Link Belts

If you want cheap, Harbor Freight

Re: Link Belts

David Walser

What kind of belt does your lathe use? Link belts are suitable replacements for v-belts, but not for other types of belts. For example, my lathe uses a wide flat belt with tiny ribs (the ribs match grooves in the pulleys). A link belt would not be a good substitute for such a belt.

Re: Link Belts

Dwight Rutherford

Check out Belts for Anything

http://beltsforanything.com/site1.php

Re: If you want cheap, Harbor Freight

Joe Mohnike

I have the Harbor Freight one on my lathe, no regrets. Thinking about installing one on my Table saw, no start up bump when I first turn it on after it has sat for a period of time.

Re:$47 for 7ft from EBay seller *LINK*

Dave Paine

I ordered a 5/8in x 84 in link belt recently from an EBay seller for $47


http://www.ebay.com/itm/391469321491

Re: If you want cheap, Harbor Freight

Jim Breeden

The belt at HF is made in Italy, not China. I've had one on my table for more than 5 years - no problem, plus no vibration. Cheap - meaning less expensive.

I've used Linkbelts on my old ......

JamieDonaldson

....General 160 for many years. I was faced with the same disassembly task and found this to be a much better alternative.

Re: Link Belts *LINK*

Tom Gall

I've had a link belt on my General 260 for probably 10-15 years now. I installed the belt just to avoid the task of disassembly as well. However, I didn't cut off the old belt….just moved it out of the way and tied it up inside the headstock so it doesn't rub on any moving parts. This serves as a back-up belt…..just in case. I believe the belt is ½" wide, but I didn't go to the shop to check. Be sure to measure your belt's width just in case. I don't know the length but I'm pretty sure it is less than 80".

The prices are at least doubled since I last purchased my link belt. Try Lee Valley. for a more reasonable price.


Lee Valley Link Belt

Accu-Link....

Brian Roberts

is the belt sold by Harbor Freight.

They are a 1/2" width....and work just fine....if you need a 1/2" v-belt replacement.

http://www.jasonindustrial.com/pdf/Accu-Link%20Belting%20Bulletin2014.pdf

Gee....

Brian Roberts

can we assume he needs a v-belt...or would not be considering a link belt??

Back up belt

Clifton C

Had a friend call me up, "My ride on trowel is sitting on a slab of concrete not moving, can you fix it?" I said, what's a ride on trowel? Apparently, concrete waits for no man. Anyway, a ride on trowel is a lawn chair on top of an engine, powering two 5 bladed propellers that looks like it should be in a Stephen King novel, used to flatten fast drying concrete slabs. (the more things go wrong, the faster it dries) Got there, worked my way down to find a shredded belt and said "you're done", then I saw a plastic cover over a spare belt, yep, on the shaft ready to go. Loosen loosen...move over...tighten tighten...back in business.

I'm thinking of doing the same thing when I replace the bearings on my 3520A but wonder if a spare belt will dry rot before I need it?

Ps, all I got was a free lunch, I need a new manager.

cc

Back up belt -- great idea!

Re: Gee....

David Walser

Brian -- You know, I re-read his question several times and didn't see anything that confirmed what type of belt his lathe uses. Maybe I would have known were I more familiar with General's line of lathes. Perhaps all of them have used V-belts.

As for whether it is safe to assume a given level of knowledge from our fellow posters, I'll leave that up to you. I'll simply say that I've posted several questions over the years (here and elsewhere) that were, in retrospect, face-palm worthy. Often those questions weren't the result of overwhelming ignorance on my part. Frequently, I was simply having a hard time cleanly meshing my mental gears.

Of course, that doesn't mean there's no such thing as a stupid question. My son worked as a tour bus driver for the cruise lines up in Juneau, Alaska. He would meet the groups on the floating dock where the passengers departed the ship. While waiting for the entire group to assemble, invariably someone would ask: "What's the elevation here?" My son would smile, look over the side of the dock at the water, and respond, "About 3' above sea level." In fairness to those who asked what was a stupid question (they arrived in Juneau on an ocean-going ship), Juneau looks like it could be in the Swiss Alps. Very high and spectacular mountains run right down to the water's edge. And, I must admit, I've asked similarly stupid questions right here on WoodCentral.

Gee.......take a breath.....

Brian Roberts

I assumed he had actually looked at the belt on his lathe since he wrote "My General Lathe's belt is getting kind of worn".

So........I meant to suggest that he could probably tell the difference between a common v-belt and a flat micro v-belt.....and the fact that one looks to be replaceable with a link belt while the other very clearly does not.

And............ that's all I have to say about that.