Miniature fan belt

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stevehuckss396

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I have been looking for an idea for a fan belt for a while now. I need something between .015-.020 inches thick and 1.0625 in diameter. O-rings are to big. Thought about mini rubber bands but cant find anything that small in black. I could make it from something solid but functional would be better.


Any ideas?

DSCN1293s.JPG
 
Old answering machines ,Cd drives Flappy's and so on had very thin non stretch rubber belts may be 1/4 wide.
Hilmar
 
Steve,

Maybe something to try:
You could wrap your own out of Kevlar fishing line then coat it with RTV or silicone. I have no idea if it would work but I suppose you could try it.

Kevin
 
How about a timing belt you can slit them down to width and turn them inside out and sand teeth off, they don't stretch and are black.

peter

P1030040.JPG
 
what about finding a bonded hose with a od and wall thickness to suit ? cut off a 0.020 section ?

ask em to send you a inch to check it before you "buy a reel" ;D

cheers jack
 
Steve,

You might look in the hair care section of your local Walmart, they sell small black rubber bands for tying braided hair, my daughters buy them all the time. I used one of these little rubber bands as a "spring" for my little flyweight governor, they are pretty small, the one I am using currently is only 3/4" diameter. They are approx. .030 thick and .060 wide, but you might be able to shave the width down a little.

Scott
 
I don't know if dental floss takes colour to make it black however I hear it makes a fantastic drive medium!

Hope this helps

Al
 
ksouers said:
Steve,

Maybe something to try:
You could wrap your own out of Kevlar fishing line then coat it with RTV or silicone. I have no idea if it would work but I suppose you could try it.

Kevin

Sounds like it wont stretch. I need something that stretches because there is no adjustment. Just needs to pop on.

Thanks
Steve
 
jack404 said:
what about finding a bonded hose with a od and wall thickness to suit ? cut off a 0.020 section ?

ask em to send you a inch to check it before you "buy a reel" ;D

cheers jack

McMaster Carr has what they call Cord Stock. It is a round rubber extrusion. The smallest size is .0625 and the smallest o-ring is .040.

Steve
 
Superfast said:
Steve,

You might look in the hair care section of your local Walmart, they sell small black rubber bands for tying braided hair, my daughters buy them all the time. I used one of these little rubber bands as a "spring" for my little flyweight governor, they are pretty small, the one I am using currently is only 3/4" diameter. They are approx. .030 thick and .060 wide, but you might be able to shave the width down a little.

Scott

I will look into it!

Steve
 
Steve you want ideas her are a couple to ponder.
Hear is what i might try.
A
1) get or turn a piece of aluminum to proper diameter.
2) Cut a groove in it to desired depth
3)Place o-ring in groove
4) machine or sand O- ring to desired thickness
I have machined rubber sheet with sharp hss.
For sanding I would use my Dremel flex shaft handle with a little sanding drum.
Plan B
1) Again start with a piece of aluminum round stock
a) Face end square
b) drill and tap a 1/4 20,10- 32 hole or other convenient size
hole about 1 " deep in end.
c) part off or cut off about a 1/2
then drill ream the hole on the cut off piece for a shoulder bolt and face off the cut parted ends of both pieces
d) bolt the pieces back together turn to needed diameter and cut a groove of desired shape and depth (The thickness and shape of the belt.
e) Coat the mold you just made with mold release wax, automotive wax should work several coats.
f) with small brush coat the groove with tool grip dip plastic or liquid electrical tape. Immediately wrap with a few windings of un-waxed dental floss repeat as needed end with brushing on plastic. Let fully cure usually 24 hours and machine off excess material .
Separate mold parts and remove your beautiful (with some smiling of the gods) belt.
Giver a try hope this helps.
Tin
 
Go to your local transmission shop and ask to look through they used kit box's every shop has them and Honda and Toyota transmission use many small o rings I am sure there have one that fits the bill. They are sq cut type rubber seals as well there are many options. Those O ring kits that you problely looked through don't scatch the surface there are just
a small sample of whats avail. Also you can cut the o rings and crazy glue them to the size you need and they work fine and hold up well. Just some more ideas to pounder.
 
Tin Falcon said:
Steve you want ideas her are a couple to ponder.
Hear is what i might try.
A
1) get or turn a piece of aluminum to proper diameter.
2) Cut a groove in it to desired depth
3)Place o-ring in groove
4) machine or sand O- ring to desired thickness
I have machined rubber sheet with sharp hss.
For sanding I would use my Dremel flex shaft handle with a little sanding drum.
Plan B
1) Again start with a piece of aluminum round stock
a) Face end square
b) drill and tap a 1/4 20,10- 32 hole or other convenient size
hole about 1 " deep in end.
c) part off or cut off about a 1/2
then drill ream the hole on the cut off piece for a shoulder bolt and face off the cut parted ends of both pieces
d) bolt the pieces back together turn to needed diameter and cut a groove of desired shape and depth (The thickness and shape of the belt.
e) Coat the mold you just made with mold release wax, automotive wax should work several coats.
f) with small brush coat the groove with tool grip dip plastic or liquid electrical tape. Immediately wrap with a few windings of un-waxed dental floss repeat as needed end with brushing on plastic. Let fully cure usually 24 hours and machine off excess material .
Separate mold parts and remove your beautiful (with some smiling of the gods) belt.
Giver a try hope this helps.
Tin


This right here was worth the price of admission. If I cant find another way, I might try plan B

Thanks

Steve
 
artrans said:
Go to your local transmission shop and ask to look through they used kit box's every shop has them and Honda and Toyota transmission use many small o rings I am sure there have one that fits the bill. They are sq cut type rubber seals as well there are many options. Those O ring kits that you problely looked through don't scatch the surface there are just
a small sample of whats avail. Also you can cut the o rings and crazy glue them to the size you need and they work fine and hold up well. Just some more ideas to pounder.

I looked on the McMaster Carr website. They offer about every size made. I also verified that by going to manufacturs web sites and seeing what they make available.
 
Ok 'nother brain storm . Go to local bike shop ask for discarded 25mm road bike inner tube. Most shops just install new ones instead of patching. Cut a cross section of the tube into narrow strips. One inner tube should yield about a thousand black rubber bands.
Tin

 
Just took apart an old Realistic "walkman" type cassette player, had two black square drive belts .035, the smallest I have found so far. :eek:
Kurt
 
stevehuckss396 said:
I have been looking for an idea for a fan belt for a while now. I need something between .015-.020 inches thick and 1.0625 in diameter. O-rings are to big. Thought about mini rubber bands but cant find anything that small in black. I could make it from something solid but functional would be better.


Any ideas?

Steve

How about a section of a bicycle tyre inner tube?

Thickness is about right, tube diameters vary, so you have plenty of choice, they have a bit of stretch and they are black. If the right diameter tube can't be found, you could always slit a section and scarf join it.

Your original question prompted a question of my own, but the bicycle inner tube idea solved it. (The question was: what to use for a drive belt from an engine to a machine it would power.)

Dave
The Emerald Isle
 
steamdave said:
Steve

How about a section of a bicycle tyre inner tube?

Thickness is about right, tube diameters vary, so you have plenty of choice, they have a bit of stretch and they are black. If the right diameter tube can't be found, you could always slit a section and scarf join it.

Your original question prompted a question of my own, but the bicycle inner tube idea solved it. (The question was: what to use for a drive belt from an engine to a machine it would power.)

Dave
The Emerald Isle

That was suggested already. It is something i would consider.

Thanks

Steve
 

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