Linked drive belts from RDG

[NilochParticipant @niloch]

OK, I know it’s not a linked belt but I felt sure there was a post in the not too distant past extolling the virtues of round plastic belting which could be joined by heat. I feel sure that a significant contributor to that thread was Bogstandard who gave a link to much more detail on another forum.

I can no longer find it. Am I mistaken?  Shame about the poor search facility here.  Help!

Edited By Niloch on 23/07/2011 09:57:52

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Linked belts are sold by agricultural stores places, my local one had 3 sizes of belt on reels, can’t remember the prices, but a lot less than £15 / metre. Try ebay? I’m still laughing at somebody trying to replace a matched set of V belts with links, and chasing chalk marks round and round.

[BogstandardParticipant @bogstandard]

Niloch,

 

This is the topic you are on about, and the link I gave is a little down the page

 

Link

 

 

John

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Keep laughing then because I know of one machine that will need a 25 tonne crane to lift the rotor shaft out to replace conventional belts, link belts can be changed by 2 men in one shift.

 

Remember on multi sheath pulleys even with matched sets of belts the sheath’s may be worn uneven.

 

Doesn’t apply to home shop but the point was made by another poster on why the cost is not a problem to industry where these things were aimed at anyway.

 

John S.

[BogstandardParticipant @bogstandard]

I have to back up John S on this one.

 

In the last place I worked we used the round redthane for our multi sheave drives (4 ganged), so I carried it over to my shop, Unfortunately, it gave me problems on my lathe as that seems to have mismatched sheaves, and kept throwing the belt off. Maybe the linked ones will cure my problem, I will give them a go.

 

But I can also attest to linked belts being far superior to a fixed length belt, purely because of the reasons John stated. I have used them many times in previous jobs.

 

All I can say, if you baulk at paying the difference between a fixed belt and a linked or redthane belt, then you go for the fixed belt.

Maybe 10 to 20 mins for the replacement compound belts, or a few hours for a fixed length.

Being of nearly sound body and mind, I know which one I would choose to go for. The means far outweigh the costs.

 

As for manufacturing costs, I think that the low tech single length belt materials and tooling costs would be a great deal less than the latest polymer materials and hi tech machinery for cutting or moulding the link or round belting.

So basically, what you are saying is that the manufacturers should sell it to us at a loss so that we can have a more efficient way of belt replacement.

 

Mmmm! – I don’t think so. That isn’t the way the world works nowadays.

 

 

John

[NilochParticipant @niloch]

Many thanks Bogstandard, as always, most helpful.

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

I have just checked a couple of websites for the cost of linked belt and its almost triple what RDG are charging per Mtr.

I could not find any that were less than £35 per Mtr.

 

Clive

[MACParticipant @mac53652]

I don’t have a Myford, nor do I know much about them, but these are the Powertwist belts mentioned earlier:

 

Powertwist belts from Chronos

Edited By MAC on 23/07/2011 16:52:58

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, this link may interest you.

 

http://www.youtube.com/FennerDrives

 

The reason that link belts cut down on vibration is simply that they are all individual, conventional V belts have a continuous cord incorprated into the belt which transfers any vibration from one pulley to the other, this can’t happen so well in the link belts as there is no continuous cord.

 

You may wish to check out http://www.fennerdrives.com/ also.

 

Regards Nick.

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Well the thought of watching a bunch of chalk marks moving about did cheer me up. Isn’t the proper way to skim the pulleys true again? I know all about the cost saving/ time saving aspect. Matched belt sets are made for the job, even then they are never truly the same, and one belt will take more load, trying to get a set of link belts to match must be nearly impossible. But I expect this is more important in the smaller sizes than in large industrial machines.

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

This must be a big problem with the Cessna aircraft, I have seen the drive from the engine to the propellor where it was at least six belts driving the propellor shaft.

I did think at the time, ‘What happens if a belt snaps’.

 

Clive

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Gordon,

Not as bad as you think.

You fit the first belt and get it tensioned, then count the links.

A the other belts start off with the same number of links, this gets you in the ball park.

 

Many fitters will just leave it at this and let them run then come back lather, week, month and take links out to take up slack.

 

John S.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Hi Clive, I’m interested! I served my apprenticship sevicing Cessna aircraft, and specialising in engine overhaul, and the only belts were the generator / alternator drive. Which engine has a belt drive? Ian S C

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Hello Ian, I presume it was a Cessna. I flew from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to strip called Loyangaleni in the Northern Frontier District of Kenya.

This is alongside Lake Rudolph where we fished for Nile perch.

The strip was very short and had a clump of Pandenis palms at the end and it was a bit hair raising.

I really have no idea what make of aircraft it was but assumed it was a Cessna at that time. This in the time period 1963/4

All I noticed was a lot of vee belts driving the prop from the engine shaft underneath it.

It was a low wing plane and could carry four people. That maybe describes loads of small planes? This plane was definately belt driven! I know someone will now make a joke about that.

 

Clive

Edited By Clive Hartland on 24/07/2011 15:11:03

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Posted by Gordon W on 24/07/2011 09:10:27:

Well the thought of watching……………….. Matched belt sets are made for the job, even then they are never truly the same, and one belt will take more load, trying to get a set of link belts………………………………….

Hi, in my experience of multi-V-belt drives, even matched belts on brand new pulley’s lined up correctly will not stay in line with each other, and there will always be some creep between them.

 

Modern V belts from well know manufacturers don’t really need matching these days, if you get a set of belts with the same batch numbers, they will be all pretty much the same.

 

The link below will give you a bit more info on V belt drives.

http://www.fptgroup.com/fenner.asp?title=Friction-Belts&pageid=2558

 

Regards Nick.

 

P.S. I have no connection with the fpt group or any company by the name of Fenner.

[BogstandardParticipant @bogstandard]

 Clive didn’t give the link to the original belting in question.

 

Link belting for myford

 

It looks to be a lot cheaper than others that everyone else is rattling on about

Edited By Bogstandard on 24/07/2011 15:50:21

[MACParticipant @mac53652]

Maybe the ones other people are “rattling on” about are a better quality belt? Just a thought.

[BogstandardParticipant @bogstandard]

Just another thought.

 

For what we are playing about with (non industrial), does it really matter?

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Clive, no it was not a Cessna, single engine Cessnas had Continental engines, direct drive, and they were/ are high wing, only the twin engine ones low wing ie., 310/320, and later the 400 series. I’ll have to have a look and see what I can find. Ian S C

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

I have just found Bearingboys.co.uk and they sell link belt13mm at £26.55 per mtr and 5 mtrs for £117.74 but they sell cogged belts of 753mm outside dia. for £ 2 – 3 each.

So it looks as if RDG are a bargain.

 

Clive

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Ian, It looks as if it was a Piper monoplane, what type I dont know but likely an Aztec or Comanche.

 

Clive

Edited By Clive Hartland on 25/07/2011 08:38:25

[brickyParticipant @bricky]

Clive.

I have a Myford Super Seven and had problems with vibration.I was advised by Myfords to fit a link belt as this would help,it worked fine, so I would fit one.

Bricky 

[Dennis RaynerParticipant @dennisrayner52782]

I’ve been following this thread with much interest because I bought a linked belt for my ML7 a couple of months back. It works a treat but is so much noisier that the old non-linked belt and I was waiting for someone to mention that. When they didn’t I investigated and tried reversing the direction of the belt over the pulleys. So much better! Maybe it is obvious to everyone which way round the belt should go but it wasn’t to me and there where no instructions with it

 

Dennis.

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Hi Dennis

 

I changed my S7 belt for the link type a while ago and the transformation was amazing – super smooth and quiet even at the highest speed. Which way round ? – I guess I was lucky. Usually with a 50/50 option I pick the wrong one!

Regards

 

Norman

[Dennis RaynerParticipant @dennisrayner52782]

Hi Norman,

 

This link should take you to the ebay listing of the belt I bought….

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RDGTOOLS-LINK-V-BELT-MYFORD-LATHE-HEADSTOCK-ML7-/290534448261?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item43a533dc85

 

It shows the belt the “quiet” way round. Basically if the belt is the wrong way round the locking tabs are bent against the direction they lay and I think it is them being “flicked” that makes the noise.

 

Regards

Dennis

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