T5 pulleys are rubbish

This feels a bit like consulting the Oracle at Delphi. I have faith but are you lot really all-knowing?

I was making a plasma cutter. I had lots of sneaky ideas to try out that was going to make it the bestest plasma cutter in the world. But then I fitted my first T5 belt on a T5 pulley and everything came to a grinding halt.

There is about a millimeter of slop on it

All making stopped. The only good belting available that fitted the bill was steel reinforced T5x16 and it didn't cut the mustard. Everybody else using it doesn't care about plus minus a millimeter or is there a secret pulley supplier you are all privy to but I don't know about?

What gives?

I've designed a lot of synchronous belt drives in industry and never seen one with that much slop, assuming you mean tooth-in-groove gap in direction of drive.

If you can find and use Gates belts and pulleys you will not be disappointed. They are the world standard as far as I am concerned. Fenner are also good in my experience and may be more available in UK.

See before you buy would be a good idea given your experience. A bearing and industrial drive shop would be a good place to shop. They will likely charge more than online auctions but for drive parts you will get good quality.

I used Belting Online here in the UK. Seem to be half decent. They do all the usual stuff including taper bushes, pulleys, chains etc.

I actually bought L and XL pitch stuff but they do T5 if that's your thing. Even if they are made "abroad" (I've no idea), at least they probably make sure they are made to spec.

Murray

Edited By Muzzer on 16/09/2017 12:13:36

Things have obviously moved on since I started building this thing. There is now a picture to show why nobody should ever use T5 in a positioning system. Wish I'd seen that. So, which pulley is optimum for positioning? Is there a good choice or is it just anything but T5?

You need HTD5

I will get HTD5. 15mm polyurethane with a steel reinforcement because we can!

Places I worked used Transdev to supply pulleys and belts. A UK company that made pulleys to drawings. It has standards. Usual no associations.

I was thinking Ali Express for the belt because there is no hurry and I can get 20 meters for £60. I am sure it is safe as houses but I may just use the jolly old Pockit card to be sure

Plenty of HTD pulley and belt choice here:

**LINK**

Belt length calculator here:

**LINK**

Emgee

One word. "Gates"

Blimey Emgee, they had the pulleys at £5.29 and I just paid £5.49, way to give me palpitations

However I got aluminium instead of iron, 8mm bore and free shipping so I did okay even if they are on a slow boat.

After a very few weeks I have just received 6 pulleys, 17 screws and 4 Allen keys.

There is probably some twisted logic to the quantities but looking good.

I now await 2 pcs 10Meters HTD 5M timing belt 5M-15 Width 15mm Polyurethane with steel core Color White HTD5M Open belt PU 5M Belt pulley for CNC

edit: Needs an extra carriage return between the picture and the text. I'll get the hang of this if it kills you

Edited By Robin on 05/10/2017 18:13:58

Question:- What can I cut 15HTD5M toothed belt with?

I tried wire cutters and it laughed at me. Eventually managed to chew through the steel reinforcement using her kitchen scissors but what a mess. It looks like I used a particularly blunt axe.

However, I never say no to a tool buying opportunity, but what tool do I buy?

May I suggest a pair of compound snips to save on kitchen scissors...

(They also have compound secateurs for gardening nowadays)

I bought the Stanley straight snips. Is there anything else I might prefer? I barely flexed my spending muscles