £1 a set of star washers which are grindstone dresser replacements; these star washers being very tough hopefully will be converted into a profiling tools for use in woodturning? All in all money well spent and not bad considering I didn't need anything?
I'm now catching up on jobs around the bungalow which means less time on the computer but I still have another thread to update. I'm also having another de-clutter in the garage to make space for items still in the workshop; once the workshop is clear then I can order the new double glazing sealed units which is another job coming to the top of the list for this year; it's better than being bored.
I've added the drive belt details because I'm aware a number of members have machines with leather belt drives so hope the information is of use.
Kind regards, Col.
Happiness is a wreck of a cabinet to restore.
