Belt splitting

[A Zone]

Is there a good way to split belts(2X72) besides a purpose made belt splitter?

 

[Mark Williams]

They tear pretty easily on cloth backed belts.

 

[Sando]

Sure!

Put the belt on your grinder with a flat platen.

Pierce the belt with a knife so the edge is up and the spine is resting on the top of the platen.

Now move the belt by hand.

She be split pretty darned easy.

Steve

 

[Protactical]

That's a good trick.

I use a marking gage with a blade, I just run it over the cloth side, then break the belt off.

 

[Tom Anderson]

Take a piece of 1/8" Micarta and saw into it half way.

Insert a utility (box cutter) blade into the slot.

Clamp the whole thing in a vise.

Pierce the belt over the tip of the blade and pull it through the vise jaws. (The vise jaws act as a guide.)

 

[fitzo]

Or, you can waste $80 on a Tipps splitter and get exactly the same results as Tom's excellent advise.