HF34706 Reeves/Belt Question

[George Summers]

There has been discussions on various forums about how the belt gets torn up on the HF34706. I just purchased a used one and while familiarizing myself with it, I studied the reeves pulleys. The inside of the four flanges have alternate indented and raised lands. The transistions between the two lands are very sharp corners. The transistions on the outside of the flanges are rounded over and very smooth. It seems to me that the very sharp edges on the inside of the flanges serve to cut up the edge of the belt badly thus eventually (short eventually) tearing the belt up. Has anyone tried (or thought about) taking a small file and rounding over the sharp edges? Or, are the edges there on purpose to help grab and drive the belt? Would the belt be more likely to slip if the sharp edges were not there? I want to try it but I don't want to have to buy four new flanges after I do it and find that there is a reason that they are sharp.

Second question, does anyone know an easy way to change the belt on this machine. It appears that you just have to muscle it off and on.

George