Splicing grinder belts

[JHCC]

It’s certainly a possibility, although I suspect it might have the same adhesion problem I encountered with the Hurricane tape. 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

A thought just jumped in my head while cleaning the work bench, actually I wasn't cleaning but looking for something else.

I ran across an old 600 grit belt that was worn out. I got to looking at it and thought this may work for the splice. Cut a section and glue the abrasive side to the new belt with the smooth side out.

[jlpservicesinc]

i like it. 

 

[JHCC]

Very interesting idea. The only issue I can see with that is the possibility that the glue holding the abrasive might not have sufficient shear strength to resist the tension on the belt.

That does get me wondering, though, what kind of glue is used to hold the grit to the belt and might that be removable through chemical or mechanical means. I've got a couple of worn-out belts to experiment on, so we'll see how that goes. More to play with....

24 minutes ago, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said:

actually I wasn't cleaning but looking for something else.

There's a difference?

[SLAG]

Fellow Citizens,

I did a quick look through this thread, and did not see the suggestion that I will describe presently.

My idea would require a suitable backing patch underneath the area of the joined belt ends. Use a suitable adhesive. You seem to be happy with Gorilla glue.

Now sew the join , and maybe, also, both ends of the patch.

Try using a strong thread like koban. And make sure the threading is taut enough to lie between under the particles of abrasive.

The threading may be further protected by coating it with dilute epoxy resin or nail polish.

Hopefully this glue and sew procedure will be satisfactory.

Sinceriously,

SLAG.

[JHCC]

Sewing would be a pretty tough undertaking, especially for the heavier belts, and I would be worried about the punctures acting as places where a tear could start. If we have a sufficiently tough patch anyway, I'm not sure what additional benefit the sewing would bring.

[SLAG]

JHCC,

Sewing would tend to lessen the shear forces on the sleeve that is glued to join the abrasive belt ends.

I seem to remember, a long time ago,  seeing industrial belts having stitches. Some had steel staples to do the same job.

Sewing thicker belts is analogous to sewing leather. Hole can be punched or drilled prior to sewing. A drill press would speed up the procedure.

The holes can be reinforced with a coating such as nail polis. In order that they are not become the starting point of a tear.

My suggestion was a long shot. But it may worth a try,   if no other method works satisfactorily. 

Regards,

SLAG.

[JHCC]

The first 36 grit belt spliced with a Kevlar patch and Gorilla Glue survived its initial test — which is to say, it didn’t explode when I ground the mushrooming of the struck end of a splitting wedge. I’ll report back after I’ve seen how durable it is in the long run; the goal is for the splice to last longer than the grit. 

[JHCC]

Update: the Kevlar-spliced belt is still holding up fine. It's a bit bumpy, so I think I'll try using a smaller piece next time.

[JHCC]

Just ran across an interesting video about splicing grinder belts. The maker has what looks like a decent method for using the cloth of the belt for the splice; take a look:

Note: there's no narration, so you can skip the cheesy background music by muting the sound. Doubling the playback speed is also recommended, as you won't be missing any important detail.

[Glenn]

If you had only found that video when you needed it 2-3 months ago. 

[JHCC]

Oh, I’ve still got a ton that need to be recut and spliced. I’ll certainly have plenty of opportunities to give this method a try. 

[jlpservicesinc]

interesting video.. Looks good. 

[JHCC]

Today’s iteration: using the cloth from a worn-out X-weight 220 belt with polyurethane glue. Made a stack of eight, clamped between a 1/2” steel plate and a piece of 2” square bar (which also made a good weight to hold things down before clamping) with pieces of baking parchment between belts to prevent sticking. 

[Frosty]

Iteration or griteration? How are the experiments coming along, John?

How long do you think it'll take to use up all that grinding belt? I've had worse problems.

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

Long overdue update: the worn-out belt option didn’t work particularly well, nor did experiments with replacing the polyurethane glue with cyanoacrylate. The version of removing the grit to use the belt material itself instead of splicing tape was a total bust, as I didn’t have any success removing the grit from the belt  

So, I just got a shipment of one yard each of three different weights of splicing tape from an eBay vendor in China. Including sales tax and with free shipping, total cost was a hair under $16.

