trader-of-some-jacks wrote:
My vacuum cleaner has an attachment that has a small beater brush. The
brush is driven by the airflow from the vacuum itself, turning a wheel
that pulls a small rubber drive belt, that turns the beater brush.

The brush hasn't been turning lately, even after I disassembled the
attachment and cleaned and lubed the friction points.

When I started analyzing things, it turns out that the belt has
stretched out to the point of uselessness.

I'm sure that Sears would sell me a new attachment for $50. I'm sure
that with a lot of homework, I could find a replacement belt, but I'm
not really in the mood to do that homework.

So my quick and dirty cut at making this work is built around the hope
that I can somehow shrink the belt. It's maybe six inches in
circumference and fairly thin. Is there something I can soak it in, or
heat it or cool it to reduce the size? I'm thinking that a quarter to
half-inch reduction in circumference will more than adequately do the
trick.


You really should buy a new belt, they're cheep enough, but.....

Back in the 60s I supplemented my "real job" incvome by servicing reel
to reel tape recorders at night.

Those monsters had rubber drive belts in them and I found I could
"shrink" them by judiciously waving them through the flame of a
Bernz-O-Matic torch or a gas stove burner, heating them to just below
their "ignition temperature", and rotating the belt through the flame so
all parts got "the treatment".

I know it sounds ludicrous, but what have you got to lose the belt isn't
earning its keep the way it is now. Plus I'd get a reel boot out of
hearing you tell us that tried my approach and it worked.

Good Luck,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.