Model Engine Maker

Supporting => Engine Ancillaries => Topic started by: cfellows on April 20, 2014, 04:29:21 AM

Title: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: cfellows on April 20, 2014, 04:29:21 AM
Just a bit of information about belts that can be used both for tools and models.  3M PolyFlex are miniature v-belts that are only 1/8" wide across the top but are incredibly strong.  They are used to power the Taig lathe and I've used them to power generators and such with model engines.  Making pulleys for them is very easy as the groove is only 1/8" wide at the top.  They are available on Amazon as well as this site:

http://www.vbeltsupply.com/ecommerce/3m375-gates-polyflex.html (http://www.vbeltsupply.com/ecommerce/3m375-gates-polyflex.html)

They also seem to be widely available in countries other than just the US.

I am planning to use one to power a small generator with my vertical single 4 stroke engine.  I'll post a thread when I start the project and make the pulleys.

Chuck

PS:  I have no financial interest in this product.  Just passing along information that others might find useful.
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: b.lindsey on April 20, 2014, 12:13:13 PM
Nice tip Chuck...and Amazon lists MANY more sizes and lengths as well should the need arise for them. This may be just the thing for a better drive from my Tiny Power steam engine to the PMR Dynamo.

Bill
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: TerryWerm on April 20, 2014, 03:32:11 PM
Just to save anyone from doing a search that might not have desirable results:  The Polyflex belts are made by Gates, not 3M.  I think the confusion came from the part number for the belt you mentioned, Chuck, as the number starts out with '3M'.
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: cfellows on April 20, 2014, 03:47:29 PM
Just to save anyone from doing a search that might not have desirable results:  The Polyflex belts are made by Gates, not 3M.  I think the confusion came from the part number for the belt you mentioned, Chuck, as the number starts out with '3M'.

Thanks, Terry, you're right, the part number had me confused as well.  I sure thought they were made by Gates.   :facepalm:

Chuck
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: TerryWerm on April 20, 2014, 04:18:18 PM
Don't feel bad, Chuck. When I read your post I first thought that they were made by 3M too!!   I know a number of engineers at 3M, both current and retired, and I thought it odd that they had entered into the vee belt business and nobody ever mentioned it.
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: Dan Rowe on April 20, 2014, 05:36:17 PM
If you are planning to make pulleys for a Gates 3M cross sectiom belt note that the angle is 600 not 400 as most V belts are.
http://www.gates.com/products/industrial/industrial-belts/light-duty-v-belts/polyflex-belts

Dan
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: cfellows on April 20, 2014, 06:10:00 PM
If you are planning to make pulleys for a Gates 3M cross sectiom belt note that the angle is 600 not 400 as most V belts are.
http://www.gates.com/products/industrial/industrial-belts/light-duty-v-belts/polyflex-belts

Dan

Dan, I knew these had a 60 degree angle.  Easy to make with a common triangular cutting tool.  But somewhere along the line, I had forgotten that common v-belts are 40 degrees... or.... maybe I never new that!   :-\

Chuck
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: cfellows on April 20, 2014, 06:12:26 PM
This is a video of my open column twin engine driving a 90v DC motor as a generator using a Polyflex belt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXF6i00pE3c

Chuck
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: kuhncw on April 21, 2014, 03:19:50 AM
Chuck,

Thanks for posting the video of your twin cylinder.  Great sound.  Takes me back to the D John Deere I ran for days on end plowing wheat stubble.

Regards,

Chuck Kuhn
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: PStechPaul on April 21, 2014, 04:23:13 AM
I just got a couple of these belts for my HF 9 x 20 lathe, I found a local supplier who sent mine in 2 days:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261441344015 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/261441344015)
 
The vbeltsupply source seems really good for a wide variety of sizes. Good to know where to get belts smaller than those usually found at Grainger, McMaster, Tractor Supply, and the other "usual suspects". Thanks!
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: cfellows on April 21, 2014, 05:30:40 AM
Chuck,

Thanks for posting the video of your twin cylinder.  Great sound.  Takes me back to the D John Deere I ran for days on end plowing wheat stubble.

Regards,

Chuck Kuhn

Me, Too, Chuck.  I grew up in a small town in Iowa and I love the old John Deere's.  I have a soft spot for the Model "B", but the "D" is probably my favorite.  It was a no nonsense, here I come tractor!

Chuck
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: sshire on April 21, 2014, 01:09:49 PM
Perfect timing,Chuck.
I'm building the PMR dynamo and these look perfect. Ordered a few from V-belt supply.
Thanks
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: b.lindsey on April 21, 2014, 01:32:38 PM
I just ordered two this morning. Now just have to adapt the two pulleys for the v-belt profile once they arrive. Thanks again for the tip Chuck!!

