Ivan Vegvary writes:

Son in law changed his mind and will not be using newly acquired
($25 garage sale item) treadmill. Choices are to give it away free
via Craigslist to a happy user or tear it apart for some fun pieces.

In the past years you readers have written a lot about using
treadmill motors. How about the belt? Rollers? Re-use for what
purpose? I love projects, give me some ideas.

I got a whole truckload of assorted such parts including two partially
dismantled Stairmasters and a treadmill with no electronics from a
repair biz that went bust.

The treadmill had a gear motor with Acme (square?) thread shaft (+ 5
spares :-). Gave one to a guy to build a dumbwaiter for his firewood.

A pulley from a Stairmaster was just right for uprading a small
carding mill that was missing parts from the factory.

Those gear motors are reversible so you can use them to position tools,
workpieces or whatever. Same as ones used to elevate hospital beds.

Oh, and the big motor on the treadmill had a variable-pitch V-pulley
on it. Haven't found a use for it yet but I will.

And those rollers are, IIRC, an odd size of (relatively) thin-wall
steel tube. (I was hoping they were stainless but they weren't)
Odd-size round things are always handy, especially if you don't have a
lathe.

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada