Belt problem with Bauer T81, is it possible to rejoin?

[Winbert Hutahaean]

I have this Bauer T81 (silent, dual super 8mm and standard 8mm). The motor does not turn the wheel. I opened the back cover and found eveything was seen normal. When I turned on the motor, the main motor is turning but the drive belt stayed. So it seems to me the belt was too loose. You can see this video when I turned the motor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eQ3W5sWf70

I knew Van Eck selling the exact same belt for cheap 17.50 EURO but with this COVID-19 situation it may take so much time to arrive in New Caledonia. And more over I don't have any guts to change the belt because I don't see the way to pull it out and place the new belt in, other than to release so many parts.



I do not see any crack on the belt nor goei (melting)..so it is still normal only it gets loose.

So for your experience is there any way that I cut the belt a bit and rejoined it using super glue or heat? If it is using glue what type of glue will keep the rubber super strong?


Any input guys. Thanks

[Joseph Banfield]

I don't think it would be possible to cut and glue the old belt to make a tighter fit. And if so, certainly not super glue as it may work briefly but will certainly fail quickly.

I have had sucess in the past with placing rubber belts in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes to shrink them a bit. It does not always work though. And besides getting that belt off is going to be a real pain in the a**!

I have a Bauer T171 whose belt (exactly like yours) was giving me trouble from being stretched when switching from silent to sound speed. In that case what I used was a product called "peg dope". That product is used by violin players so the tuning pegs on their instruments don't slip under the tension of the strings. It comes packaged like a woman's lipstick but is dark brown in color. I just used it like a crayon and put a layer of that on the belt and three years later it still grips perfectly and have not had a problem since. Perhaps that could help you out too since a belt change on a later Bauer (Italian Silma machine in German disguise) is not easy!

[Winbert Hutahaean]

I have had sucess in the past with placing rubber belts in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes to shrink them a bit. It does not always work though. And besides getting that belt off is going to be a real pain in the a**!

Thanks Jos... am I in wrong understanding... wouldn't hot (water) make any rubber to become loose/melt?

I will tray to find peg dope as it seems this is a gripping issue

[Joseph Banfield]

No, the rubber will not melt...no worries. But like I said that trick does not always work, which means the belt won't shrink slightly.

[Joseph Banfield]

BTW, peg dope is available in any musical instrument store that sells violins, rosin, new strings, ect..