Thread: Flat belt 9" Hercus Lathe

You would have to change the cone pully which is straight foreward,the countershaft pully could possably be a straight swap or you may have to change the counter shaft.
For joiners you could try a search for leather/flat belt joiners.
Some people use a serpentine belt (automotive) as an allternative,the spindle and countershaft would need to be removed for fitting unless a suitable adhesive was used to join the cut belt.
Changing to vee pullies may give you increased torque but will give you an extra speed,the flat pully has 3 ways and the vee has 4.

I recently made a flat belt for my lathe from a serpentine belt. I laced the two ends together with 50lbs monofilament fishing line, using the lacing method described in a number of old lathe books.

The belt doesn't slip at all, nor has the fishing line stretched.

For anyone in the S.E. of Melbourne , the only place I can find selling flat belting is located in RODEO Drive, Dandenong South . I forget the name , but its there alright

There is a web blog on the replacement of flat belt pullies to v belt on a Hercus restoration web page ....



http://phelum.net/info/Hercus/


MIKE

The conversion to vee belt is not a difficult one, many Hercus owners have already done this. The only real problem, as Pipeclay has mentioned, is the possibility that your countershaft pulley (if the machine is an early model) may run on a 7/8" shaft whereas the vee belt version runs on a 3/4" shaft.
This is easy to remedy and shouldn't present much of a problem. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance.
Mal
0438466008