Bill
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: b.lindsey on April 21, 2014, 03:59:09 PM
Within 30 minutes of placing my order for 2 belts this morinng, I had a call from Jeff Peterson at Vbelt supply just thanking me for the order and followed up by and email containing his contact info. and line card. I asked him if he minded me posting the line card here on the forum and he said it was fine, so I am attaching it below. If they follow up on shipping as well as accepting the order, I would say we have a source for belting items that actually cares about their customers (even us small ones) !!

Bill
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: gbritnell on April 21, 2014, 04:24:22 PM
Hi Chuck,
I went to the link listed but I'm not sure which series you use. I would like the 1/8 top width belts.
gbritnell
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: Dan Rowe on April 21, 2014, 04:37:31 PM
George,
Here is another site for Gates 3M belts with a 3mm top width. It looks like the number after 3M is the length of the belt in millimeters.
http://www.royalsupply.com/store/pc/3M-Polyflex-Belts-c1133.htm

Dan
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: cfellows on April 21, 2014, 05:11:40 PM
Dan, those prices look a little better.  Kind of depends on shipping, too.

George, did you go to this link?

http://www.vbeltsupply.com/ecommerce/3m375-gates-polyflex.html (http://www.vbeltsupply.com/ecommerce/3m375-gates-polyflex.html)

This takes me directly to the 1/8" wide belts...

Chuck
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: cfellows on April 21, 2014, 05:19:11 PM
George, this appears to be a better link...

http://www.vbeltsupply.com/ecommerce/gates/polyflex (http://www.vbeltsupply.com/ecommerce/gates/polyflex)

The 3M prefix is the belt width in millimeters and the last three numbers are the belt's outside circumference in millimeters.

Chuck
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: wagnmkr on April 21, 2014, 05:38:37 PM
Excellent prices on the belts ... unfortunately, the shipping to Canada is 3 times what the belt cost. I hate it when that happens.

Cheers,

Tom
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: gldavison on April 22, 2014, 03:18:18 AM
I tried to order a belt for my Taig spindle from Vbeltsupply last fall. They wanted 15 dollars to ship an 8 dollar belt.  I don't think so!!!

They lost that sale.

Gary
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: cfellows on April 22, 2014, 05:53:17 AM
I tried to order a belt for my Taig spindle from Vbeltsupply last fall. They wanted 15 dollars to ship an 8 dollar belt.  I don't think so!!!

They lost that sale.

Gary

I think a lot of these companies sometimes get hung up on using just one shipper or one process so a lot of the prices are pretty high.  I've seen companies try to charge $10 - $15 to ship something that could be put in a padded envelope with a stamp for under a buck, but they just won't do it!  I get aggravated with Speedy Metals because they seem to charge a minimum of $15 - $18, even if the piece is small enough to put in a USPS Flat Rate box for under $6.00.  I would think a little more creativity in shipping could net them a lot more business!

Chuck
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: PStechPaul on April 22, 2014, 06:55:47 AM
That's one reason I chose the supplier I did. He is sort of local (Martinsburg, WV), and charged $4 for USPS priority mail for both of the belts I purchased, and they arrived just two days after I placed my order. I was very pleased, but he doesn't seem to carry a wide range of other products I might need:
http://stores.ebay.com/bemrinc?_trksid=p2047675.l2563 (http://stores.ebay.com/bemrinc?_trksid=p2047675.l2563)
 
I bought over $100 of various size and type of metal from exact metals, enticed by the offer of free shipping once I reached that threshold. It was all packed tightly in a USPS large flat rate box, but it took a couple days mare than "promised" to arrive. Understandable, coming from California, but a little disappointing.
 
It seems that eBay has a "Fast and Free" shipping option that many sellers take advantage of. I don't know just how it works, but it makes lots of things very affordable bargains whereas normal shipping costs would make me disinterested. Most sellers will combine shipments to lower costs. And I have been very pleasantly surprised by the low shipping costs from McMaster, where sometimes I have received perhaps three separate packages with large and odd-shaped items like 4 foot rods and 2' x 4' sheets, all nicely packaged, and only like $6 for the lot.
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: Dan Rowe on April 24, 2014, 05:07:15 PM
For 3M Polyflex belts here is the pulley dimensions see page 99 of this ,pdf.
http://www.gates.com/~/media/Files/Gates/Industrial/Power%20Transmission/Manuals/PT_GatesLPPdesignManual_2005.pdf

There is a 2/3M and a 3/3M version of the belt for 2 and 3 row belts for miniature heavy machinery.

This is the same answer I just gave Stan on the other thread, I just wanted it here also for future reference.

Dan
Title: Re: 3M PolyFlex belts
Post by: sshire on April 24, 2014, 05:49:34 PM
George
Is 3 mm close enough? If so, the 3Mxxx
(Xxx is the belt length )
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal