[MR] Leather question

[Terry Buyers]

Unless you really have to have a leather belt, I'd go with a modern 
V-belt. Assuming a standard round groove pully, it sounds like an 
A-series belt should fit. We're not talking precision engineering 
here.

Making a round leather drive belt starts with long cuts of heavy hide 
stock end spliced together, then sanded to round off slightly. 
Running in the pulleys does the rest.

As an alternative, you can start with a bunch of leather thongs, do a 
rope braid, and do a tapered end splice to close the loop. Any good 
sailing knot book should show those braids and splices. 

V-belt is a lot easier. There's a reason rubber belts replaced 
leather.   8-)

                Taras





On Sunday 11 June 2006 11:00, Roy B. Scherer wrote:
>
> I need to somehow make a piece of material in the shape of a torus,
> 97" in circumference, circular and about 3/16" in cross-section. 
> The original was leather, so I'd like to have the replacement
> likewise.  The simplest solution, tying one or more thongs
> together, is so inelegant that I've rejected it.  (Think of the
> "THUMP" as each knot passes over each of the two pulleys!)
>
> This problem has been solved before, but I'm not privy to the
> solution.  OTOH, there are many on these two lists who are
> experienced and learned in leathercraft and period machinery.  I'd
> welcome any answers or suggestions from those who are either more
> knowlegeable, or smarter, than am I.
>