I don't think you are thinking correctly about this. When you want to
design a belt drive system, you start with the tables in Machinery's
Handbook, the horsepower of the engine driving it, and the desired
torque, and you look up the max. horsepower you can transmit with
your pulleys, and then you depend on the pulley manufacturer to design
their pulley to transmit that amount of torque. There isn't anything
at all wrong with aluminum pulleys. All Bridgeport J-heads use aluminum
pulleys, for example.

Most pulleys you buy these days are cast not from aluminum, but from
pot metal (zinc). Further, they aren't machined after casting. And
even the US-made ones have tons of runout, both radially and axially.

I recommend you learn to turn pulleys on a lathe. When you turn a pulley
on a lathe, you get very little runout. The turning part isn't too hard.
It's the keyway part that puts most people off. I did one recently and
found it to be straightforward. I used the method of stroking a boring
bar back and forth on the ways, with lots of oil, advancing maybe .003"
between full-width passes. It worked fine for me on aluminum, but it
would have been tougher on steel. I used an import boring bar made in
India, designed to hold 3/16" toolbits either 90° or 45°. I bought it
from Enco for about five bucks. I found it to be well made and just
ideal for this job. I held it in an Aloris AXA-2 toolholder and advanced
the bar sideways with the cross-slide. I measured the vertical location
of the toolbit with a depth mic down from the OD of the part, which I
knew accurately. Mine works just fine. I didn't invent this method, I
simply did what others have done.

The other approach is to find a machinery dealer who's been in business
a long time, maybe a woodworking house, and go talk to the guys in the
back. Sometimes they will have a few drawers full of pulleys, old cast
iron ones, that you can use.

Grant

wrote:
I am wanting some small pulleys for v-belts. I need an assortment of
small diameters with 7/8" keyed bore. The diameters for the belt
should be around 2 to 6 inches and should not be aluminum due to
driving torque.

I can find them in Grainger's, MSC and WTT. Whew! They want real
money for them and WTT doesn't have a good assortment of anything but
aluminum.

Is there a Pulleys R US around?

What about machining some? Don't want to cast metal, however. Not
yet, anyway.

In article
,
says...
Thanks, Grant.

Your crystal ball is off-frequency. I have already been to the tables
and know what I need.

What my post requested was an outlet for pulleys.

However, the other comments are appreciated, too.

I bought a few die-cast pulleys from WTT and thought they were some
sort of poor aluminum alloy as the were pitifully weak.

I like the idea of the boring bar/key way deal.

Look in the yellow pages under "bearings" or "power
transmission" -- any small city will have several listings.
Motion Industries and Kaman are two large national
ditributors, and there are likely to be smaller regional
companies as well. These places can hook you up with good
quality steel and cast iron pulleys.

I'd suggest looking at taper-lock or QD bushed pulleys if
you want to avoid boring the pulleys yourself. They're also
easier to install/replace and when made up properly give an
interference fit on the shaft.

As far as prices go, I just checked my price from Motion
Industries on a Browning BK50H. Grainger gets $23.74, MI is
$13.48 for the Gates equivalent.

Ned Simmons

On Thu, 24 Jun 2004 22:47:40 -0400, Ned Simmons
wrote:

In article
m,
says...
Thanks, Grant.

Your crystal ball is off-frequency. I have already been to the tables
and know what I need.

What my post requested was an outlet for pulleys.

However, the other comments are appreciated, too.

I bought a few die-cast pulleys from WTT and thought they were some
sort of poor aluminum alloy as the were pitifully weak.

I like the idea of the boring bar/key way deal.

Look in the yellow pages under "bearings" or "power
transmission" -- any small city will have several listings.
Motion Industries and Kaman are two large national
ditributors, and there are likely to be smaller regional
companies as well. These places can hook you up with good
quality steel and cast iron pulleys.

I'd suggest looking at taper-lock or QD bushed pulleys if
you want to avoid boring the pulleys yourself. They're also
easier to install/replace and when made up properly give an
interference fit on the shaft.

As far as prices go, I just checked my price from Motion
Industries on a Browning BK50H. Grainger gets $23.74, MI is
$13.48 for the Gates equivalent.

Ned Simmons

Ive got about 5000 lbs of pulleys, bushings etc. Come on over and take
your pick. You will however be pallet box diving. Wear your working
clothes.
G

Gunner

That rifle hanging on the wall of the working-class flat or labourer's
cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays
there.
- George Orwell

Choices, choices. Have you considered Poly-V belts? The pulleys are faster
to make on a lathe than the ordinary V.

I get most of my pulleys at flea markets and salvage places. The taper-lock
types that were mentioned are easy to mount (usually) without requiring a
keyway.

Some have mentioned that they get used serpentine pulleys at auto junkyards.

WB
..............

wrote in message
.com...
I am wanting some small pulleys for v-belts. I need an assortment of
small diameters with 7/8" keyed bore. The diameters for the belt
should be around 2 to 6 inches and should not be aluminum due to
driving torque.

I can find them in Grainger's, MSC and WTT. Whew! They want real
money for them and WTT doesn't have a good assortment of anything but
aluminum.

Is there a Pulleys R US around?

What about machining some? Don't want to cast metal, however. Not
yet, anyway.

Thank you.

Dad makes all of the one-off pulleys we use around the shop. We have made
them in limited production for customer machines as well, it allows us the
use of non-standard size combinations.