Note the filaments running diagonally across the tape, to provide maximum strength in the direction of maximum stress. It’s very thin, but apparently very tough  

While I don’t have the specialized adhesive or heated press that one is supposed to use, I figure that I’ve got enough tape to be able to experiment with different adhesives and see what works best. More to come. 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Wonder if a regular cloths iron with downward pressure would work.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

[Gazz]

Some years ago, I needed to replace the belt on my South bend lathe.  I read somewhere about using an automotive serpentine belt that could be vulcanized in place but I didn't have much success and eventually found a place that made and sold synthetic belt material and a two part cement or glue.  If I recall, the belt came cut to length and skived on each end so I just had to apply the cement and clamp the ends together properly aligned in place on the lathe.  It has held up well.

[JHCC]

17 hours ago, Irondragon Forge ClayWorks said:

regular cloths iron with downward pressure

If I had the OEM adhesive, possibly. According to the online listing for the tape (which has no adhesive of its own), you’re supposed to apply the adhesive to both surfaces, let it dry, put the pieces together, and then clamp them in the heated press. The Q&A of the seller’s website includes a mention of using polyurethane adhesive, so I’m starting with Gorilla Glue. I’ve had good luck with that in the past, with the only issue being failure of the splicing material. I’ve got one belt curing now, so I should be able to give it a try soon. 

13 hours ago, Gazz said:

I […] eventually found a place that made and sold synthetic belt material and a two part cement or glue.

I’m splicing abrasive belts for the grinder, not drive belts. 

[Gazz]

I realize that.  The glue used on the drive belt has proven to be long lasting and I thought it might be of interest.

[JHCC]

What’s the brand?

[Frosty]

What do the instructions say about clamp temp and time? My first thought was a clothes iron and work out a clamp mechanism but if duration isn't too long a couple pieces of 3/4"-1" square or flat stock heated in the toaster oven and a clamp might do nicely.

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

From the seller’s website:

“User manual:

“First, you need the sanding belt hot press machine, and the professional glue for sanding belt;

“Second, apply glue to the tape and leave it for about one minute (wait for the glue to evaporate);

“Third, grinding to remove the surface coating of the cloth base at the joint of the abrasive belt, and leave it for about one minute after applying the glue (wait for the glue to evaporate)；

“Attach the tape to the abrasive belt interface, and smooth it. Then Put the joint on the hot press machine and heat press. After heat press, leave it for 2 hours (wait for the glue to solidify completely) .”

This naturally raises the question: does that vendor sell either the “sanding press hot press machine” or the “professional glue”? Of course not!

 That said, based on the above description, I’m assuming that they’re using some kind of solvent-based thermoplastic adhesive. 

This gives me an interesting idea, whether it might be possible to fuse the tape to the belt with something like Stitch Witchery. For those who don’t sew, this is a thermoplastic polyamide used with an iron to fuse together two pieces of fabric, either to reinforce or to replace a sewn seam. I think I might have some in my sewing kit; if so, I’ll give it a try and report back. 

[Frosty]

Uh HUH, I was thinking of instructions for using the adhesive strips you just bought. 

This is just me thinking here but I'd think the adhesive would need a LITTLE flexibility to survive a couple million trips over the rollers. 

There are some really high strength shot glue sticks. A few shavings and a hot press might do the trick. I know hot glue sticks have the application temp and strength on the package. The local "Jo-Ann Fabrics" has individual sticks of all the kinds they carry. I wonder if they carry some super strong sticks. It sure wouldn't take 2 hours in the press, just heat it enough to liquify and be squeezed into the belt fabric would do.

Hmmm. I'll have to take a look next time I go in.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Mike BR]

Not sure what you've tried for grit removal, but I just took the side of a diamond masonry cut-off wheel to a 60 grit belt, and it seemed to work pretty well.  Of course, much of the grit had already been removed by more conventional means . . .