union lathe

hi all I have bought my first lathe all I know is its a union lathe quite basic I think it does not have a power feed my question is the leather belt slips and seems a bit loose I cant see any way of tightening it it does have a metal clip joiner should I cut it a bit and make it tighter if so how tight ?

also an old fellow told me they used to paint the belts with something in the old days to stop them sliping but didn't remember what it was called.

any help appreciated

have you seen this site Check the belt isn't covered with oil. It may need cleaning, drying. The old fellow was referring to 'belt dressing' but not sure if it is still around. The modern stuff is probably for car fan belts, not leather.

Google 'lathe belt dressing'

Hi Kevin
Its called belt stick I dont know who made it
Nobby

Hi Kevin, you may wish to consider this **LINK** I have no connection with this company, but have used some of thier products, including belt spray.

Regards Nick.

If you're anywhere near Gloucester I've a can of Rocol you can try out.

Roger

Hi Kevin, I am surprised that there is no way of adjusting the belt tension. There is normally some way of moving the drive pulley or moving an idler pulley to tension the belt. My 1948 Southbend lathe has flat belts and a lever that moves the motor.

If you cut the belt you will probably need a new belt clip to match the one on the other end of the belt. (could be hard to find as they are not so common now). And if you replace the clips on both ends the belt could be too short.

I have bought a can of spray for car fan belts from a car accessory shop to prevent slippage of rubber belts. Should also work on leather.

Paul.

Hello Kevin,

You are looking for 'belt stick', it is a black resin based material that is applied to the inside of the running belt where friction melts it and impregnates the belt. You get a satisfying sticky tearing noise as the belt runs off the slack side of the pulley. It comes in a paper wrapped stick about a foot long.

Try agricultural engineers for it, it used to be available in Yorkshire up to 20 years ago. Old traction engine owners are likely to know of it as well, the ones that demonstrate belt driven machinery at fairs.

www.lathes.co.uk is another possibility, they sell flat belt jointing.

Belt dressing is lanolin based and is used to soften old belting, it won't help at all in this case.

Regards

Brian

Edited By Brian Wood on 24/12/2014 10:01:48

Go to a good music shop and ask for a block of ROSIN as used on violin bows. We used to use it on dad's old flat belt lathe. I believe that Rosin is the hardened gum from pine trees. Perhaps bury it in your garden for 10,000 years then dig it up and call it amber.

BobH

In agricultural use, it was common to use molasses(? spelling), only problem with that is mice, they eat the belt. There was a thread about this subject a few years back.

Ian S C

I recall during my apprentice days we used to use stuff we called 'black fat' or 'clagum', came in a 25 litre drum, looked like thick black treacle, but was much denser than treacle (the black fat not the apprentice . ) I guess it was more akin to the resin based material that Brian described, horrible stuff to get off your hands & had to use a stick to get it on, brushes wouldn't last two minutes.

George

I don't know if it was the best stuff but we used to put Stockholm tar on an elevator belt used for lifting bales in the 70's, it was probably pine oil. More recently on drive belts we used a spray tin of "Belt Dressing" which contained Rosin. I probably shouldn't mention it but on my Edgar 5 lathe I had a flat belt, the joint of which clicked and annoyed me so I replaced it with a cheap 40mm synchronous belt with the teeth facing out (bliss). To do this you will need some form of belt adjustment unless you are very lucky but the web is full of adverts for cheap toothed belts with quite a range of lengths. Unless such modern things offend it might be worth a look.

Matt.

I'v seen car timing belts used inside out, and shortened by cutting a long chamfer, and gluing and stitching. A jocky pulley could be used instead, if of small diameter, a toothed pulley to match the belt, but if it were reasonably large a plane one would be ok.

It is possible to get heat joined flat belt, it's best to give the belt supplier the size of the pulleys, and the distance apart of the shafts, they will make up the belt.  One place that will sort you out for this type of belt is

www.lathes.co.uk

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 29/12/2014 09:53:19

I used to like the click of the belt joint, I miss it , odd isn't it. Flat toothed belts ( timing belts ) do make good drive belts, but no need to buy, go yo nearest garage and they should have lots off cam-belt replacement jobs.