How to cut conveyor belt?

[tglass]

Vermont American makes a leather/rubber cutting jigsaw blade I get from the local hardware store to fit my jigsaw I use at work to cut belts lengthwise. Works good for me on belting at work, and priced around $2.00 a pack of two. Scan code is 4532530022 if you want to try it. For the price you might want to give it a try.

 

[tommu56]

tallyho8
The chain saw might be the trick.
What about a RotoZip and a spiral blade the pulls waste up and away from the cut?

tom

 

[dex3361]

I guess when you use a chain saw it smokes a lot and slings rubber everywhere.

I hadn't really thought about using a chain saw.

I have family that lives in Beckley and Beaver WV.

Me and my brother used to go and trout fish the cherry river.

I am about 60 miles north of Beckley and I work in that area often. When using the Chain saw it doesnt smoke much but does spit out small pieces of rubber not any bigger than wood chips. The Cherry river is a beautiful area.

 

[tglass]

dex3361, I might like to try that. What about kickback, how big of a roll, and can you get a pretty straight cut?

 

[tallyho8]

Vermont American makes a leather/rubber cutting jigsaw blade I get from the local hardware store to fit my jigsaw I use at work to cut belts lengthwise. Works good for me on belting at work, and priced around $2.00 a pack of two. Scan code is 4532530022 if you want to try it. For the price you might want to give it a try.

Thanks for the info.

 

[tallyho8]

I cut the belt with a chain saw. Laugh if you like but I had a lot of it to cut and I tried the utility knife and I can cut it with a chain saw like a knife through hot butter. If you are cutting a piece length wise roll it up and clamp it on the sides keeping the clamps well out of the way of the saw kerf. Then cut it like you would a log. It has worked well for me.You might try it on a test piece first and see how it works for you.

This sure sounds like something that I want to try. It is worth buying a new chain and bar if it works. I can not roll the 3/4" mat in a small enough roll to cut all the way through it but I can try cutting halfway through at a time. There will be about 2 or 2 1/2 feet of opening in the center of the roll if I get it as tight as I can.

This sounds a little dangerous so it might be a good time to use chaps and a hard hat and goggles and to watch for kickback. I hope it doesn't shoot out pieces of hot melted rubber my way. I think I will try it first will my little Poulan instead of risking the Husky on it. I'll let you know how it turned out in a day or so depending on the rain.

 

[dex3361]

It cuts pretty well and I have cut it length wise rolled up as described in my previous post. I stay off of the nose of the saw and if cutting across I lay a timber down and use it as a cutting board. I really havent had a kickback issue.

 

[J_J]

tallyho8,

You might try this. I believe that rubber cuts better when wet, or under water. You can also take a circular blade and sharpen the edge like a meat cutting blade, and should be able to cut a straight line using the circular saw. You could also sharpen a 10 in blade and use a table saw with some help to guide or pull the belt through the table saw. I have also seen a jig that had a small circular blade on the end and was turned by a crank, and this was used to cut bias ply car tires all day to make front door mats.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

tallyho8,

You might try this. I believe that rubber cuts better when wet, or under water. You can also take a circular blade and sharpen the edge like a meat cutting blade, and should be able to cut a straight line using the circular saw. You could also sharpen a 10 in blade and use a table saw with some help to guide or pull the belt through the table saw. I have also seen a jig that had a small circular blade on the end and was turned by a crank, and this was used to cut bias ply car tires all day to make front door mats.

J_J

I wonder if a plywood blade would work, since the teeth are straight.

 

[LBrown59]

dex3361, I might like to try that. What about kickback, how big of a roll, and can you get a pretty straight cut?

I did something simliar.
I needed 12 '' x 33' strips of rolled roofing.
I used a long metal cutting blade in a saws all and simply sawed a foot off the end of a roll of rolled roofing.