Make Your Own Exact Size V-Belts

Make Your Own Exact Size V-Belts FARM SHOP Repairs 4-1-30 Thanks to new plastic V-belts from the Plasti-Vee Co., you can forget about those odd-hour trips to town for that one-of-a-kind belt that no one ever stocks. You just cut your own belt off a 100-ft. roll, "weld" the ends together and, in 15 min. or less, be back in operation. "It's the only permanent, do-ityourself V-belt system we know of," says the Columbus. Ohio company's product manager, Porky Cooks. "Our permanent Plasti-Vee belts are made from a fibrous polyesther that has three times the strength of comparable rubber belts. They're formed by heating both ends of a length of belt - at 412? - and then sticking the ends together. The resulting weld has proved to be as strong as the rest of the belt," Cooks explains. Savings off the bulk-bought belts will more than pay for the $450 cutting, heating and welding tool needed to do your own work, according to Cooks. You simply cut a measured length of belt off one of your supply rolls, slicing the ends at a slant to join as much area as possible in the splice. The unformed belt is then clamped into a small welding frame and both ends touched, under pressure, to a teflon-coated heating "paddle" for about 30 sec. When both ends are hot, the paddle is removed from between them and the ends shoved together. In 3,to 4 min., remove the new belt and in 10 min., install it. "The belts carry more horsepower load and protect motors better against shock loads than rubber," says Cooks. Plastic belts are affected by some chemicals and certain belt sizes won't fit pulleys of smaller diameters. The company has a toll-free number to answer all questions. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Plasti-Vee, 502 Schrock Road, P.O. Box 29366, Columbus, Ohio 43229 (ph 800 8483677, or 800 282-0748 in Ohio).

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