Slippery Drive Belt

The carb cleaner will do the job - but it is very destructive to the leather! Ordinary soap detergent is benign and will effectively clean the belt. Simply use warm water, detergent and scrub with a stiff bristle brush. Saddle soap is fine; Neatsfoot oil also serves well. Avoid soaking the leather with any liquid. Overuse of ‘belt grip”, plus years of accumulated oil spray/grunge is usual cause of slipping belt. As well, maintain correct belt tension. Unlike a ‘V’ belt, there must be a pre-determined ‘slack’ in the belt to effect grip.

John, Sir, there was an in depth series of posts about this subject not to long ago, but buried in the back archives so quick refresher:- some times belt treatment and belt slip get lumped together inadvertantly, so if it is just belt slip!!!since a long time the almost infallable cure was (A) to sprinkle a little rosin on to the inner run/wrap around of the belt which acted as a grip, (almost akin to what the dragsters do on burn out before the run) good grip instantly,!!! little top up occasionaly, no harm to the belt, conventional belt treatment still possible? (B) Next, also a blast from the past, it was almost standard practice to use, on most, flat belt drive machines, Vert Meihle,s Croppers, Arabs, Monotypes, etc etc etc,>> purpose supplied (original Graphics) cardboard encased tar like stick,? which you merely held against the inside run of the belt and literally coated the inside run and got fantastic grip. (obviously this operation WITH SAFETY paramount???) For a few minutes or a few revolutions, the sound, like Auto tyres, on mid summer melting tar was heard, but soon wore of!!!It almost certainly involved a little %age of treatment as well. There must be some H. & S. approved substitute available??? Here in the U.K. it was usually reffered to as belt dressing, politely, or crudely as the unmentionable part of a Donkey,s Anatomy.>>> But way back, Printers generally, were not known as Genteel or sophisticated. !?!

Mick on Monotype, are you any relation to Monotype Mick??? i kindof miss his posts.

Dick, Thank you for noticing, and being able to add 2 ems and 2 ems and arriving at 4 ems pica, print measurement!!! As they say, you are on the ball buddy, I am sure you figured that the rambling was mine, but I will reiterate, I have been admonished on line and off, but I try to tell it as it was because 98% of the time I have done it, made the mistakes/learnt the hard way, and am hopefully passing it on to some that havent yet had the priveledge and the experience, with this still, terrific medium!!!When I read some of the silly responses and alleged advice, supposedly, to help the new ones, from contributors who.s input is based on, “my dads buddy told me” “I think I read it in a book” “I am an expert cause I once smelt the process” etc etc etc I just think HOW? can you teach on those terms. One (of many) cases in point, even in the last few days, an earnest request for help, is posted re proof press, clearly pictured is a single cylinder flat bed, press, (which I did TRY to give a comprehensive resume of) SURPRISE SURPRISE, comes a politicians retort, with A Question, not a constructive answer!!! is it a platen or a cylinder, ??? Not exactly helpful or constructive. What chance for the learning curve.>>> And YES I am the same decrepit old F**T, Some unprintable word, toe rag hacked into my E mail and scuppered my ramblings, E bay Pay Pal And Briar Press, and cant yet retreive them, hence new temporary, hopefully, Handle. >>> So Dick, give us a little rattle, so that I can be as unloved and unwanted as before, Mick.

Hes only changed it so i cant call him MOANEY type MICK !!
I have a funny feeling you have one of those wrapped sticks of goo kicking around your workshop mick .

Mick, if you were unloved and unwanted we would not be picking on you, with all the polymer around there are not many old guys left that even know what hot metal is, or what some of these posts are even talking about, love reading your posts, it brings back mostly good memories of fun times in the comp rooms, and also a few nightmares. keep posting, your young friend Dick G.

Dick, Ta, since 1953 racked up several hundred little (PRINT RELATED) all true stories, couple for starters, (1) thought it was a jolly jape to waylay one old (miserable comps) snuff box and substitute snuff for coffee, didnt go down too well and yes we did get a b********k, am I right Dick, i.e. old comps and snuff?>>>next one, reel of caps, from kids, (which I suppose we still were) toy cap pistol, laid on the rear cylinder bearer of a BIG, BIG, proof press, jolly fine wheez, except that the comp, who had the misfortune, to hit it running, was just on the verge of a nervous breakdown, as he had been on the same comping job, on a special comp frame for seven years, continuos!!! His Own Choice, by the way!!! U.N.T.I. United Nations Trade Index. YES we DID, and NO, we did not do it again. Dick I reckon “The Boys” would have done for you, like laxative in your tea etc, possibly, or a stink bomb under your personal comp frame space.???Mick.

~ Thank You All….

very good advise as usual from this forum.
I am now getting 15-17 impressions per minute with no slip, not to mention much higer speed is available.

The witty repartee is just an added bonus, it’s great!

Utilise a hacksaw blade to lever open the widow rubber on the victims car , slide one or two sheets of lavender drawer liner into the inner door and smooth rubber seal back , They are rather smelly when in the confines of a warm car ,some people take some time to find them !!