Hey everyone,
Looking for some input on flat belts and lacing. After pricing out leather belts from McMaster Carr, I am thinking that it will be less expensive to go to Tandy and just buy a whole side of leather and cut my own belts. I have access to a leather belt/lacing cutter so I should be able to cut nice even belts. Anyone ever cut their own or have any thoughts on the matter? The second thought is lacing.
Given that the drill press these belts are for (see bellow) requires two belts per spindle plus one belt to drive the main shaft (yep. one machine, seven belts!) it will obviously be worthwhile for me to be able to make and lace the belts myself. So, next step was finding a lacer... and then I saw some prices... .
While I'm not necessarily Cheap, I do try to be Frugal. From what I can tell looking at pictures of lacers, they seem to just be a kind of specialized and glorified press to shove the lacings into the belt. Would it be possible to make a set of dies for a 3 ton arbor press that would do the same thing? I have the shaper, so cutting a die profile wouldn't be too hard if necessary, just a little time consuming. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts and help.
-Aaron @ the SCF

Aaron, here is a picture of a clippe rlacer. I think you should be able to handstitch those belts. Tapered, glued and stitched should hold.
Are there belt adjusters on the drillpress? I ahve a camelback that adjusts and a Turner that doesn't. Problem I've run into, the dang leather stretches.

If you go to McMaster-Carr website and look at the Hammer-In Alligator Conveyor Belt Lacing, It is made in small enough sizes that you can cut it to length. I only used it on conveyors years ago but it seems like it would work.

McMaster-Carr is extremely expensive. We have a local company (San Antonio Belt and Pulley) which will make any size flat belt you want. They are still widely used in some types of agricultural equipment and in fact, I think I've seen a selection at Tractor Supply Co. The synthetic belts last forever and will likely not fail if commercially laced. They also make a comfortable "tink-tink" noise as they go round and round.

SCF
If you really want to be frugal, find a farmer that has a big round baler that uses the rubber belting instead of the chain rollers(Vermeer and others). They usually will have used belts that they have torn a lace or replaced for some reason. They will also probably have a lacing machine or know someone who does that can lace your belts for you. You can cut these belts down if you have too. I have some of these running in my shop at the moment on one of my hammers and on a saw and they work very well. I do a small freebie job for a couple of local farmers every once in a while, so I always have a ready supply of free belting and free lacing.

A good number of items I have come across that still had the original leather belt in place was simply riveted together with a small copper rivet or two depending on the width. This is the same technique I used on my belt drive forge blower. It is best to skive and glue the ends then rivet but really those first two steps are not 100% necessary.

Old ag shop "instruction" books usually cover making of belts for farm equipment. You may want to hunt one down. I'll check my library and see if any of the ones I have cover it.

I ran across my old copy of Farm Shop Practice, mine was reprinted in 1947 from an earlier edition. It does have a description of the different types of belting used and instructions for several different lacing patterns depending on what you want to do.

I was re-reading the blacksmithing section at breakfast this morning and looking at the references they mentioned at the end of the chapters.

Thanks for the replies guys. I hadn't even though of baler belts and fasteners for a lead. This all led me on a little search, and I found a local place that can order this Flexco Alligator Lacing for me. Best part is, no press/lacer needed, just a flat surface, a good square, and a light hammer.
Thanks again!

-Aaron @ the SCF

I ran across my old copy of Farm Shop Practice, mine was reprinted in 1947

Thanks for the lead Thomas. I managed to find a .PDF format of it online. Not as handy as the book, but still alright for reference purposes. Got to looking through it, and it appears to be a handy little book to have. Might have to look up a copy someday.

Thanks,
-Aaron @ the SCF

Aaron, I have some of that type of hand hammered lacing . If you want to try a piece let me know....

Here is another thread with some good ideas for replacement flat belts.
Source of replacement flat belt???? - Practical Machinist

or check out BackRoom Leather and go to the bottom of the contents page . There is an address for a leather belt company

any reason that thay have to be leather? most of my flat belts are canvas with brass clips and are painted with a tar to keep them tight.

Aaron, I replaced an old flatbelt on a 8x36 lathe with a used automotive surpentine belt. I just cut it to length and laced it togeather with some fine wire, bets part was cheap fix and it has lasted over two years.