He roughs the groove in with a parting tool, then finishes with a tool steel
form tool, works well in mild steel.

wrote in message
.com...
I am wanting some small pulleys for v-belts. I need an assortment of
small diameters with 7/8" keyed bore. The diameters for the belt
should be around 2 to 6 inches and should not be aluminum due to
driving torque.

I can find them in Grainger's, MSC and WTT. Whew! They want real
money for them and WTT doesn't have a good assortment of anything but
aluminum.

Is there a Pulleys R US around?

What about machining some? Don't want to cast metal, however. Not
yet, anyway.

Thank you.

Try might looking at Tractor Supply, Rural King or the local farmers co-op. Most time they have a nice selection of "A" belt
sheaves. Most are minimum bore with set screws.
R. Wink

On Fri, 25 Jun 2004 09:36:18 GMT, "Jon Grimm" wrote:

Dad makes all of the one-off pulleys we use around the shop. We have made
them in limited production for customer machines as well, it allows us the
use of non-standard size combinations.

He roughs the groove in with a parting tool, then finishes with a tool steel
form tool, works well in mild steel.

wrote in message
t.com...
I am wanting some small pulleys for v-belts. I need an assortment of
small diameters with 7/8" keyed bore. The diameters for the belt
should be around 2 to 6 inches and should not be aluminum due to
driving torque.

I can find them in Grainger's, MSC and WTT. Whew! They want real
money for them and WTT doesn't have a good assortment of anything but
aluminum.

Is there a Pulleys R US around?

What about machining some? Don't want to cast metal, however. Not
yet, anyway.

Thank you.

I dunno, but if you're gonna make 3 or 4 pulleys, I'd invest in a keyway
broach--
you can make your own bushings --if you have a mill.. if not, they're
reasonable.
Jerry

wrote:

Thanks, Grant.

Your crystal ball is off-frequency. I have already been to the tables
and know what I need.

What my post requested was an outlet for pulleys.

However, the other comments are appreciated, too.

I bought a few die-cast pulleys from WTT and thought they were some
sort of poor aluminum alloy as the were pitifully weak.

I like the idea of the boring bar/key way deal.

On Thu, 24 Jun 2004 19:16:28 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Quoted: I don't think you are thinking correctly about this. When you
want to
Quoted: design a belt drive system, you start with the tables in
Machinery's
Quoted: Handbook, the horsepower of the engine driving it, and the
desired
Quoted: torque, and you look up the max. horsepower you can transmit
with
Quoted: your pulleys, and then you depend on the pulley manufacturer
to design
Quoted: their pulley to transmit that amount of torque. There isn't
anything
Quoted: at all wrong with aluminum pulleys. All Bridgeport J-heads use
aluminum
Quoted: pulleys, for example.
Quoted:
Quoted: Most pulleys you buy these days are cast not from aluminum,
but from
Quoted: pot metal (zinc). Further, they aren't machined after casting.
And
Quoted: even the US-made ones have tons of runout, both radially and
axially.
Quoted:
Quoted: I recommend you learn to turn pulleys on a lathe. When you
turn a pulley
Quoted: on a lathe, you get very little runout. The turning part isn't
too hard.
Quoted: It's the keyway part that puts most people off. I did one
recently and
Quoted: found it to be straightforward. I used the method of stroking
a boring
Quoted: bar back and forth on the ways, with lots of oil, advancing
maybe .003"
Quoted: between full-width passes. It worked fine for me on aluminum,
but it
Quoted: would have been tougher on steel. I used an import boring bar
made in
Quoted: India, designed to hold 3/16" toolbits either 90° or 45°. I
bought it
Quoted: from Enco for about five bucks. I found it to be well made and
just
Quoted: ideal for this job. I held it in an Aloris AXA-2 toolholder
and advanced
Quoted: the bar sideways with the cross-slide. I measured the vertical
location
Quoted: of the toolbit with a depth mic down from the OD of the part,
which I
Quoted: knew accurately. Mine works just fine. I didn't invent this
method, I
Quoted: simply did what others have done.
Quoted:
Quoted: The other approach is to find a machinery dealer who's been in
business
Quoted: a long time, maybe a woodworking house, and go talk to the
guys in the
Quoted: back. Sometimes they will have a few drawers full of pulleys,
old cast
Quoted: iron ones, that you can use.
Quoted:
Quoted: Grant
Quoted:
Quoted: wrote:
Quoted: I am wanting some small pulleys for v-belts. I need an
assortment of
Quoted: small diameters with 7/8" keyed bore. The diameters for the
belt
Quoted: should be around 2 to 6 inches and should not be aluminum
due to
Quoted: driving torque.
Quoted:
Quoted: I can find them in Grainger's, MSC and WTT. Whew! They
want real
Quoted: money for them and WTT doesn't have a good assortment of
anything but
Quoted: aluminum.
Quoted:
Quoted: Is there a Pulleys R US around?
Quoted:
Quoted: What about machining some? Don't want to cast metal,
however. Not
Quoted: yet, anyway.

Grant Erwin wrote:

their pulley to transmit that amount of torque. There isn't anything
at all wrong with aluminum pulleys. All Bridgeport J-heads use aluminum
pulleys, for example.
...
I recommend you learn to turn pulleys on a lathe. When you turn a pulley
on a lathe, you get very little runout. The turning part isn't too hard.

Have a look at
http://www.metalworking.com/DropBox/Prop_speed_reducer.pdf
While there is only a couple of hours on this, it shows no sign of
wear. The belts don't heat up. BTW, it's a 50hp engine.

Ted