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Making your own gaskets

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Keith Kindig

12-23-2002 10:47:15




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What are some of the materials you all use to make your own gaskets? I imagine it would be a lot cheaper to make your own, so i need to know what kind of materials to use. Also, let me know where i can get these materials. Thanks.




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TimV

12-25-2002 16:10:24




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 Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to Keith Kindig, 12-23-2002 10:47:15  
Keith: A few thoughts on this--make sure that you are using a material that will hold up in the fluids you plan on sealing. Many papers, particularly "plain" papers, will not hold up under prolonged immersion to agressive fluids such as gasoline. Improvised gaskets may work for a time, but if your application is critical, you are often better off buying the correct gasket, or at least fabricating your own from the correct materials. Many shops that make gaskets (check your local yellow pages under "die cutters")will have center scraps from making larger gaskets that they will give you for the asking. Also, make sure to match thicknesses as closely as possible--the gasket often serves as a shim to maintain correct end play in an assembly. An example of this is small engine case gaskets. Finally, check BOTH sides of the flange to be sealed before cutting--often one side needs a bigger (or smaller) hole than the other, and you run the risk of cutting off flow or causing gasket erosion if you don't check.

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Fred OH

12-25-2002 08:49:32




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 Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to Keith Kindig, 12-23-2002 10:47:15  
Used to have a buddy that ran the local drive in theater. He occasionally had posters left over and thats what I used for years. He's gone and so are the posters. Any good parts house have gasket material in 1/64-1/32-1/16" thicknesses, also rubber and cork. High temperature material can be picked up at most good plumbing houses. Thin gaskets tend to pull (distort) if not held down as you're pecking. L8R....Fred OH

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TimC

12-24-2002 19:40:51




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 Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to Keith Kindig, 12-23-2002 10:47:15  
Manilla folder for lawn mower crank case gaskets.



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Al.

12-24-2002 13:11:22




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 Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to Keith Kindig, 12-23-2002 10:47:15  
I worked in the pulp and paper industry for close to 40 years and when you were in a pinch we even used Kraft Paper bag and sack material. We also used Kraft liner which has a vapor barrier built in. My 2 bits worth . Happy Holidays to all.



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rhouston... as gasket making tools

12-24-2002 06:21:33




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 Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to Keith Kindig, 12-23-2002 10:47:15  
used shell casings make excellent hole punches. I have used .45 .38 and .22 shells. a metal ink cartidge from a pen will make the small ones too.



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Ron

12-24-2002 06:03:58




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 Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to Keith Kindig, 12-23-2002 10:47:15  
On many areas, I use Black Form-A-Gasket ( applied sparingly ) with a continuous loop of dental floss laid in the sealer, inside of the bolts... It has worked fine.... Opposed cylinder aircraft engine cases are sealed this same way ( only they use a Silk thread )...!!!! The thread crushes, and formes a barrier... I suppose any medium thread would work as well..



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Trucker

12-23-2002 18:30:30




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 Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to Keith Kindig, 12-23-2002 10:47:15  
Auto parts stores have gasket material.I bought an assortment the other day and it had cork,and several thicknesses of paper looking stuff,along with a piece that looked like it had rubber in it.I made a carburetor gasket for a 302 Ford using a ball peen hammer,and a water pump gasket the same way.It didnt cost much,and I have enough left over to make a lot more.



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bob

12-23-2002 18:55:49




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 Re: Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to Trucker, 12-23-2002 18:30:30  
just don,t get too much on hand as it will get hard and dry as time passes. I try to keep it used down. Mcmaster carr sells it but in larger quanitys. A plumbing wholesaler is another good source



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bill b va

12-23-2002 17:34:20




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 Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to Keith Kindig, 12-23-2002 10:47:15  

many gaskets can be made from cracker box card board or other similar cardboard material . beer cartons is good example (all free ).use your head . i have made many gaskets from the above materials . when you use gasket cement or even grease and properly torque the bolts these gaskets will last about as long as the high priced store bought ones .of course many times thickness has to be considered .measure the thickness of the old gasket and go from there . i have used writing paper for the thin ones .there are a number of ways to get the pattern for the gasket . 1 ..coat the surface of the gasket area with grease and press the gasket material on it to get a impression ...2 use a ballpean hammer and lightly peck around the area to be gasketed . i once had a cushmam motor scooter with a homade head gasket made of 1/16 sheet aluminum and i don't how many times i took the head of and on with no problems .

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mj

12-31-2002 07:21:52




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 Re: Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to bill b va, 12-23-2002 17:34:20  
Another good source of gasket material is those green with dark speckle-hard finished "hanging file folders". I had to do a small block Chevy water pump gasket one time at a rock & mineral shop and that's what they could find to help me; put her in dry and drove it like that until I sold the truck a year later.



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Burrhead

12-24-2002 09:28:10




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 Re: Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to bill b va, 12-23-2002 17:34:20  
That's right Bill.

I use cardboard with either grease or aluminum paint.

If it's a high pressure point gasket I use the paint. If it's no pressure or low pressure point I use the grease.



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Ben in KY

12-23-2002 21:07:33




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 Re: Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to bill b va, 12-23-2002 17:34:20  
I like to use manilla folder material for medium weight gaskets. Similiar to the beer case boxes.
I smear a thin coating of silicone gasket material on them and they work great.



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Mac

12-23-2002 14:30:10




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 Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to Keith Kindig, 12-23-2002 10:47:15  
Material depends on application. I usually wait till I need a gasket and go to auto parts and get a small sheet so I dont end up with a bunch of useless material that ends up as waste. Lots of times it is as cheap to buy a readymade gasket anyhow. Sometime there is a thickness factor to consider on gaskets also.



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mj

12-25-2002 10:36:26




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 Re: Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to Mac, 12-23-2002 14:30:10  
Yeah....put too thick of a gasket between the cover and body on your oil pump and.....BINGO!.....less or no pressure! I learned that one the hard way!



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Earl

12-23-2002 12:22:44




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 Re: Making your own gaskets in reply to Keith Kindig, 12-23-2002 10:47:15  
Most auto part stores have gasket material.Some times you have to beg them to look in Victor or Felpro gasket book.



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