Homer J Simpson said:
Failing finding the right size, if you can find one that is too long you
could try shortening it. You'd need to cut it on an angle, and weld it
with perhaps a bicycle tube repair kit that uses heat to fuse.
Hi Homey and b
Yeah, it's a real problem with these Sonys. The trick is not so much the
length of the belt - although it *is* an odd length that's not one of the
readily available general replacement sizes - it's more the width. Although
a flat belt, it's narrower than they usually are. When a standard width belt
is fitted, it rides on the capstans with a slight overhang - just enough to
catch on the back of one of the other pullies. I've even tried cutting down
the width of a normal belt with a scalpel and steel straight-edge, but it is
virtually impossible to do it with enough accuracy such that the belt does
not then ' wander ' in normal use. It is ridiculous, considering the crying
of all the green eco-warriors now about electronics going to landfill, that
Sony can / will not supply such a simple item. There is no excuse for not
stocking it, even if they buy that deck mech in. I've done a lot of them
within warranty period, so a whole new deck is supplied. I used to keep them
in the fond hope that something else on there would become useful in the
future, but now I just bin them.
On ' adjusting ' the size of normal square belts that are an odd length.
Yes, I have done this on many occasions over the years, even on the small
1mm types. I tend to cut the ends dead square with a razor blade, then apply
a single tiny drop of cyano-acrylate "superglue" to one cut end, using the
point of a needle, then bring them tightly together by hand, and hold for
about 1 minute. The slight ' squeeze-out ' of glue can then be removed with
a piece of very fine oxide paper ( car paint wet 'n' dry rubbing abrasive
paper ). As soon as you attack it with the paper, you will see if you have
got a good bond. You can then stretch the belt about without a problem.
Superglue bonds neoprene like the proverbial, and I can't remember ever
having had a belt thus ' manufactured ', come bouncing back.
Arfa