My drive belt is squeaky. Is it really okay to lube it with WD-40? Seems to me that lubrication is not the right thing to do. My lathe is about 5 years old and I see no visible signs of wear on the belt or the sheaves. Thanks in advance for replying.
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3520B Drive Belt Noise
- Thread starter Russ Prior
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Definitely never ever lubricate a drive belt. The squeaking obviously means that the belt is slipping. A good belt won't squeak even if the tension is a bit loose. A belt grips on the sidewalls whether it is a standard single V belt (such as an A-section type) or a poly V (such as a J-section type). A belt is worn out when it wears down to the point that it is running in the bottom of the groove of the pulley because it no longer is able to pull the same torque without slipping ... and squeaking. A belt can also reach the point of needing to be replaced if it gets hard. A belt gets hard from natural aging in a process known as ozone cracking. Oil on a belt can also accelerate the process of rubber hardening in addition to preventing the sidewalls of the belt from getting traction with the sidewalls of the pulley. I also would not use belt dressing which makes the rubber swell. When the rubber swells, it presumably allows you to squeeze a bit more life out of the belt, but it is poor economics and just makes a mess.
I would say that it is time to get a new belt, but first you could check some things like proper tension ... you should be able to deflect the belt about ⅜ to ½ inch at mid span with firm finger pressure (not arm or hand pressure pushing your finger) ... also check that the pulley is not slipping on the spindle ... this isn't likely, but it could happen. Also, verify that the noise is coming from the belt and not elsewhere. Run the lathe without any load and then run the lathe with the belt removed. Next spin the spindle by hand. If you hear the squeak with the belt removed and the motor running, it suggests that it is the motor that is having a problem. If you hear a squeak when spinning the spindle by hand then the bearings are suspect.
BTW, my cat's name is Squeaky.
I would say that it is time to get a new belt, but first you could check some things like proper tension ... you should be able to deflect the belt about ⅜ to ½ inch at mid span with firm finger pressure (not arm or hand pressure pushing your finger) ... also check that the pulley is not slipping on the spindle ... this isn't likely, but it could happen. Also, verify that the noise is coming from the belt and not elsewhere. Run the lathe without any load and then run the lathe with the belt removed. Next spin the spindle by hand. If you hear the squeak with the belt removed and the motor running, it suggests that it is the motor that is having a problem. If you hear a squeak when spinning the spindle by hand then the bearings are suspect.
BTW, my cat's name is Squeaky.
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Check to see that the pulleys are tight on the shaft and that the top and bottom pulleys are aligned.
I think the powermatic may have a couple set screws to hold the pulleys to the shaft.
Al
I have a new 3250b and it makes a funny belt noise once in a while. At first it alarmed me but after I checked out the pulleys and tension I decided that it's probably a function of that style of belt and pulley. Sometimes the little ribs rub.
WD40
http://wd40.com/files/pdf/msds-wd482671453.pdf
The primary ingredient in WD 40 is CAS # 64742-47-8 a kind of fuel oil but not #2 fuel oil.
https://www.shell.com/content/dam/s...rotreated-light-cas-64742-47-8---str---en.pdf
It's got little bits of other things in it like
http://www.safety-kleen.com/File Library/msds/82828rev11-12.pdf
http://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/rn/64742-53-6
http://www.shell.com/content/dam/sh...-0---stil---en-vk-40c-less-than-20.5mm2-s.pdf
and mineral oil
I wouldn't call that a lube at least not a particularly good lube. It might even damage the material the belt is made from.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Most likely it's the pulley's not being aligned dead on. One of them may be loose. It's hard to get a ruler in there to check alignment but if you have access to a table saw or bandsaw cut a short piece of wood that will sit against the pulleys. If there is a gap any where one of the pulleys will need to be adjusted. the wood or ruler should sit perfectly flat against the pulleys from top to bottom. I doubt that pulley tension is the problem but loosen the motor and retension it just to make sure. Also make sure the belt is sitting in all of the grooves on both pulleys.
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That is a very good point. It is easy to have the belt shifted over one groove and that can lead to noise and wear on the belt. Also, as John also said having the pulleys in alignment with each other is very important. When properly set up, a poly-V belt should be almost silent when running.