Smoking deal on belts.

Chris Railey

Chris Railey

Well-Known Member
I follow this guy on IG. He has come into a large supply of cubitron and trizact belts in the 6x160 size. If you can splice belts you could potentially get 6 2x72’s out of one. He is selling them for $10 a belt. That works out to about $1.60 for each 2x72. I do not know him personally so I cannot vouch for him but I am going to order some. You can wait and I will post when I get them. I figured I would share with my friends.
 

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Belts are easy to split to make 2" wide, but how you gonna splice them together? Before ordering many I'd take time to take an old 2X72 belt apart and splice it to see how it works.
 
There are several videos on youtube on how to splice them. I was kind of hoping someone on here would have a good method. That is my concern as well Ken. I think I will still order a couple to start and see what I can do. I have my own ideas about splicing them as well. The low grit belts concern me more because I run them at high speed.
 
I've read some on the other forum about trying to splice belts and nobody really had any success at it. Seems like there's a special tape that manuf folks use and it's not readily available - or something. Not sure what - if you have success please do share with the rest of us.
 
I sure will. My current plan is to epoxy a thin strip of Kevlar to the back kind of like the tape they use. I ordered some higher grits because I run them slower. If that works I will try the 50’s.
 
I have used VHB tape (very high bond) from 3M for other things and it is amazing what it can do. I would start my research there...it's flexible which is prolly an imperative...see amazon link below...

 
I have seen a few options along those lines and the 3M is in the top two. Metabo makes some sanding belt splicing tape I looked at as well. Based on my research the industry uses a special tape with heat cured glue on the belts we all buy and that tape is not sold outside of their industry. Its that kind of thing that drives me even harder to make this work. I will figure it out, simply because they think I cannot. I may get road rashed by my grinder a few times but I will make it work.
 
A long time ago this was a grail issue to be solved by the community. Many guys tried and failed, including me. It was decided that nothing worked well and that is where it was abandoned. It keeps coming up every so often and I have still not seen something that works. There could be something, I just haven't seen it.

I have been told by two different abrasive people this:
The joint glue is special and not sold to anyone outside the industry. It is supposed to be somewhat toxic (as all adhesives are I think), has to be kept frozen until used and is a two part adhesive. Ie a bonding agent and an activator much like the 3M Speedbonder adhesive.

I have seen several guys claim they have been able to bond some strips and run them. It seems the most successful guys use duct tape. I just don't think it is worth the hassle and belt slap when they break.
 
I just don't think it is worth the hassle and belt slap when they break.

This.../\/\/\. I hate it...scares me every time.
 
BossDog said:
A long time ago this was a grail issue to be solved by the community. Many guys tried and failed, including me. It was decided that nothing worked well and that is where it was abandoned. It keeps coming up every so often and I have still not seen something that works. There could be something, I just haven't seen it.

I have been told by two different abrasive people this:
The joint glue is special and not sold to anyone outside the industry. It is supposed to be somewhat toxic (as all adhesives are I think), has to be kept frozen until used and is a two part adhesive. Ie a bonding agent and an activator much like the 3M Speedbonder adhesive.

I have seen several guys claim they have been able to bond some strips and run them. It seems the most successful guys use duct tape. I just don't think it is worth the hassle and belt slap when they break.
Click to expand...
More than likely you are correct Boss and I am wasting time. Its the heat generated by grinding that concerns me most. Second is the flexibility it needs to work. If it were easy as apply tape and go, no one would buy belts...that is why they do not sell the adhesive I am guessing. If I am splicing belts for hours that is hours I am not grinding. But these were cheap to experiment with so I will try. As a back up I ordered higher grits so I can cut them up and use them to round handles and such if I fail.
 
If it were me, I'd probably try to keep them at 160" long, and make a longer tool arm to accommodate the extra length. :D

Might even add some intermediate idlers and run it in a serpentine configuration to help shorten things up a bit. Or you could make a "super platen" with a few different contact wheels and such to help take up the extra slack. Chris Williams does something similar with an 80" belt on this 3 slot grinder:


Granted, you still have twice the length to try to take up, but I'll bet it's doable.

Worst case, just make a whole new grinder that takes a 160" belt. Lol.
 
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