Homemade gaskets

[Dave0846]

Hi all

With the prices of 045/056 parts getting more expensive (shipping to nz kills it) has anyone made there own gaskets with much success?

 

[s sidewall]

That's all I do, of course alot of the gaskets I make are NLA.

Steve

 

[Jasonrkba]

I make them all the time. I buy the roll at advance auto. I use a leather punch set and zacto knife.

 

[Blue Oaks]

I made a carb gasket for my 289 out of a cereal box once. Lubed it up with Chap Stick and it worked fine for a few years until I threw a four barrel on there and didn't need it.

 

[1Alpha1]

Many years ago, I used to make my own. Make sure that you have a good Exacto knife set. I also have a set of round hole punches that do a very clean and precise job.

Haven't made one in a very long time though.

 

[Deleted member 150358]

Rifle brass makes for a wide variety of hole punches bigger than leather punch sizes.

 

[Chainsaw Jim]

The best method I've come up with is to punch one hole and use a screw to anchor it in place. Then I'll continue placing a screw in each hole to keep alignment perfect for tracing the other shapes.

 

[Jasonrkba]

Not perfect but it gets the job done. Especially for those vintage saws.

 

[Natster]

Can you make one that a mother-in-law can't blow?
(I'd pay you well)
N

 

[Jasonrkba]

No such thing.

 

[trains]

Curved chisels kept properly sharp will tidy up those rounds. Pencil in the lines, then follow with chisel, do it right, will be better than new.
Always good to have several different thickness gasket paper sheets on hand. I just hang them up with pegs to keep them straight, they do warp a bit, but far easier to work than if you store them rolled up.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Gaskets are easy it is the other stuff that is more of a challenge. I keep boxes and boxes of ford 460, 289, 302, sb 350 and so on. When I need a certain material I usually have it. So many parts are very expensive or NA. When You have stuff that is obsolete why not give a shot at extending their life a little. I have an old crapsman 3.2 saw that just has not yet quit. It is not what I consider a great saw, but when I need to cut a few hundred limbs it comes in handy. Thanks

 

[homemade]

Anyone figure out a way to transfer the mating surface to the paper. I’ve made my own serval times but I’ve had an old gasket to trace.

 

[Okie]

Yup, make lots of my own gaskets. Have a big box of all kinds of gasket material and box of gasket making tools. When I'm making a gasket I usually make at least two gaskets while all the tools and material is out and ready.

Also several of my gaskets are made from one that I've saved for a pattern that is NLA or expensive.

I check the current price and availability of a gasket and if costly I just make it. Some of them Onan small engine gaskets are just out of sight in price.

 

[dce1843]

I make them all the time with leather punches and utility knife. A empty beer box works well

 

[s sidewall]

Anyone figure out a way to transfer the mating surface to the paper. I’ve made my own serval times but I’ve had an old gasket to trace.

I've used a thin layer of red grease, differential marking paint, it wipes off when done. Also have used the part I'm making it for and lightly taped it with a brass hammer for the outlines then cut and punch them out. Perfect gasket every time.

Steve

 

[Huskybill]

I started out five decades ago making gaskets for my gravely tractors. We do have gasket elimators available now too. There are some good silicones out there too. I used a pro seal silicone that’s awesome on the seams on dirtbikes that leak oil.

Now I’m collecting vintage saws and I see very little in new parts being offered for certain models. It seems the models that weren’t so popular there is less parts available for them.

 

[Stihl 041S]

Doesn’t anybody use bearing balls to cut holes?

 

[Huskybill]

Ball bearings in the holes to cut them out. Or a small ball pein hammer.

 

[s sidewall]

Have to have a good assortment of balls, easy to loose your balls than punches.

Steve