Hello,

Back when I had a contractor saw, I replaced its belt with one of those link
style belts. It greatly improved the smoothness of the tool and (at least
to me) was worth doing. I was wondering if the same can be done to the
Unisaw, which has 3 (what seem to be) smaller belts. I was told by a clerk
at a woodworking store that this was not possible to do on a Unisaw.

TIA

-Mike

Hi Mike,

Why would you want to do this to a Unisaw? My Unisaw runs perfectly
smooth without changing the belts.

Curtis

"Curtis" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi Mike,

Why would you want to do this to a Unisaw? My Unisaw runs perfectly
smooth without changing the belts.

Curtis


Hey, thanks for the response. In Arizona, rubber items tend to dry out and
crack sooner than later. I guess I'm just wondering what my options are --
if upgrading would make the already smooth running saw even smoother!

If the belts are drying out you can apply some belt dressing. The Unisaw
has 3 matched belts. How can you possibly get 3 of those link belts to
match up?

"JuanKnighter" wrote in message
...
If the belts are drying out you can apply some belt dressing. The Unisaw
has 3 matched belts. How can you possibly get 3 of those link belts to
match up?


Are the Unisaw's belts matched in size or material lot? Both? How are they
matched?

"Mike Pio" wrote in message

Back when I had a contractor saw, I replaced its belt with one of those
link
style belts. It greatly improved the smoothness of the tool and (at least
to me) was worth doing. I was wondering if the same can be done to the
Unisaw, which has 3 (what seem to be) smaller belts. I was told by a
clerk
at a woodworking store that this was not possible to do on a Unisaw.

Unless Unisaw's have really gotten ****ty the last few years, it is not
necessary at all ... it's one of the reasons you buy one.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/14/05

"Mike Pio" wrote in message
news:tWxAe.70978$go.49464@fed1read05...
Hello,

Back when I had a contractor saw, I replaced its belt with one of those
link style belts. It greatly improved the smoothness of the tool and (at
least to me) was worth doing. I was wondering if the same can be done to
the Unisaw, which has 3 (what seem to be) smaller belts. I was told by a
clerk at a woodworking store that this was not possible to do on a Unisaw.


It can be done and many have done it. More than anything I believe is that
it helps resolve the loud jolt heard on most cabinet saws when the saw is
started.

Don't know why you would want to do that.

The only thing that link belts bring to the party is the ability to
resist taking a set. A high quality v belt (or a set of three) will
run just as smoothly or actually more smoothly as long as they have
not been sitting up too long and have taken a set. And after they
have run for a while they loose the set.

Save your money, dress your belts.

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 10:23:58 -0700, "Mike Pio"
wrote:

Hello,

Back when I had a contractor saw, I replaced its belt with one of those link
style belts. It greatly improved the smoothness of the tool and (at least
to me) was worth doing. I was wondering if the same can be done to the
Unisaw, which has 3 (what seem to be) smaller belts. I was told by a clerk
at a woodworking store that this was not possible to do on a Unisaw.

TIA

-Mike

"Leon" wrote in message
. ..

Hello,

Back when I had a contractor saw, I replaced its belt with one of those
link style belts. It greatly improved the smoothness of the tool and (at
least to me) was worth doing. I was wondering if the same can be done to
the Unisaw, which has 3 (what seem to be) smaller belts. I was told by a
clerk at a woodworking store that this was not possible to do on a
Unisaw.


It can be done and many have done it. More than anything I believe is
that it helps resolve the loud jolt heard on most cabinet saws when the
saw is started.

Which I hate. I have a 4 month old Unisaw and it makes that loud jolt about
every 14 starts out of 15. I check the play in the blade raising mechinism
and I have no play. I loosend up the belts a little. Still get the loud
bang. It's really annoying. I was thinking of some day trying some link
belts. Used them and use them on many pieces equipment with good results.
But then I see all the neg post about using them on a 3 belt cabinet saw.
What to do, what to do?????

Darrell

"Mike Pio" wrote in message
news:tWxAe.70978$go.49464@fed1read05...
Hello,

Back when I had a contractor saw, I replaced its belt with one of those
link
style belts. It greatly improved the smoothness of the tool and (at least
to me) was worth doing. I was wondering if the same can be done to the
Unisaw, which has 3 (what seem to be) smaller belts. I was told by a
clerk
at a woodworking store that this was not possible to do on a Unisaw.

TIA

-Mike



Here is a google thread on that very subject.
http://tinyurl.com/abokb

--
********
Bill Pounds
http://www.billpounds.com

"Darrell Dorsey" wrote in message
ervers.com...

Which I hate. I have a 4 month old Unisaw and it makes that loud jolt
about every 14 starts out of 15. I check the play in the blade raising
mechinism and I have no play. I loosend up the belts a little. Still get
the loud bang. It's really annoying. I was thinking of some day trying
some link belts. Used them and use them on many pieces equipment with
good results. But then I see all the neg post about using them on a 3 belt
cabinet saw. What to do, what to do?????

I think it is a general train of thought that the link belts would be hard
to adjust when used in 3's. I personally have not tried it yet but those
that have used the link belts on their cabinet saws have not indicated any
difficulty in adjustment. With just about any belt an adjustment will be
needed after they have run and have stretched a bit. I suspect that after
running the link belts for a while that they will all end up being the same
length.
When my saw was new I contacted Jet about the loud jolt when starting.
Basically they indicated after replacing the motor with no improvement that
with 220 volts the motor normally has no lack of voltage and or voltage
drop and starts instantly as opposed to having to wind up with 110 volt.
The 3 non slipping belts transfer this energy instantly and you hear it. As
the belts wear a bit and loosen this condition seems to subside some what.
I think the looseness of the 3 link belts may in part slip slightly and in
part absorbe the vibration and instant transfer of energy.

Frank Boettcher wrote:

Save your money, dress your belts.

Frank,

How do you dress your belts? Do you have a favored technique? What is
the longest you have gone between turning your saw on and seeing the set
in the belts? Do you run it regularily just to avoid a set?

Jonathan Sidhu

On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 18:51:49 GMT, Jonathan Sidhu
wrote:

Frank Boettcher wrote:

Save your money, dress your belts.

Frank,

How do you dress your belts?

With an automotive belt dressing, although I'm not sure what good it
does. Original poster commented that belts tended to dry out and
crack in his environment. The belt dressing would prevent, or at
least postpone, that.


Do you have a favored technique?

Spray some on the belts and turn on the saw

What is
the longest you have gone between turning your saw on and seeing the set
in the belts?

I've never seen it in my Unisaw. Has always run smooth as glass. Keep
in mind the factory belts are very high quality. I used to get it on
my contractor saw in the winter if it sat for a few days, however, as
mentioned it smoothed out as it was run. It would only be evident on
initial start up and Kind of like old bias ply tires used to get a
flat spot if they sat too long. they would round back up when they
heated up.


Do you run it regularily just to avoid a set?

No, Sometimes I run the saw every day. Some times I go weeks at a
time without turning it on. It is not bothersome nor wil it do any
harm.

Frank

Jonathan Sidhu

Mike Pio wrote:

"Curtis" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi Mike,

Why would you want to do this to a Unisaw? My Unisaw runs perfectly
smooth without changing the belts.

Curtis


Hey, thanks for the response. In Arizona, rubber items tend to dry out and
crack sooner than later. I guess I'm just wondering what my options are --
if upgrading would make the already smooth running saw even smoother!

Not apprciably, and assuming it's not outside in the direct sunlight,
the belts will last quite some time--I'm in SW KS, which isn't quite
as intense as AZ, but only those items in sun or in completely
unregulated temperature environments age significantly faster.

BTW, the three belts are a matched set and will take and maintain equal
tension between the three far better than will the linked belts which
will invariably have slightly different lengths...

