link belt on Delta 1440 VS

Since sheave and pulley mean exactlly the same thing, I'm not sure what you're asking, so...

...if you mean your lathe uses step pulley-type speed change, then yes, link-belts will work.

...if you mean that your lathe uses split sheave, Reeves-type drive, then no, link-belt will NOT work. A Reeves drive needs a wide belt to work...a "normal" Vee-belts is roughly the same thickness as its width...a belt for a Reeves drive may be 4 to 5 or more times wider than the thinkness.

Mike

The Davenports wrote: (clip) ...if you mean that your lathe uses split sheave, Reeves-type drive, then no, link-belt will NOT work. A Reeves drive needs a wide belt to work(clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This does not agree with my experience. I used a Jet 1236 (with Reeves drive) for several years after replacing the original belt with a link belt, and I believe it was actually better. For one thing, you can adjust the belt length by trial and error in 1/2" increments to get the best combination of lower and upper speed limits. You can replace a few bad links in case of a break, without having to change the whole belt. I believe the belt had fewer problems with breakage than a normal V-belt.

As far as I can recall, the original belt was a NORMAL V-belt--not a wide belt such as you describe.

okay, thanks. Sounds like it will work out great. Sorry if I mis-described the drive. it is a variable speed lathe, made so by the action of the pulleys changing in width.

-Dan V.

I, too, have the Reeves drive on my Delta. I replaced the regular belt with a link belt and got a much quieter and smoother running lathe. It had a normal belt, no a wide one, originally.

Earl

I've done the same with my Jet 1442. The link belt seems to have eliminated at least one small source of vibration.

Max