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Tool Joining Polyurethane Belting

Tool
M

Mcgyver

Ultra Member
Here's a post I did on a simple device I came up with to get perfect joints with polyurethane belting. I did it as an article in Home Shop Machinist originally. The two key things for an optimal joint are prefect alignment (else you get vibration when the rough spot goes over a pulley) and a 1/2 hour cure time. The later may not seem necessary if your belts seem 'good enough', but it is how to get maximum strength and is need for very small diameter belts.

www.metallum.shop

Polyurethane Belt Joining - Metallum

Joining polyurethane belting A common workshop requirement, especially for small machines. Of course the ends are heated and fused together, but how best to do so? A couple of factors to consider The belt ends must be perfectly aligned, if they are off, the irregularity will create a vibration...
www.metallum.shop
 
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Added to top of my list for upcoming builds. The belt on my UPT is about to let go :) I'm guessing that the30 minute hold will also benefit thicker belts running over small pulleys as in my case.

thank you.

gerrit
 
You are welcome :) The 1/2 hour makes any joint stronger, its just the extra might not be noticeable in large sizes - i.e. the strength of a less than idea joint provides might still be good enough. The smallest I've joined is 2mm belting and if you don't let it cure it pulls apart in minutes in use.

When I made this thing I spoke with person at a US manufacturer about the finer points of working with polyurethane and that's where I told about the curing bit, which based on my experience is spot on.

Its the 2mm stuff in the photo below. That's at least a 100 year old Rivett lathe and a Hardinge pivot polisher. I'd say I was born 100 years too late, but nah, it would have been inaccessible at probably 10x the price, relatively. This is the glory age for those who like beautiful old (and highly functional) machines.

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Sometimes I think machines have lost their "to the eye smoothness and functionality " also, often you find trying to operate some machines to be a exercise in bruises and blood, controls don't fall to hand or eye. I was running a JD combine 2 falls ago, most of the controls were not too bad, but the big standout was the monitor, had to look nearly full right to see it, then back to see the swathe. Yes, I would get used to it, but not mine, and not running it long, otherwise would not be in that placement long.
Yes, I would change even JD stuff if needed. I know I am a heathen and proud of it.
 
Bandit said:
Sometimes I think machines have lost their "to the eye smoothness and functionality " also, often you find trying to operate some machines to be a exercise in bruises and blood, controls don't fall to hand or eye. I was running a JD combine 2 falls ago, most of the controls were not too bad, but the big standout was the monitor, had to look nearly full right to see it, then back to see the swathe. Yes, I would get used to it, but not mine, and not running it long, otherwise would not be in that placement long.
Yes, I would change even JD stuff if needed. I know I am a heathen and proud of it.
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Nice to see someone mention swathing. It isn't done here in the east. At least I've never seen it. However it was the rule in Saskatchewan.

My planter monitor is to my right too. I hate it.
 
I think swathing is still very common in a lot of areas around here. Straight combining is also done, more then in the past, maybe, but as you likely know the crop has to be dry enough. It also depends on the type of crop I think, rape, canola, mustard I have not seen or heard of being straight combined,- there is always a but. The biggest thing I think maybe getting things dry enough before the heads drop to low, in hand with working no more straw then needed to pick up "all" the heads
 
Bandit said:
It also depends on the type of crop I think, rape, canola, mustard I have not seen or heard of being straight combined,- there is always a but.
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Those who grow canola here don't swath it. Swathing (other than hay) is extremely rare in the East.
 
Bandit said:
Yes, I would change even JD stuff if needed. I know I am a heathen and proud of it.
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I do like the green paint but.......Deere makes a few screwups. I generally just swear about the lack of brains in the engineer that designed the machine, of any color. Just yesterday i was calling into question the sanity of the guy that designed my daughters New Holland haybine.
 
mbond said:
Demonstrating my ignorance, what is the technique of swathing in farming?
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Swathing is a harvesting process where the grain is cut first and then left in the field in "swaths" to dry before combining. It is common out west.

In the east, it is more common for the grain to be left standing to dry and then cut and combined in one pass.

There is a long rich history that explains the reasons for this difference. They include wind, hail, equipment, yield, weather, wheat varieties, wives tales, and believe it or not.... Ducks.

There is also a practice called summer fallow that is common out West and rare in the East where fields are left unplanted for a year but "worked" several times through the season to control weeds and prevent them from going to seed. In the east, chemical weed control is more common. Summer fallow is WAAAAY more effective but very costly when yields are high.

Yield affects the cost balance and therefore the best practices in soooooo many ways.
 
Historically Straight combining was done where the topograghy was flat & leverl & swathing was done in hillier areas , there were very well defined borders that separated the two methods at one time but then a product came out a dozen years or so ago (desiccants spray that is non toxic to animals or humans that may consume the grain) that allowed hill farmers to kill their crops evenly while standing, making straight combining possible.

Ive picked up a million miles of swathed grain wishing we could have done it straight and now all the land around us is done straight ( some of the boys are combining their Canola straight as well but my farmer still swathes canola.
 
Lol am I the only one who finds it funny that a discussion on joining polyurethane belts has evolved into a discussion about farming techniques?
 
Great tip about the cure time. I usually just use a lighter and press the two together. Your method is much more refined, and a great repurpose for the hot knife....lol
 
Before this thread I thought I knew a lot about creep - in terms of the long term progressive deformation or a load bearing structure under sustained load. Most pronounced in concrete and other semi-plastic materials, but limited in metals.

Obviously in addition to farming techniques, I have a lot to learn
 
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