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Making gaskets


LonesomeSTX

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2008
Messages
656
Age
48
City
Columbus, GA
Vehicle Year
1988
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Automatic
I, like many of you, have to make my own gaskets quite often. I usually go with the brute force and ignorance way of doing it and some times it works out some times it dose not. Complicated shapes are a big challenge and so are the bolt holes. The bolt holes seem to be the biggest challenge. The material used and cutting tools available make a difference of course, but I cannot help but think there is a more efficient way of doing it. Do any of you have any tips and tricks? Are there any tools or punches out there that would make the bolt holes easier and cleaner? I have an idea for a way of doing the hole but I want to know if it is already out there.
 
with paper gaskets a lot of the time I'll take a pencil or something about the same size of the hole and shove it in to the point it'll crease all the way around and leave the pencil there while I get the rest of the bolt holes for alignment pins... for punching out the holes I'll either use a utility knife or GASKET PUNCHES for whatever is easiest.
 
I use a ballpeen hammer and tap on the gasket edge until it cuts it. The same for the holes, I take the round end of the hammer for the holes and sharp corners...

SVT
 
I've used a ball peen hammer lightly tapping around the edges. Steel is best but it does work with alum.

Richard
 
As long as you don't hit it hard, the aluminum will be ok...


SVT
 
At the least it will give you an outline to go by.

Richard
 
I've heard of guys using old ammunition shells if varying sizes for the bolt holes. :thumbup:
 
get your self a set of arc punches
 
We use a regular paper hole punch to nibble odd shapes out along with a punch/die set and a razor.

It is surprising what you can get done with a stupid little paper hole punch though.

I have never had to make a gasket out of aluminum though, usually it is just disconinued or out of town paper gaskets.
 
They do work great on the paper type material. But we almost broke one on some cork.
 
Putting a coat of machinist bluing (paste) on the gasket surface of the part and pressing the gasket material against it with your fingers leaves a good "photo-copy" on the gasket material...then you can go to the work bench & use the hole punches, hardware scissors, etc to cut the pattern out....instead of laying all sideways/upside down to ballpeen the gasket into existence ;missingteeth;

It works on complicated parts too.

(but you'd better wear latex gloves during the process!)
 
Doorgunner's idea sounds like a good one, but since I don't have any dye I usually do a variation of the ball peen hammer method. Either tape the gasket down or make a bolt hole or two just to hold it in place, and then tap around the edges just hard enough to make an indention in the gasket material withou cutting through it, and then use a razor to cut out the holes. For bolt holes or other perfect circles, I like to try and find a piece of pipe or tubing the same size as the hole I'll need, and file down the edge so it's sharp to create a makeshift hole punch, then put the material on a scrap piece of wood and use a hammer and my new hole punch.
 

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