The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have a leather belt I need to attach around the Pullies of a Columbia B. I have used the rubber belts for my Edisons. I am using a leather one for the B. Any recommendations on a good adhesive or other way to do this.

Thanks

Any good contact adhesive should do the trick. I use EvoStick here in the UK. You want one which doesn't set rigid. Chamfer the leather off for about a centimetre at each end of the belt and put the adhesive on the chamfered parts. You can press them together on the machine, which helps getting the length right.

Hope this helps

Keith

Rubber cement works or Loctite Go2 glue, both of which remain flexible when bonded...

I simply use the rubber cement from the super market. It stays flexible, but holds strong on leather for several years now. In addition to pressing the ends together I give them a few hearty whacks with a hammer to flatten them out.

Andreas

Been doing this a long time now..

I got a great tip awhile ago..

Use Krazy Glue Gel.....It must be the Gel type, Wal-Mart sells it for $1.99 a small tube.

Cut and measure the leather belt to size, and use a medical hemostat to hold the glued ends closed. A small needlenose vice grip may also be used. Clamp the ends together for at least 30 minutes, and then you can literally slowly pull and stretch the leather belt to the appropriate size if the belt is too tight. Once the right belt size is achieved and the machine is running correctly. Go back and seal the ends of the glued area again with Krazy Glue Gel again to make it permanent.

Remember, It's always better to have too tight of a belt, because you can stretch it to size. A new leather belt will always be able to be stretched if need be. A "too loose" belt with have to be re-cut and re-glued, and that is no fun when you have to do the same job twice.

Done.

It always has worked excellent for me...and still does!


)

Tony K.

I have used contact cement with excellent results following Wyatts Musical Americana how to guide:

http://www.wyattsmusical.com/belts.html

I bevel the edges with a sharp knife and glue them with Krazy Glue Gel. I also squeese the joint in a C clamp to make it real flat.
once done the joint is no thicker than the rest of the belt.

EDIT: I also prefer to make my own belts... the readily available stuff isn't very straight and supple so I cut mine from a piece of leather rescued from a junk coat. it's also much cheaper.

I've been using ordinary "super glue" with good results. Make sure to cut the ends at an angle so you can lap the joint when you glue it without increasing the thickness of the belt at the joint. I do that by cutting the leather a bit longer than necessary, laying one end on top of the other as they meet when the belt is formed into a circle, and then cutting both at an angel at the same time with a single-edge razor blade. Give you a perfect lap joint.

Clay

I know, I agree, The Krazy Glue Gel is the bomb.. It works much better than just old contact cement or rubber cement. Try it on your next belt.. I'd be surprised if you didn't agree.

)

Tony K.

So far, I also had the best results with contact cement. Here in DE I use Pattex Contact glue, a US equivalent is Duco Cement.

I had belts that were done with crazy glue (gel) and these would always cause audible speed flaws when the hardened seam would touch a pulley. Never had any of these problems with the cement so far as it stays flexible.