Link belt (power twist) vibration and noise
This was probably the third time this had happened since I installed the belt. I was able to take out the defective link, and the belt was still long enough. Putting it back in the saw, it ran like it always did. But with links failing from time to time, I figured, this belt might be about worn out by now. I replaced it with an inexpensive belt from Canadian Tire. This belt was slightly thinner and softer than the one the saw came with, so the vibrations were ok. Why V-belts cause vibrationRubber V-belts can cause a fair bit of vibration. If the belt needs to go around small pulleys, and the machine is stopped for an extended period, the belt gradually assumes the shape of the pulley. Once it's run again, the bent and unbent parts of the belt can cause varying amounts of tension as they go around the pulley.For a contractor and hybrid table saws, where the motor's weight hangs in the belt, this can cause the motor to bobble up and down a bit. And with every force having an equal and opposite reaction, this causes the saw itself to shake as well.
However, the individual links going over the pulleys, at least on my saw, cause quite a whine, making the saw a fair bit louder. The thinner belt from Canadian Tire caused less vibration than the belt my saw came with, though more than with the (repaired) link belt. But the saw is much quieter with the V-belt. Ironically, going back to a regular cheap V-belt now feels like an upgrade!
The link belt, being a fairly hard material, is also hard on the pulleys, so I highly recommend against using one for a homemade machine with wooden pulleys.
So if you have a machine where the motor hangs off the belt, and vibration is a problem, a link belt (a.k.a. power twist) is a good option. But be prepared for louder operation, and probably lower efficiency. If the belt is not tensioned by the motor's weight, a better approach may be to ensure that the motor is mounted rigidly and can't move.
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