So I learned something today

[Ian]

Broke the spare belt for my SSTM large wet tumbler a few weeks ago. Had a CAT cylinder sleeve O-ring for a spare and made that work but wanted to get the correct size. The belts that SSTM uses are pure crap so I went looking for better ones, even was considering leather. What I DIDN'T have any idea about was that polyurethane belts come in bulk lengths and you cut and melt the ends together to make your own size.

I found some 5mm grippy belting on the Zon and got 10 meters for less than $20. Here's the result:



Back in business!

 

[waco]

Gotta love the Zon...

 

[waco]

I'll remember this when the "belt" on my Thumblers Tumbler goes tits up....

 

[Ian]

$13.09 shipped. SSTM wants $5.95 each plus shipping and the belts are a little big. The material I got is more stretchy and allows me to simply roll the belt off the pulleys when not in use so it doesn't take a set.

 

[Will]

Wish I would of known that before ordering 2 belts from STM.
I will say the ones they send ya are junk. Most start crumbling in a year or two. And mine stays in the house in a climate controlled environment with no sunlight.

 

[fiver]

4" hose rings.
the oil field uses them as a gasket on their suction and discharge hoses.
I got two packs of them here somewhere, I should put them on the peg board when I find them.

 

[Tomme boy]

We made all kinds of belts like this last place I worked at. We had a heating element and jig to fuse them together.

Do this to heat both ends at the same time. Take a thin flat piece of steel. Butter knife would work perfect. Start heating up the knife with a torch. A small butane one would be perfect. You want to heat it till the ends just start to melt by pushing them onto the hot metal. Then as quick as you can push the two ends together. Let it cool off then trim the joint. We had a pliers like thing that held each side of the tubing. When squeezed together they aligned up exactly.

The trick is not to overheat the ends.

What we used them for was a feeder for a packaging machine. Take a Little Trees air freshener and turn it upside down. The trees hung upside down on the belts that fed the packaging machine. We had to replace the belts about every two weeks because the compound(fragrance) would make the belts swell and break.

 

[Jeff H]

Broke the spare belt for my SSTM large wet tumbler a few weeks ago. Had a CAT cylinder sleeve O-ring for a spare and made that work but wanted to get the correct size. The belts that SSTM uses are pure crap so I went looking for better ones, even was considering leather. What I DIDN'T have any idea about was that polyurethane belts come in bulk lengths and you cut and melt the ends together to make your own size.

I found some 5mm grippy belting on the Zon and got 10 meters for less than $20. Here's the result:

View attachment 20411

Back in business!

Ian, excellent tracking skills!

I worked in "material handling" (conveyors) for years, and this type of belt is common and used in great quantities on larger systems, so MUST be cost effective. As you indicated, making your own is an option, and what I resorted to when in that line of work.

These "belts" are common on roller conveyors driven by a powered roller (per "zone" or about every two or three feet) where a "band" (belt) rides in a groove at the end of each roller and from one roller to the next. A "zone's-worth (2' to 3') of rollers are interconnected this way. This knowledge may help in searches for suppliers.

 

[Tomme boy]

@Jeff we would put 3-4 spare belts hanging between every 2-3 rollers so when they broke you did not have to tear down the whole conveyor to replace a belt on the drive. Easier to take A roller off the top than split the drive shaft underneath. Its been a long while since i worked on one of these. First time i worked on one i twisted the drive belt the wrong way on 6 sections. They sent the packages backwards. You usually only make that mistake once!

 

[Bret4207]

Along the same lines, you can get kits to make Orings. Usually come with a supply of different sized material and a cutting guide to ensure square ends. They get glued together with Super glue. A real life saver for weird sized stuff.

 

[popper]

My STTM came with 2 belts, different sizes. Both work and are glued together. Nice to know there is an alternate supply but then I provide the labor.

 

[Bliksem]

I bought some neoprene O-rings a few years ago, 10 to a pack for about $10 shipped. Both my tumblers are still running on these replacements. I'll see if I can find more info.

Edit:

Found the info, source was here store and the part number is the part in the brackets: 343 E70 EPDM O-ring - 70 Duro - FDA - Black (E70343) at $0.96/each