Help! Making Continuous Loop out of Plastic Sheet
 

How would you make a continuous loop out of strips of the plastic materials shown below (they're plastic sheets of "rug runner," a carpet protecting plastic)? Any thoughts on glues or mechanical joints between two ends of the material would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Re: Help! Making Continuous Loop out of Plastic Sheet
 

They make these crimp-on connectors for belts (the kind you might find at a grocery store checkout), but you'd have to order them from a belt company. What you could do is get some teflon or nylon cord, and punch a whole bunch of holes on either end of the strip (the same number, preferably staggered). Then thread the cord through both ends, leaving an eighth inch or so gap. it would look roughly like a spiral notebook opened 180 degrees. You could even use steel cable if you don't have any teflon or nylon.

Re: Help! Making Continuous Loop out of Plastic Sheet
 

use a sewing machine and the sewing skills everyone has. That is how our belts are made

Re: Help! Making Continuous Loop out of Plastic Sheet
 

how about riveting it together? i remember i did that to the lexan that went on the bumpers the first year. held up nicely.

Re: Help! Making Continuous Loop out of Plastic Sheet
 

Epoxy. We used Magnum Steel on our wheels last year, and it held on to the rubber just fine, so I assume it'd work here. If you do sew it, try to find a boating store, there you can get heavy duty sail making needles, awls, and such. Or, use the swiss army knife awl nobody uses (or a Phillips screwdriver) and punch holes in it, then, ziptie.

Re: Help! Making Continuous Loop out of Plastic Sheet
 

We looked at exactly the same stuff during prototyping for our robot. On the upside, the plastic rug runner material will take rivets pretty well and stay together nicely. On the downside, it has an elasticity factor of about 80% and stretches under tension like there is no tomorrow. It was nearly impossible to keep enough tension in the belt to allow it to track properly without pulling on it so much that it started to come apart. We gave up on it.

-dave

Re: Help! Making Continuous Loop out of Plastic Sheet
 

Would adding a canvas backing to the plastic sheet take care of the stretch issue?

I'm thinking of a backing strip sowed across every 5 inches or so along the belt, or sowed along the length of the belt.

Re: Help! Making Continuous Loop out of Plastic Sheet
 

You may be able to use a very small dimeter hole punch, like that used to punch holes in leather. Then lace through the holes, like on a football. If the material is strong enough, you may be able to use a butt joint, otherwise overlap.