# Simple solutions are always the best answer



## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

My latest project requires a belt drive and therefore I needed a couple of pulleys. This isn’t a machine with a lot of stress so simple wooden pulleys will work just fine.

I thought long and hard about how to make them and went through the mental design of some exotic hold-downs for the router table. In the end I settled for a simple auxiliary fence that would keep a long dowel at a right angle to the regular fence. A 2” diameter dowel was aligned along the extra fence and lowered onto a 90º bit that extended about 1/4” above the table. Turning the dowel clockwise cut a groove and then the grooved end of the dowel was sliced off with the bandsaw to give me a nice pulley.

The next problem I faced was tapping some nylon bushings to take a 10-24 set screw so they would lock down on a shaft rod. I tried holding the bushing in a small drill press vice but the bushing kept moving from the pressure of the drill bit.

So, another simple solution was required. I drilled a hole that fit the bushing and its collar into the face of a piece of scrap poplar and also drilled a hole on the top of the little jig edge to align the drill bit for the tap hole. (See the photo, it makes more sense than the words.)

With the little jig clamped onto the drill press table I was able to quickly drill the five bushings I needed. Tapping the threads into the nylon also went quickly and I was done. I need to be sure the bushings that fit the pulleys cannot slip when the shaft turns so I recessed the bushing collar into the face of the pulley with a 7/8” forstner bit. Sanding one edge of the collar flat leaves a little gap I’ll fill with epoxy and the bushing won’t be able to turn on the face of the pulley. (Again, the photos tell the story better the words.)

The final photo shows the gears and pulleys for this project. Assembly is getting closer. More about making the belt for the drive later.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Nice work Oliver.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

you never fail to impress me Oliver...


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## jj777746 (Jan 17, 2015)

Gaffboat said:


> My latest project requires a belt drive and therefore I needed a couple of pulleys. This isn’t a machine with a lot of stress so simple wooden pulleys will work just fine.
> 
> I thought long and hard about how to make them and went through the mental design of some exotic hold-downs for the router table. In the end I settled for a simple auxiliary fence that would keep a long dowel at a right angle to the regular fence. A 2” diameter dowel was aligned along the extra fence and lowered onto a 90º bit that extended about 1/4” above the table. Turning the dowel clockwise cut a groove and then the grooved end of the dowel was sliced off with the bandsaw to give me a nice pulley.
> 
> ...


Pretty to watch,with sore eyes even


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

@Gaffboat

You can accomplish the same thing by drilling a hole on the circumference of the bushing flange into both the bushing and pulley and installing a piece of 3/16" (?) dowel to give you a circular key (or 2 @ 180° if you need the additional torque capacity).


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## Bushwhacker (Jun 16, 2009)

Some very nice work Oliver. Well thought out.


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

+1 what Stick said. I think henceforth you should be known as the Amazing Oliver.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

The man is clever, that's certain.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Great creativity! It's always fun seeing what you can come up with when you decide to 'just make it work with what I have on hand'. Some are photo-worthy and some don't need to be mentioned again; this one is photo-worthy.


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

I need to start an Oliver folder and store all your stuff in it...AWESOME...


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Slick (Awesome!)!!
Along the lines of what Tom said, you could also drill down into the outer periphery of the crescent, creating a small 'bay' for the epoxy to extend into. That'd create an additional keyway, although what's the chance of the epoxy not bonding permanently to the wood in the crescent(?).


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Very cool way of getting a perfect hole drilled with your jig idea Oliver , love the pulleys too . 
Gotta remember that one .
Now if I just figure out what this is going to be when it's done ?


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Nickp said:


> I need to start an Oliver folder and store all your stuff in it...AWESOME...


you mean you haven't done that already???


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Very interesting, Oliver. I've been thinking about pulleys for whirligigs, so I'm anxious to see more about your belt. My sawing man prototype is just about flying apart this year, I'd like to gear him down. The most common gearing I've seen is a turntable driven by a wheel. That also changes the direction of the drive though.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

rainman 2.0 said:


> very cool way of getting a perfect hole drilled with your jig idea oliver , love the pulleys too .
> Gotta remember that one .
> now if i just figure out what this is going to be when it's done ?


+1....


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

Oliver,
I suspect that you enjoy telling us how you did the project and posting the photos as much as doing the project. Sure do appreciate the fact that you take the time to share with us.

Had you lived at a different time, you probably could have gotten a job on Edison's team.

Thanks,
]Jerry


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Inspiring as always.


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