This has been posted before and for that I’m sorry, but I see people are still suffering from this, so here is it again, hope it helps.
If you are sick of keyways rattling, grub screws backing out, perpetual adjustment and had a really hard time removing your motor pullies in the past, then start using Loctite 680 compound on your motor pullies, forget about any hardware, extremely easy to install and remove, just buy a butane torch.
Many here for some reason refuse to use retaining compound, even though its specifically designed for this very thing. I use a hot air gun, or blowtorch on my iron, need to reach 250c. I use a cheaper generic version of LOCTITE 638 from RS uk, up to 0.25mm clearance.
Yeah I had that moment, grub screw didn’t come out with loctite. I striped it because I used superglue thinking that it will come out later. because i was stupid and lazy to go buy the blue stuff.
Please for the love of god, don’t use f-ing spuerglue everyone.
Now I don’t get that, I use, proper loctite, and proper screw and hex key.
I tried the compound, tbh I change the gear ration a lot. not sure why i keep changing it but i do. probably cuz I’m weirdo. anyways, because of that I prefer the screw.
only if i have money to blow, I’m going back to school so for a while I can’t be rackless. I already ‘burned’ through $500 for parts, 1700 for new laptop for this month, who know what i’m ganna spend on for next month or 2.
I need to stop doing this XD, but I will re-consider my screw vs compound. maybe i’m missing something
Following your advice on this one all the way since day one @Eboosted. My last steel pulley even came with the keyway slot and the grub screw which I wouldn’t even bother to use. Loctite 680 all the way since I’ve been getting my nose in to this forum. That and nothing else. Is a proven concept plus 680 retaining compound thickness just comes ready for the exact mm tolerances needed to stick pulleys on axles.
I use set screws and a drift key to hold my pulleys in place.
Never had one come loose.
I concerned about the heat transferring from the pulley to the shaft and then to the bearings and melting the lube.
Most motor manufacturers use SAE 1045 in either cold-rolled (CRS) or hot-rolled steel (HRS). C1045 is a medium carbon, medium tensile steel supplied as forged or normalized. This steel shows good strength, toughness and wear resistance.
It is used for axles, bolts, forged connecting rods, crankshafts, torsion bars, light gears, guide rods etc.
Other materials include sulfurized SAE 1117, SAE 1137, SAE 1144, hot-rolled SAE 1035, and cold-rolled SAE 1018. A ground stock of any material is used on special CNC Swiss turning machines.
Generally, the cold-rolled and sulfurized steels will increase costs approximately 15% more than HRS and will machine better. Machining trials need to be performed in order to justify the extra cost. Since all shaft-turning machines perform differently, there is no established material or machining practice.
The hot-rolled plain carbon steel, on a cost-per-pound basis, is cheaper than cold-rolled sulfurized steel. But there are trade offs. The hot-rolled material has to be sized larger than cold-rolled because of the lack of outer diameter (OD) control in the rolling process.
Manufacturers of electric motors evaluate whether the larger-size and lower-material-cost hot-rolled bar stock is more or less costly than cold-rolled bar stock.
The hot-rolled material, by the very nature of its processing, has hard and soft spots, residual stresses, voids, and other material deficiencies, making it more difficult to machine. The problem with some high strength steels is the hardest part is only the outside layers, so when the shaft is machined down you will lose the strength.
Machine trials need to be conducted to decide the best option between CRS, HRS, non-sulfurized, and sulfurized materials. (Due to the difficulties with HRS, most motor manufacturers will use sulfurized CRS.
A well done flat and setscrew with loctite is better than retaining compound.
Retaining compound is great but by no means would I ever use it without any other safety installed. Also, curing time is 24h or 4h in 120F. Using it before then will cause micro fractures.
From best to worse safety wise:
-Jesus-bolt
(Hard to do DIY, best if shaft is pre drilled)
-Circlip + key + setscrew
(Circlips and keyway, is the safest way without a through bolt, extremely easy to remove/replace, setscrew can be added if key is undersized to remove any rattling but not necessary)
-Circlip + key
(can rattle if key isnt the exact size)
-Retaining Compound + Setscrews on flat.
-Setscrew on flat
(can get undone with heavy vibrations, can strip without proper tools)
-Retaining Compound
(Can get undone with heavy vibrations and torque, hard to remove without torch)
I also would add press fit joints. Get one of them suckers done correctly and you will never ever get anything loose. Ever. It will outlast your grandchildren. Can add a smidgen of loctite… but who needs that pussy ass snot.
Some math involved. And a torch to heat up that pulley to assembly temperature.
I use a hot air gun, or blowtorch on my iron, need to reach 250c. I use a cheaper generic version of LOCTITE 638 from RS uk, up to 0.25mm clearance.
