Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

Mcmaster P/N# : 59725K704.... this is the same kind of 'stuff' your looking for.

This particular variety is 1/4" dia., orange in color (which is slightly softer durometer and matches rosie's colors ;)), and a 2" min. pulley diameter.

You can pick whatever variety you actually need.

Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

Yeah, that's the stuff. I must have had a brain cramp. I couldn't find it. Thanks, Brando.

Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

no problem!

Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

Our team is trying out round belting, but we are having some trouble carrying the ball. The belts keep splitting and not grabbing the ball. Any suggestions?

Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

Use more belts, closer together, with pulleys? Use less distance between axles ? Use less compression of the ball? Place the axles so that they form triangles between three, instead of having each one directly across from each other?

I'm not sure what you meant by splitting.

Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

You need to make sure you put grooves in whatever pulleys you are using....otherwise, there is nothing keeping the belts from separating (i'm assuming thats what you meant by splitting).

Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

Unless he means that the cords themselves are splitting when formed into a loop??
If that's the case, then your tension is way too high on your belting.
If you just heat up the ends & melt them together & let the completed loop cure for a while, they should suffice for a while.
Also, if you can, try using very thin wall shrink tubing to assist in holding the joint together as an added protection from the splitting.
Don't forget to put that on before you join the two ends though... or you may have a bit of an issue. :p


Another trick I heard of was to "tin" the ends?? I heard that terminology thrown around the shop before, but I'm not sure what it means exactly.
Maybe throwing some solder on the ends of the plastic helps the adhesion process a bit??
I'll have to find out, & report back here with my findings. Maybe it was just team slang for the heating process we used in the past? Not sure.

Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

if you want the Green belting, the 6mm stuff is the same but in Green. Part #8112K33

Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

The belts are separating while carrying the ball, and the ball is getting stuck.

Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

Maybe increase the tension in the belts?

Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

Try increasing the tension in the belts.

Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

are there grooves in the pulleys?? if no, then add them....if yes, increase tension

Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

Depending on the length of your belting (especially using thin poly cord), you will need extra rollers in the middle. Or you can just use some thin 1/4" AL rod to support the belts from flexing inward too much. Belting takes a lot of tweaking and babying to work perfectly.

Re: Round Belting - Solid vs. Hollow, Polycord vs. McMaster
 

Has anyone tested the green rough type belting vs. the orange or clear not-as-rough types? Any opinions on either of them?

Also, from everyone's testing, what seems to be a good minimum spacing between your belts for this year's game?