waterboysh
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 386
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Post by waterboysh on Jan 2, 2022 22:15:12 GMT -5
I went out a few minutes ago to oil the bushings of my 3 tumblers. I took the barrel off and set it aside, then moved the tumbler so I could access it easier. But I noticed a weird pile of some kind of black powdery substance under where I just moved the tumbler from. That's kinda weird I thought. But I didn't know what it could have come from, so I started oiling the bushings. But in the process of tilting the machine around to make sure the oil gets to where it needs to get to, I noticed a hole in the bottom of the plastic casing around the motor and belt. It looks like my belt is rubbing on the plastic casing and has literally worn a hole through it. I've had this tumbler since about May or June of last year. Can't remember exactly.
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Post by Starguy on Jan 2, 2022 22:38:26 GMT -5
waterboyshContact the seller and/or Lortone. I doubt if it caused much damage but it shouldn’t have happened. It looks like the belt / pulley cover was installed too close to the shaft pulley. Thanks for the heads up.
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Benathema
has rocks in the head
God chased me down and made sure I knew He was real June 20, 2022. I've been on a Divine Mission.
Member since November 2019
Posts: 703
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Post by Benathema on Jan 3, 2022 0:10:32 GMT -5
I was gonna say belt dust, and it's kind of a feedback loop issue when the belts get loose. They start getting chewed up from slipping, as a result they get a little looser, leading to more slipping and more chewing them up. Then I watched your video and was like, "hol up, that's on a different level." How the... Wat?
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waterboysh
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 386
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Post by waterboysh on Jan 3, 2022 1:03:37 GMT -5
I sent a message to Lortone support. I'll see what they say.
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waterboysh
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 386
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Post by waterboysh on Jan 4, 2022 9:36:01 GMT -5
Lortone support said this can only happen if the belt becomes to loose. So I guess I'll watch a video on adjusting the belt and look at it tonight when I get a chance.
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catskillrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,270
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Post by catskillrocks on Jan 4, 2022 12:16:40 GMT -5
Lortone support said this can only happen if the belt becomes to loose. So I guess I'll watch a video on adjusting the belt and look at it tonight when I get a chance. I don't presume that I know more than Lortone, but their answer doesn't seem right. I will be looking for your inspection to see if indeed the belt was too loose.
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waterboysh
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 386
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Post by waterboysh on Jan 4, 2022 21:15:12 GMT -5
I got the cover off and checked the belt. I don't really know how to tell if it's to loose or not. It definitely could be tightened some, but it also seems to run fine. What do y'all think?
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catskillrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,270
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Post by catskillrocks on Jan 4, 2022 22:47:16 GMT -5
waterboysh , it may be loose, but it is hard to tell with the tumbler running. It looks like the rubbing is from the smaller motor pulley? If it is that pulley rubbing through the safety guard and you were to tighten the tension on the belt by moving the motor mount forward, it would make the rubbing worse, if it could run at all. Perhaps someone else would chime in with another take on this.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,432
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 5, 2022 5:32:42 GMT -5
The best way to tell if it is tight enough is to to put your hand on the barrel and see what it takes to stop it and where is it slipping. I recently retightened the belt on my QT12 and your belt looks too loose to push a Half-full barrel.
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waterboysh
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 386
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Post by waterboysh on Jan 5, 2022 9:45:31 GMT -5
Here's a video with the power off. I pulled the belt towards the motor to show how much it could potentially be tightened. It's not much, but it could be. But this would make the belt pretty tight. The barrel is full of Tiger's Eye at the moment, so it's pushing a full barrel just fine. Right now it's running with the cover off, and it's so much quieter. I think it's been rubbing for quite a while, maybe even since I got it. The rubbing is at the bottom between the two pulleys. Here's a picture showing the inside of the guard. You can see it's rubbing in a much larger area than the first video in this post shows. Just not all of it has rubbed through the guard yet.
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Post by rmf on Jan 5, 2022 18:08:09 GMT -5
That is why you fill out the warranty card. Talk to Lortone.
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catskillrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,270
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Post by catskillrocks on Jan 5, 2022 18:42:36 GMT -5
That is definitely too loose. It looks like you could tighten it all the way, but just try tightening it; you should be able to deflect the belt maybe 1/4" or so. Now I see that it is at the bottom where it is rubbing and Lortone is correct. You might want to order a new belt too. Good luck.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,432
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 6, 2022 9:33:41 GMT -5
How easy is it to stop the barrel with your hand ? You should be able to stop the motor from turning if it is tight enough. Looking at all the black dust inside the cover also tells me that it is too loose.
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badrock
starting to shine!
Member since January 2022
Posts: 30
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Post by badrock on Jan 8, 2022 4:51:22 GMT -5
I have a QT66 which I run without the belt guard. I lubricate my bearings often...sewing machine oil. Anyways, my belt is much tighter than yours. You want it tight enough that it does not slip, not so tight that it causes the motor to strain, and tight enough that the belt does not hit the belt guard.
Looking at the motor mounting screws in your photo, it looks like your motor is in the loosest position (towards the pully). If your belt is worn or gotten hard (age), I'd replace it. Also, I've replaced my old belt without having to loosen or readjust the motor by rolling the new belt on. Once the motor is adjusted to the right position, I doubt you'll have to fiddle with it again. On these the belt isn't much of an issue (reliable).
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badrock
starting to shine!
Member since January 2022
Posts: 30
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Post by badrock on Jan 8, 2022 5:24:40 GMT -5
Looking at my QT66 motor mounting screws - the silver acorn nuts. The top nut is all the way to the left (like yours), while it's the bottom screw that is adjusting the belt tension. It is nearly all the way to the right in the adjustment slot. In other words, the motor is rotated counterclockwise on the top screw (because it's all the way to the left in the slot) thus adjusting the belt tightness with the bottom screw.
I'm sure this is one way on many to do it. But this way eliminates the slippage of the top acorn nut (because it's all the way to the left). Therefore, a sturdier hold on the adjustment.
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waterboysh
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 386
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Post by waterboysh on Jan 13, 2022 9:59:04 GMT -5
I think I may just leave the cover off. I'm not a mechanical minded person and don't know much about belts and pulleys, but if I put my hand on the barrel, the motor stops and the belt doesn't slip. In my mind, that means the belt is not loose. It seems to be running fine other than rubbing on the cover.
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