Belt source, and a weird belt

[Martin Wasner]

I've got an ancient Ritter R46 line bore that is belt driven. Since Ritter has gone away, I'm at a loss for who to find these belts through. I'd guess there's no way they were making the belts themselves, and they came from a third party. Any idea's on who to talk to about sourcing these belts?

http://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11752465_10205937596270256_894151154363560431_n.jp g?oh=f2788fb69b22acd26fc6fe48dd1f37bf&oe=56208C14


http://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11036379_10205937596310257_5433429658920817787_n.j pg?oh=ac27676064ebeb0cd36152d525ca4b39&oe=560F1DDE

[Scott T Smith]

Is this just your basic flat leather belt? If so you can purchase the belt and lacing from McMaster and either assemble it yourself or find a local old engine enthusiast that has a lacing machine.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#flat-belts/=y21db1

They make lacing that you can crimp on in a vise.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#belt-lacing/=y21cfb
http://www.mcmaster.com/#alligator-belt-lacing/=y21csq

You need to know the width and the thickness.

[David Kumm]

William Sopko and Sons. Dave

[Charles B Wilson]

while that is a flat belt I don't think you would want to lace a splice into one.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#flat-belts/=y2lu5s
this is more like it

CW

[Bruce Wrenn]

Google is your friend

[Martin Wasner]

William Sopko and Sons. Dave

I called them right after you posted this Dave, and they were kinda buttholes to me on the phone. So I contacted a local industrial supplier and one of their Reps swung by the shop and took a look at what I needed. Sounded like he was going to get me sorted out in no time. Then the dude up and vanished. I called Sopko again today, and the guy I spoke to was much more helpful, I've got two new belts on order. Pretty reasonable prices, (Mcmaster-Carr had something that might've been correct, but they were $175 a piece), which was right along the lines of what I was expecting to pay at about $85 a piece. Longer turn around than I'd like, but that's how things go when you procrastinate. I'm hoping the two belts that are currently on there will survive until the new ones show up. I'm going to be using the snot out of it shortly.


I'm loving that shaper. Man what a step up from what I was accustomed to.





Google is your friend

Yeah. Tried that. Lots of dead ends. I don't think the company that made one of the belts that's on it even exists anymore, or they no longer manufacture that line of belts.




The drive pulleys are aluminum, and the knurling is pretty worn. I had two new pulleys made that'll I'll install when the belts arrive. I pulled one belt to get a measurement. That is not something I want to get good at. It went better than I expected, but it still was still a thorough lesson in suckage.

[Martin Wasner]

Just so Google will hopefully index this for further searches so when some idiot finds a "good deal" on an absolute basket case of an old Ritter R46 line-bore machine, they won't have to spend so much ding dong time trying to find a belt.

The replacement flat belt I sourced from William Sopko & Sons is a 80 x 1-3/4 continuous belt, part number: 11385

Mine has 1-1/8" shafts on the motors, the drive pulleys are knurled aluminum and 2" in diameter, and 2-1/4" tall. The originals on mine did not have a keyway cut into the pulley, just a set screw that went into the keyway on the motor. The new pulleys I had made I had them cut in a keyway, and add a second set screw. Mostly because I don't care for set screws going into keyways. I had to pull the back motor and do some filing to clean up the damage from the set screw on the original pulley. Which was also unpleasant, holding a probably 50# motor straight out at chest level wasn't the highlight of my Monday. I do wonder why the originals were aluminum and not steel, or if making the replacements if I should've had them cut from steel.

Replacing the belts is an absolute Greek Tragedy. Buckle up, it's a pain in the rear getting the new belt on the last pulley.