Hercus Model VBC Lathe
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Hercus Model VBC Lathe |
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When I got the lathe its main problem was a broken flat belt. I asked about replacements and ended up getting a poly-V belt (serpentine belt) from Repco. The part number is 6PK0858. This belt works in a limited sense but it falls off the pulleys and needs lots of tension for any traction. The force on the shafts from this tension does not seem good to me.
Luckily I managed to buy some 4-speed pulleys that use a V-belt. The V-belt and pulleys should provide much more traction allowing me to run with less belt tension and loading on the shafts. The extra speed step is an additional bonus.
Hopefully this is the last picture of the flat belt and old pulleys. Time to remove the spindle. I haven't done this for days now.
The pulleys were painted when received. This paint didn't like my degreaser so now I have a clean metal finish with the shine of black oil.
The spindle pulleys are now in position and yes I've remembered to include the V-belt. I'm using an A35 belt here. A slightly shorter belt (e.g. A34) might be better as I don't have much adjustment left for belt stretch. Notice the pieces of wire in the oil holes. These are holding the felts down as is required when inserting the spindle.
Testing the new pulleys and belt. Everything is spinning freely and the belt tension is low. Later testing included drilling a large hole and parting off. Performance is much better than with the flat belt. This has been a very worthwhile upgrade. Much better than the silly flat belt. Notice the translucent pulley on the left. And they say cameras don't lie.
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Last modified 2010-07-16