# double groove vs single groove pulley



## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

Getting ready to purchase a pair of pulleys at Grainger for a TS rebuild that i am doing.
My question is, what are the advantages of going with a double groove pulley over a single groove?
Both pulleys are made from cast iron and i will be using a link belt.
The motor will be 2 HP, 17 amp which is a little larger than the stock motor that comes with the TS.

*$11 bucks*












*$16 bucks*


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## Dmeadows (Jun 28, 2011)

Theoretically with multi drive belts you can tranfer power under heavy load with less chance of the belt(s) slipping. Generally matched pairs/sets of belts are needed to insure they are exactly the same length. Also the shafts the pulleys go on should be long enough to handle the extra pulley length or you may get vibration.
I don't know how the linked belts would work out with 2 of them.. maybe ok. I don't think there is any advantage on contractor type saws. Although most 3HP cabinet saws run triple belts or newer ones sometimes serpentine multi ribbed belts.

Properly tensioned I have never had the belt on my Craftsman saw slip. The bearings and trunnions are not designed for more than 1 1/2 HP anyway.


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## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

Dmeadows said:


> Theoretically with multi drive belts you can tranfer power under heavy load with less chance of the belt(s) slipping. Generally matched pairs/sets of belts are needed to insure they are exactly the same length. Also the shafts the pulleys go on should be long enough to handle the extra pulley length or you may get vibration.
> I don't know hoe the linked belts would work out with 2 of them.. maybe ok. I don't think there is any advantage on contractor type saws. Although most 3HP cabinet saws run triple belts or newer ones sometimes serpentine multi ribbed belts.
> 
> Properly tensioned I have never had the belt on my Craftsman saw slip. The bearings and trunnions are not designed for more than 1 1/2 HP anyway.


The link belt runs about $23 for 5 ft at harbor freight...I'm swinging towards the single groove pulleys and one belt...maybe around $50 bucks for all 3 items. As for the 2 HP motor, I don't plan on cutting anything that will force the motor to strain to the point where the bearings and trunnion will be overwhelmed. I'm considering a thin kerf blade though for less strain on the supporting parts of the TS.
Thanks


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Back when cars had a single v belt, that belt drove a water pump and alternator or generator. It also has to do with pulley size. The smaller the pulley, the more likely it is to slip.


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## Rinker (Mar 25, 2012)

One must remember to keep the pulley ratios such that the saw blade rim speed doe not exceed manufacturers recommendations. 
This will not happen with small pulleys but cst I'll actually explode with high rim speed and is very dangerous. My I suggest you go for machined steel pulleys which will have less vibration and along with your link belting give you a smooth running saw. Grainger can get all this for you or you can order on line from Applied Industrial technologies. Browning for the shelves (pulleys) and Fenner for the link belt are the brands. Good luck with the rebuild.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

There are numerous reasons for these types of pulleys and several good answers are given above. Also, occasionally a double belt is utilized - which increases surface area with which belts otherwise have more slippage. Larger diameter pulleys also provide this increased "traction" via greater tensioned exposure. Also, if you peer down into an auto engine compartment (pre-serpentine belts) you will most likely see multiple groove pulleys that drive mutiple belts to different accessories. You may be wondering why a designer didn't just increase pulley diameter if their attempt was for slippage reduction, because sometimes the pulley has to fit into a tighter spot. Often, my work involves the design and prototypes for transmissions. Last year, I designed a heavy equipment transmission for a multi-directional hydraulic drive head positioner - it had over 2,700 moving parts! In transmissions (which you are dealing with) proportioning is what it is all about - and then you get into material strengths, heat dissipation, lubrication, etc.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Kyriakos, there is no need for a double pulley on your saw. I think you are being smart about using the link belt. I have tried many different brands of saw blades and find the best value to be the red Freud blades. I leave a thin kerf 10" 50 tooth combination blade on my saw most of the time and get smooth cuts. I use sleds most of the time for making cuts, they eliminate problems with fence alignment. This is a real time saver on my inexpensive Craftsman saw; the cheap fence never aligns properly and must be checked front and rear for each setting. I look forward to seeing your completed project.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Mike, How do you know for a fact that Kyriakos' table saw doesn't have air conditioning and therefore actually need the twin-groove pulley? JUST KIDDING! HAVE A NICE DAY!


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## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

Mike said:


> Kyriakos, there is no need for a double pulley on your saw. I think you are being smart about using the link belt. I have tried many different brands of saw blades and find the best value to be the red Freud blades. I leave a thin kerf 10" 50 tooth combination blade on my saw most of the time and get smooth cuts. I use sleds most of the time for making cuts, they eliminate problems with fence alignment. This is a real time saver on my inexpensive Craftsman saw; the cheap fence never aligns properly and must be checked front and rear for each setting. I look forward to seeing your completed project.


Thanks Mike,
I actually found a nice Craftsman TS on Craigslist on Sat.and picked it up on Sun. 
Model # 113.298840 and all for $50 bucks. Heck, the motor is easily worth 3 times that much.
I will post some pics later. I'm going to install the Craftsman motor for now on my build and also going to use the base from the TS I just picked up. The new saw has cast iron web extensions and I'm trying to figure out which saw is more durable.
The saw being rebuilt is 113.29940.

Pics to follow under this thread.

Craftsman-table-saw-restoration


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