How to Care for Flat Leather Machine Belts
Flat leather machine belts are typically used on older flat pulley driven machinery. Taking proper care of the flat leather belts will greatly extend the life on the piece of leather. Using the correct side to face the pulleys also has a lot to do with the longevity of the belt. Use the exterior side or the "hair side" to come in contact with the pulleys. This portion of the leather is stronger than the interior or "gut side" of the flat belt. The hair side of a leather belt can be identified by small bumps on the surface. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Belt glue (optional)
- Mineral spirits
- Clean rag
- Neatsfoot oil
- Small paintbrush
Instructions
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1
Remove the belt once a year or every 400 to 600 hours of operation. Inspect the belt for any signs of wear. Deep cracks and small horizontal breaks, across the belt, indicate that the belt may be in need of replacing. Check the connection point of the two pieces of leather. Machine crimp connectors should be reseated if they are coming loose. Flat belts that are overlapped should be re-glued if the end flaps are coming free of the bonded surface.
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2
Dampen one side of the clean rag with the mineral spirits. Clean the surfaces of the flat pulleys to remove all built-up debris. The pulleys should have a clean metal finish to the surface. Turn the rag over to a clean area. Apply some more mineral spirits and wipe down both sides of the flat belt. Remove all built-up grunge and debris.
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3
Use another clean area on the rag and pour some Neatsfoot oil onto the surface. Squeeze the oil into the rag. Wipe the belt down on the contact side, hair side, of the leather. Do not allow the oil to stand on the belt, but rather wipe it into the leather. Let the belt sit overnight.
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4
Place the belt back onto the pulleys of the machine. Apply some Neatsfoot oil to the outside of the belt by dipping the small paintbrush into the oil. Brush the oil onto the exterior side of the flat belt. Allow the oil to soak into the leather.
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Tips & Warnings
Remove tension from the belt when the machine is not in use.
Do not use castor oil to treat leather. The vegetable bean oil will dry out the leather over time. Do not apply a sticky rosin to gain traction on a flat belt. The rosin will dry out the leather and damage the drive side.
