Power Station vibration tamed!

[BuckeyeDennis]

For anyone who wants to try out the link belts, here's what I used:

- Fenner PowerTwist B/5L
- 5/8" top width
- 26 links per belt

I ordered a 5' length from Amazon, and had 11 links (about 10" worth) left over.

The stuff is expensive. I paid $30 less than two years ago, but the current price is $44. I never tried reinstalling the original belts after I added the stiffener brackets, so I don't know if the link belts are really needed with the stiffeners.

[dusty]

The noise level created by running my Power Station has not yet been tamed but I am not yet through.

What I do know is that the noise is not coming from the motor (which runs quiet and smooth) and it is not the result of the components shown in the pictures in Post #48 rattling. Those components, when the speed control mechanism is locked, are rock solid. They do not vibrate.

When changing speeds that might not be the case. But I will not go anal over noises that exist only when I am changing the speed of the Power Station.

What I have noticed is that the variator sheaves vibrate at certain speeds. The tendency to vibrate is greatest when the rotational speed of the upper sheaves approximate that of the lower sheave. I am unable to explain why but I believe it is significant.

I also believe that the belts contribute. This is not my conclusion but rather has been expressed by others working on this problem. A link belt may be in order.

Strange thing, however. The noise that it produces has never caused me not to use the Power Station. It is one of the busier tools in my shop and always has been. It sure would be nice if it was as quiet as the PowerPro.:rolleyes:

[JPG]

For the record, #2 does not flop when tightened. #1 does.

Thank You for resurrecting this discussion. I think a proper set of parts for #1 will help it considerably!

FWIW the belts on #2 are loose IMHO. Belts flutter tremendously.

[BuckeyeDennis]

For the record, #2 does not flop when tightened. #1 does.

Thank You for resurrecting this discussion. I think a proper set of parts for #1 will help it considerably!

FWIW the belts on #2 are loose IMHO. Belts flutter tremendously.

Thanks for the resurrection are due to tomsalwasser .. he's the one who bumped it.

I remember going through several cycles of belt tightening before I added the stiffener brackets. By the time I had the belts tight enough to reduce the belt flutter and motor/headstock vibration significantly, I was quite worried that I was overloading the bearings. Eventually, I concluded that the high tension from the belts was serving to reduce the "oil-canning" of the crappy sheet-metal motor mount, by pre-loading it into a stiffer operating region.

This theory led to making the stiffener brackets. After those were installed, belt tension was not critical.

As shipped from the Mother Ship, there is very low stiffness between the headstock and the motor. And not much damping, either. Thus small imperfections in the lower drive belt, which is connected directly across these two components, excite the resulting mechanical resonances like crazy.

[JPG]

Thanks for the resurrection are due to tomsalwasser .. he's the one who bumped it.

I remember going through several cycles of belt tightening before I added the stiffener brackets. By the time I had the belts tight enough to reduce the belt flutter and motor/headstock vibration significantly, I was quite worried that I was overloading the bearings. Eventually, I concluded that the high tension from the belts was serving to reduce the "oil-canning" of the crappy sheet-metal motor mount, by pre-loading it into a stiffer operating region.

This theory led to making the stiffener brackets. After those were installed, belt tension was not critical.

As shipped from the Mother Ship, there is very low stiffness between the headstock and the motor. And not much damping, either. Thus small imperfections in the lower drive belt, which is connected directly across these two components, excite the resulting mechanical resonances like crazy.

So, link belt motor to variator, std belt variator to output. ??;)

[BuckeyeDennis]

[quote="JPG40504"]So, link belt motor to variator, std belt variator to output. ??]

Bingo! That cuts the link-belt cost in half right away.

Of course, given that I have already squandered my all-to-scarce cash on link belts for both, YOU have to determine if the bottom link belt is still a good investment after stiffening.

[JPG]

Bingo! That cuts the link-belt cost in half right away.

Of course, given that I have already squandered my all-to-scarce cash on link belts for both, YOU have to determine if the bottom link belt is still a good investment after stiffening.

Remember, #1 and #2!;)

[dusty]

Thanks for the resurrection are due to tomsalwasser .. he's the one who bumped it.

I remember going through several cycles of belt tightening before I added the stiffener brackets. By the time I had the belts tight enough to reduce the belt flutter and motor/headstock vibration significantly, I was quite worried that I was overloading the bearings. Eventually, I concluded that the high tension from the belts was serving to reduce the "oil-canning" of the crappy sheet-metal motor mount, by pre-loading it into a stiffer operating region.

This theory led to making the stiffener brackets. After those were installed, belt tension was not critical.

As shipped from the Mother Ship, there is very low stiffness between the headstock and the motor. And not much damping, either. Thus small imperfections in the lower drive belt, which is connected directly across these two components, excite the resulting mechanical resonances like crazy.

If this is the root cause of your vibration then changing belts COULD BE a total solution. It could also be the explanation for why we all seem to have slightly different performance characteristics; no two belts are identical.

[wa2crk]

Hi Guys and thanks for all the info. I just got a Power Station yesterday with a strip sander. I will have to read through this entire thread again to catch up. The variator on mine moves very well and I don't think that the vibration is all that bad. The belts do seem to be quite loose but I will have to read the book completely to find out how to do an adjustment.
The speed changes very easily and runs from about 800 RPM to 4000 RPM which is reasonably close to what the book specs.
Will probably crank on it again this evening.
Will also be picking the brain trust in the future.
Bill V

[tomsalwasser]

I'm still intrigued with the notion of somehow fitting a DVR motor (somebody mentioned one recently in a distant thread) into the power station to eliminate all the pulleys and belts.