Belting for watchmakers lathe

A friend had a Pultra lathe with V-belt pulley drive; he used a large O-ring as a belt. It lasted years.

Don't know what size grooves you have in the pulleys, but try laying lengths of appropriate diameter silver steel or drills in the pulleys to see which sits comfortably between the sides without bottoming or 'overflowing'.

Mark Rand RTFM

I use a coiled wire movie projector belt on my Boley Standard. The leather belts sold for the old treadle sewing machines will also work, but glue and/or sew the joint, rather than using the supplied staple. Some of the old lathes used an ebony pulley, that can be destroyed by the staple.

Steve R.

Round belting in V grooves is standard on watch and clock makers lathes. I would use the smallest size that does not bottom out in the grooves - there is less stress on the joint when wrapped around a pulley if the belt is narrower. Incidentally, and I know it's only a quid or so difference, but this belting is cheaper from horological supply houses like Meadows and Passmore for only £2.52 per metre plus p&p.

Cliff Coggin Kent UK

You can also get it from RS in longer lengths. Recently bought 5m of

5mm diam belting for 12 quid from there (p&p free). They do different grades and diameters - the smaller diameters ar cheaper still.

Regards, Tony

Thanks for the tip - they're only just down the road too, very useful !

--=20 Boo

Leather belting is also available from good sewing machine shops, supplied for the few people still using treadle machines.

BugBear

-- DCree

----------------------------------------------------------------------- DCreed's Profile:

this thread: