If the alligator clips are making noise, you (or whoever install them didn't do it right. I've done a few for my former employer, and bought from another supplier here in the USA, so my sources won't be much help to you. The clips should sink into the leather or composite belting a bit. We did it with a vise and the specialty tool for that purpose. You can bevel, glue, and lace them your self, also. You can also buy them for small money, if you don't really have the time or skill to DIY. If I can ever get my Heavy 10L together, I'll buy the belt unless WWIII has already gone hot!

Bill in OKC

William R. Meyers, MSgt, USAF(Ret.)

Aphorisms to live by:

Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.?

SEMPER GUMBY!

Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome.
Physics doesn't care about your schedule.
The only reason I know anything is because I've done it wrong enough times to START to know better.

Expect in one hand, expectorate in the other. See which one gets full first.

On Friday, October 27, 2023 at 03:16:47 PM CDT, mike allen <animal@...> wrote:

I went to a commercial belt company that does conveyor belts & they made me a belt made of some type of reinforced rubber . The belt along with them doing the alligator clips cost me 10 bucks .? Don't know where you are located . I used California Industrial Rubber , but any belting co can get ya going . Originally? I went to Tandy Leather & bought a belt blank for making a belt to hold yer britches up . Then I went to the conveyor belt to have them lace it up & thats when the guy offered to make me the composition belt . The clicking of the alligator belts does not bother me at all .

Look around in the industrial neighbor hood in yer area , there's bound to ba a belting co in there somewhere . If ya have access to a Thomas Register there should be someone nearby in one of their big green books .

animal

On 10/27/23 8:51 AM, Martyn 2E0MHL via groups.io wrote:

Hi,
Just joined the group.
Martyn is the name .
We have an old Southbend lathe, 14 1/2" swing 7ft bed, I believe to be 1940s, with quick change gearbox.
This is in our workshop used for all manor of things related to the motor trade. We build engines, race prep etc.
We are in the UK by the way.
We are in need of a new flat belt for the south bend 1 3/8" wide and 69-70" long.
Where would we get one of these and the joiner for it? Ours is currently joined with cable ties....yes I know...not the best way, but it works.
Is there anywhere in the Uk that supplies these or would it be just US?
Any help from UK or US Southbend users would be appreciated.
Martyn