Improved performance over standard V belts?

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Any power transmission/ bearing supplier worth their name will help you ! Noel

[pgrbffParticipant @pgrbff]

Posted by noel shelley on 01/01/2021 17:57:44:

Any power transmission/ bearing supplier worth their name will help you ! Noel

I have only ever bought belts for cars. Here in Italy they will sell you what they have on the shelf and I will be none the wiser. I'm sure quality/specs will vary.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Just for interest, can anyone tell me which way round the link belts are supposed to run? Maybe I've been doing them a disservice all these years by having them backwards

Rob

[Joe McKeanParticipant @joemckean81940]

According to the instructions for the Nu T Link belt I have just fitted it runs equally well in either direction.

I have only tried it one way round so cannot comment if this affects noise or vibration.

Joe

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

There is a prefered direction, when the outside ends of the links face rearward. That said, there is no reason not to use them on a machine that can run in reverse.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by pgrbff on 01/01/2021 17:38:02:

If I decide to stay with V belts is how do I choose a good one?

For Myfords etc I prefer to use the "cogged V belts" available from most suppliers. Its just a regular V belt but with toothed cutouts along the inner diameter that allow the belt to bend around smaller radiuses (Pedant Squad stand down!) such as lathe pulleys.

They seem to grip very well with minimum tension too, which is kind to bearings especially on Myfords where the pivoting H bracket holding the countershaft invariably warps out of alignment under tension over the years, leaving the belt tight on the pulleys at the right hand end and loose on the pulleys at the lefthand end.

LINIK shows the type of belt in principle. (UK Supplier, for illustration purposes only. No recommendation given.)

[John OlsenParticipant @johnolsen79199]

I converted my ML7 to use poly V belts, the flat licorice strap type now common on cars. They are a great improvement, they don't get themselves or the pulleys as hot as the V belts. Hemingways do a kit of converting the Super 7, but that is not applicable to my machine. It is critical for the pulleys to align properly, one of my steps is slightly out and the belt will try to work sideways on that step. But that is not too important, I actually gave mine four steps so between those and the back gear and the VFD I have plenty of speed range to choose from.

John

[Bob McParticipant @bobmc91481]

Hi All…

I recently converted my Dore Westbury mill by removing the gearbox parts and fitted an extra central stepped pulley in order to step up the down the drive ratios, on trying it out with new vee type belts I noticed a distinct 'bump' at a particular point caused by a larger cross section of the belt at that point.

I am sure others have had this problem and although there have been reccomendations for a particular company selling v belts I was wondering if there are some belts much better than others albeit more expensive which don't have this problem.

Any advice gladly recieved.

..Bob.

[HOWARDTParticipant @howardt]

In the past always specified Fenner or Gates for belts. I don’t know where they are made these days but would expect them to be quality assessed better than the no name brands.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Send it back.

No standard size belt from a reputable manufacturer or brand will exhibit such a bump. Basically it's where the cords end.

Used to be common on made to size belts where a long length was cut off a roll and joined. Over 20 years ago a friend had a long one made when he converted a Denbig drill from flat belt to Vee drive. Belt had a distinct bump where the loop joined.

Clive

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

They give a small improvement compared with a clapped out belt that has taken one or more 'sets' and not been run for more than 30 seconds. Other than that, they are as useful as gold plated loudspeaker wires or magnetic anti-std bracelets (i.e. not at all). If you aren't using the machine for a considerable time, slacken the belts or give it a spin every now and again.

Bought genuine Nu-T-link Belt for an old ML7. Chucked it after three months and fitted a proper belt.

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Posted by Mark Rand on 12/12/2021 21:06:21:

They give a small improvement compared with a clapped out belt that has taken one or more 'sets' and not been run for more than 30 seconds. Other than that, they are as useful as gold plated loudspeaker wires or magnetic anti-std bracelets (i.e. not at all). If you aren't using the machine for a considerable time, slacken the belts or give it a spin every now and again.

Bought genuine Nu-T-link Belt for an old ML7. Chucked it after three months and fitted a proper belt.

+1

Steve.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Just more convenient, and very hard wearing

My original belting is now 10 years young and has a nicer softer feel to it compared to my newer t-link belting which is still a bit too stiff IMO

If I was a semi-industrial user it would probably take a few months to bed in 100%

Got enough to cover the rest of my shaper and 2 lathes lives

(Just got to solution the future leadscrew nut renewal issue now…)

I wish it had been about in the 80s for doing fan belts

My own understanding of the direction of travel is that the belting in the picture would be going anti-clockwise

Edited By Ady1 on 12/12/2021 23:12:05

[Bob McParticipant @bobmc91481]

Thanks all…

I should have been clearer that the belt is a solid vee belt but will have a look at the Fenner & Gates and see what they have got.

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

They work fine, are easy to fit, but NOT CHEAP !

[AlanParticipant @alan14594]

Would a toothed V belt work ok on a Myford Trilever..??

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

My T-link was actually getting a bit stretched from the original fitting a few months ago and had slipped in the last couple of days

A pair of long nosed pliers and 4 minutes of tweaking to remove a link, all sorted

[peak4Participant @peak4]

I think the OP is showing a photo of a Fenner Powertwist, which I've not used.

Similar styles of belts are available from Myford/RDG in black and white, but are just plain plastic with no embedded cloth reinforcement; I found both slipped badly, though I seem to recall that black worked better than white.

I have also used T-nut on the Warco 720 Myford clone, but due to its deeper section I couldn't select the lowest of the headstock speeds easily as it fouled the casting; I'm not sure about the genuine S7 as I was using an original Brammer belt on that.

I recently bought some of this off ebay, which works well, and I'd happily buy again, unlike the black or white stuff..
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174456949982

Make sure you read the instructions from Fenner, regarding rotation direction and tensioning.

In spite of it officially being unidirectional, I've not had a problem running the Warco 720, or my genuine S7 in reverse, as this tends to be for less torque demanding jobs.

Bill

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Simply bearings sell fenner nutlink at about £30 per metre. I've not used nutlink, but am very happy with simply bearings

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