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 22:52:53 -0500, "Darrell Dorsey"
wrote:


"Leon" wrote in message
...

Hello,

Back when I had a contractor saw, I replaced its belt with one of those
link style belts. It greatly improved the smoothness of the tool and (at
least to me) was worth doing. I was wondering if the same can be done to
the Unisaw, which has 3 (what seem to be) smaller belts. I was told by a
clerk at a woodworking store that this was not possible to do on a
Unisaw.


It can be done and many have done it. More than anything I believe is
that it helps resolve the loud jolt heard on most cabinet saws when the
saw is started.

Which I hate. I have a 4 month old Unisaw and it makes that loud jolt about
every 14 starts out of 15. I check the play in the blade raising mechinism
and I have no play. I loosend up the belts a little. Still get the loud
bang. It's really annoying. I was thinking of some day trying some link
belts. Used them and use them on many pieces equipment with good results.
But then I see all the neg post about using them on a 3 belt cabinet saw.


What to do, what to do?????

Darrell

relax

If it is any consolation all of them (ten inch tilting arbor cabinet
saws) do it these days. particularly single phase 220V. The motors
have a very high starting torque and you are transferring that through
all the cast iron into that nice resonant cabinet.

Why not every time. Believe it has to do with the stopping
orientation of the armature to the field. Phase angle I believe the
EE's call it. There are spots where it starts softer.

You can fool with the capacitor size but if you get the hard start out
you will impact the performance negatively.

No one wants to pay for an electronic soft start circuitry.

So relax. It will still last several lifetimes.

Frank

"Frank Boettcher" wrote in message
...

With an automotive belt dressing, although I'm not sure what good it
does.

Probably nothing. GM indicated in a service bulliten to only use belt
dressing to determine the source of a squeel or knocking sound made by belts
when they need to be replaced. When you have several belts spinning and
belt dressing makes the noise go away, you have found the belt that needs to
be replaced.

relax

If it is any consolation all of them (ten inch tilting arbor cabinet
saws) do it these days. particularly single phase 220V. The motors
have a very high starting torque and you are transferring that through
all the cast iron into that nice resonant cabinet.

Why not every time. Believe it has to do with the stopping
orientation of the armature to the field. Phase angle I believe the
EE's call it. There are spots where it starts softer.

You can fool with the capacitor size but if you get the hard start out
you will impact the performance negatively.

No one wants to pay for an electronic soft start circuitry.

So relax. It will still last several lifetimes.

Oh, I'm not worried about the saw. I just hate that bang everytime.

Darrell


Frank

Mike Pio wrote:
Hello,

Back when I had a contractor saw, I replaced its belt with one of those link
style belts. It greatly improved the smoothness of the tool and (at least
to me) was worth doing. I was wondering if the same can be done to the
Unisaw, which has 3 (what seem to be) smaller belts. I was told by a clerk
at a woodworking store that this was not possible to do on a Unisaw.

TIA

-Mike


Mike...

FWIW, I just finished refurbishing my 1948 Unisaw, and bought a matched
set of three conventional belts at the Delta store here in town. They
rebuild Unisaws all the time and they said to save my money... its not
needed. Mine has the old repulsion 1HP bullet motor so there is no snap
when you turn it on. The thing runs smoother and quieter than my old
Craftsman. And so far, between the WWII and the new belts, it's like
using a meat slicer.

Mike

CaptMike wrote in
:

snip

FWIW, I just finished refurbishing my 1948 Unisaw, and bought a
matched set of three conventional belts at the Delta store here in
town. They rebuild Unisaws all the time and they said to save my
money... its not needed. Mine has the old repulsion 1HP bullet motor
so there is no snap when you turn it on. The thing runs smoother and
quieter than my old Craftsman. And so far, between the WWII and the
new belts, it's like using a meat slicer.


We'd prefer that you find another analogy. Please.

Congrats on the old Unisaw.

Patriarch