no more link belts

tod evans

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at least for my williams-n-hussey!......today i smoked, as in melted 3 seperate link belts......all fenners.....went to the local auto parts store and picked up a cogged v belt.....smoother running than the fenners ever where, and when i jambed the moulder the belt squeeled like a stuck hog but never melted like the fenner belts do...........so a 6 dollar automotive belt has found a perminent home where the supposedly superior link belts once resided.
i`ll keep some fenners for such things as the dust collector where i`d have to crack the babbits to change regular belts, but for power transmission it`s plain ol` cogged v belts from now on.
hope this post will save somebody a few bucks?.........tod
 
a 6 dollar automotive belt has found a perminent home where the supposedly superior link belts once resided

Been saying that for a long time Tod. Don't get me wrong, the link belts are useful when you'd have to dissemble a machine such as a lathe headstock, but for regular applications a good quality belt will almost always serve you better. Much cheaper, smoother running, better power transmission. While you'll hear lots of folks extol the wonderful results they got from link belts, you have to put it in perspective. These folks are replacing either low quality or old, worn out belts (or both) to Begin with... Any belt would be an improvement!

On another tack, I'm not sure of the setup on your williams-n-hussey, but if your running only a single belt you might consider going to a double or even triple sheave pulley if your pushing it hard on a regular basis. While there are a lot of variables, generally HP is really starting to push the limits of a single V belt.

Mike
 
mike, when williams-n-hussey designed the machine they did so with a 2hp motor in mind, that`s why they used a single belt. when i set this one up i opted for a 5hp motor.....just a tad more than the factory recomends:D ...but, i wanted to leave a weak link in the drive train so as not to over torque the spindle......something about several pounds of sharp steel getting loose at 6k-rpm just worries me:eek: ....the 5hp never gets hot the way the ol` 2-3 hp motors i`ve ran did, even after 3-4hrs of continious use!
and so far using the belt as the weak link has proved to be effective...tod
 
Tod, I hear what your saying. I used to work for a v-belt manufacturer and have seen how a rubber v-belt compares to a link belt when running side by side. I know link belts have there place, but for my money if you can install a standard v-belt you are much better off in cost and performance. I can't understand why equipment manufacturers will put a $0.75 belt on a piece of equipment which costs $1000+.

Wes Billups
 
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"OK, so how do you know you're getting a "good quality" v belt, and not a cheaply made inferior product."

Ken, go to any automotive or industrial supply store and ask for a cut-edge belt. They are manufactured without splices and have cogs or transverse grooves which make them extremely smooth running. Just about any size and length we use in woodworking should be under $10. Don't let them sell you a Kevlar corded belt as the additional strength isn't needed in our applications and can actually be detrimental.

I believe Autozone is even starting to carry industrial v-belts which is what you want. The automotive v-belts are typically different sizes than industrial belts; ie. different side wall angles and top widths.

Wes Billups
 
I've been experimenting with the Fenner Drive stuff, recently. My drill press likes em, makes speed changes a breeze. My shaper hates em -- similar experience to Tod's. Might have something to do with speed and torgue required for certain machines. A spindle moulder defintely can experience terrific loads. I have always opted for cogged automotive belts in the past with very good results.
 
mike, when williams-n-hussey designed the machine they did so with a 2hp motor in mind, that`s why they used a single belt. when i set this one up i opted for a 5hp motor.....just a tad more than the factory recomends:D ...but, i wanted to leave a weak link in the drive train so as not to over torque the spindle......something about several pounds of sharp steel getting loose at 6k-rpm just worries me:eek: ....the 5hp never gets hot the way the ol` 2-3 hp motors i`ve ran did, even after 3-4hrs of continious use!
and so far using the belt as the weak link has proved to be effective...tod

Tod, sounds like you've thought it out and it makes sense to me:thumb:

Ken, any good bearing/power transmission shop will have quality belts. The automotive stores are also an option, but jut make sure you get the good quality and not the bargain basement ones. Ask the parts guy which is which, they should know if it's a decent parts store. Personally I prefer to deal with the professional industrial supply and bearing places as they have a reputation to uphold and deal with professional customers who know the difference and expect quality.

Mike
 
why doesnt that surprize me

you seem real good at pushun the limits tod,,, just one more time you thinned out the lesser quality stuff and made the tools work for you instead of against ya..:D :D :thumb:
 
A good source for auto belts are A/C shops. When they install aftermarket units the old( sometimes new) belts get tossed in the trash. This why all my stuff has auto belts on them.
 
4" wide 7/8" deap in a single pass torqued it a bit:rolleyes: ......regular belt`s holding up fine!


Tod

I don't know a whole lot about this so forgive me if I'm wrong. I was always told by shop teachers & my Pappy to take at least 2 passes & even 3 on a deep cuts because it give a much better finish & is easier on the machine.

As I will be adding my Dad's Belsaw Model 910 Planer/Molder/Gang rip machine to my shop in the near future I just thought I'd ask.

I may be wrong but I think the Belsaw machine is a bit heavier then your W&H machine & if its not good practice to make such deep cuts with it what kind of stresses are you putting on the W&H seeing that it appears to be an open ended machine? Will the W&H last a long time if used this way continuously?
 
bart, i`ve thrashed, literally!, williams-n-hussey machines for quite a few years and they`ll take quite a bit of abuse.....the w&h machines where designed to single pass stock since their invention.....in the last 24 months they`ve offered a multi pass addition for the machine, effectively it`ll let the infeed roller drop 5/16 lower than the original......most of us who run the machines have notched the original bracket to allow additional travel before firing up the machine for the first time...but all this goes back to whether or not taking multiple passes gives better results? two schools of thought here;
1) by cutting full depth in a single pass there`s maximum support for the wood fibers immediately following the knifes in the form of the remainder of the blank.
2) by running multiple passes at consecutively deaper cuts and or at slower feed speeds the finished quality is improved due to more time under the knife.

i`ve found both scenarios to be true given different profiles or species of wood.....not much help eh?
for the run i just finished i ran the moulder non-stop for 6+hrs....each additional pass would have been that long again....soooooo, i try to achieve a cost effective balance of time vs material, and i`ve found that by reducing feed speed and running full depth i`m able to achieve a happy medium...
as far as longivity of the machines?....in the past i`ve run `em 6yrs untill the warranty had one year left and sold `em.....i think i`ll see how long this one lives? it`s 5 1/2 years old, second set of feed rollers, original spindle bearings..they hold they`re value better than any other small moulder on the market, but i wonder how long one will really live?...tod
 
Thanks Tod

I really like this kind of post because it brings out a good exchange of info.

I'll probably will need eventually to install new drive rollers in the Belsaw.

I am thinking that if their available I would like to put in the drop in style of planer knives that have the inserts with pins that the knife is set over to set the height of the blade out of the head.

I may some day purchase more molding knives I don't know if there is much call for molding production up here. But would like to have it as a side line.
 
Thanks Tod

I really like this kind of post because it brings out a good exchange of info.

I'll probably will need eventually to install new drive rollers in the Belsaw.

I am thinking that if their available I would like to put in the drop in style of planer knives that have the inserts with pins that the knife is set over to set the height of the blade out of the head.

I may some day purchase more molding knives I don't know if there is much call for molding production up here. But would like to have it as a side line.


Not sure if that type of knife is available for belsaws. I have an older 12" belsaw I use strickly for molding. Never seen anything like that available, but I haven't seen everything in this ol' world either. Lol
 
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