[Lathe] Mystery build up on pulleys

DavidR8

DavidR8

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My new-to-me 1973 SB 10K the cone pulleys had a coating on them, It's some kind of build up of dirt/oil/gunk...
I managed to get it all cleaned off by running the lathe and holding a scraper blade against each pulley as it spun.
What I can't figure how to stop so it keeps coming back.

I recognize that switching to a serpentine belt will solve the problem but in the meantime has anyone ever had this problem before?
 
Last edited:
DavidR8 said:
My new-to-me 1973 SB 10K the cone pulleys had a coating on them, It's some kind of build up of dirt/oil/gunk...
I managed to get it all cleaned off by running the lathe and holding a scraper blade against each pulley as it spun.
What I can't figure how to stop so it keeps coming back.

I recognize that switching to a serpentine belt will solve the proble but in the meantime has anyone ever had this problem before?
Click to expand...
Leather flat belt?
 
@francist it very well could be that. On a whim I turned the belt inside out and tried running it for a few minutes and the same thing happened.

@middle.road I don't think it's a leather flat belt as I can see some kind of weave in the composition. And there's no laced seam.
 
Interesting.
I have zero experience with that style of belting.

-f
 
DavidR8 said:
@francist it very well could be that. On a whim I turned the belt inside out and tried running it for a few minutes and the same thing happened.

@middle.road I don't think it's a leather flat belt as I can see some kind of weave in the composition. And there's no laced seam.
Click to expand...
Gonna need to see some picts.
 
I'll see if I can snap some tonight.
 
Sounds like some type of rubber belt that's deteriorating? A leather belt will always have a joint, either stitched or wire hinge type
 
I should probably wait to see the picture but here's what I know. Some "rubber" is actually a synthetic IIRC called EDM. Under certain circumstances it oxidizes and deteriorates (especially in areas with high humidity) and leaves this black deposit. If you get it on your clothes the black smudge won't wash out even. The way I ran into this was I was using vacuum hose that was supposedly rubber but was EDM. I was told this by a Stanford chem prof when he deciphered the MSDS sheet. I went to platinum cured silicone hose and all that stopped. I have one of my belts on my RF30 that will quickly deteriorate if I run it on the smallest pulley so I have a feeling it has to do with the humidity here and the EDM. The other belt is the original and is doing fine.
 
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