Cutting a GT-14 gasket, first try.

[MWR 321]

Well, here is my first try at making a gasket for my GT-14.  Yep, my barn is cold and it was in the 20s here yesterday. 

 

First I tried my brass - or copper, or whatever - ball peen hammer.  I think it was to soft.  So I drug out the John Deere Green Ball Peen.  It did better, but I just didn't feel right using a Green hammer on a Wheelhorse.  And since I didn't have a red ball peen, I went with the blue hammer.  I may have to paint one of the ball peen hammers Wheelhorse Red.  

 

The best I can remember, this is my first attempt at cutting a gasket.  If anyone here has ever done this and knows how it is supposed to be done, I'd appreciate any suggestions.

 

 

[Ed Kennell 35,576]

Nice....gasket and video.        When I was still working, I installed a lot of 1/32, 1/16, and 1/8" thick  vellumoid  gaskets on irregular shaped flanges.  I glued the sheet to the flange with spray glue, then used an x-acto knife to cut the edges and the holes.  This worked very well, but of course you could not remove the gasket.

[daveoman1966 3,586]

SUGGESTION(s):

(1) Remove the locating dowel(s) and flip case onto gasket material....on flat surface. 

(2) With pencil or ball-point pen (better), trace perimeter outline and all of the bolt holes.

(3) With tracing complete, set case aside and use a 5/16 hole punch on the 6 bolt hole locations.

(4) Flip case and pre-fit the pre-gasket to the case with the 3/8 bolts.

(5) use Exacto knife to carefully trim around the inside perimeter and open 2 dowel hole locations. (I have a surgeon's scalpel)

(6) Finally, remove the gasket and use ordinary shears to cut the OUTSIDE perimeter.

Cutting away the waste of the outside perimeter (as a last step) is much easier to do when holding the gasket in-hand.  You could, of course, use the exacto knife on the outside perimeter while it is still held to the case by those 6 bolts...as in step 5. 

      

[KC9KAS 4,741]

I found this thread very interesting.

 

http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/topic/61455-homemade-gaskets/#comment-571157

[953 nut 51,464]

4 hours ago, MWR said:

If anyone here has ever done this and knows how it is supposed to be done

You obviously know exactly how it is done! Yours is an old-school method that is tried and true and I have used it too. The only thing I have changed lately is I bought an inexpensive set of gasket hole punches, find the approximate location of the dowel and make a hole for it, then lay the material on the item to be sealed and make a hole at the other end (much as you did) and put a bolt in it. At this point it is held in place and now I take a piece of round stock (like a socket extension) and firmly rub it all around the edges of the casting. This will create an image of the casting on the gasket material and using scissors and the hole punches you can cut a very neat gasket. Probably a bit faster and a whole lot easier. 

[squonk 38,842]

I just made a big honkin gasket the ball peen method the other day. but it was 18" in diameter with about 20 bolt holes. I had to stand on a ladder and reach across a steam heat exchanger to do it.

[DennisThornton 4,769]

4 hours ago, 953 nut said:

You obviously know exactly how it is done! Yours is an old-school method that is tried and true and I have used it too. The only thing I have changed lately is I bought an inexpensive set of gasket hole punches, find the approximate location of the dowel and make a hole for it, then lay the material on the item to be sealed and make a hole at the other end (much as you did) and put a bolt in it. At this point it is held in place and now I take a piece of round stock (like a socket extension) and firmly rub it all around the edges of the casting. This will create an image of the casting on the gasket material and using scissors and the hole punches you can cut a very neat gasket. Probably a bit faster and a whole lot easier. 

There are reasons why I follow your comments!

[new2horses 287]

I have made a lot of gaskets using exactly the same method as MWR, depending on gasket thickness a smaller or larger hammer is employed. One of my better purchases through the years has been a set of hole punches ( my set goes from about 1/8 to 3/4ths ) you get a nice clean hole quickly. I always punch into the end grain of some hardwood.

Another way to make a gasket is to coat the surface where the gasket is to live, with a light coat of oil, with the gasket laying on a flat firm surface set the piece on the gasket, then with a soft hammer (dead blow) gently tap all around. When complete you have a very nice impression of the required gasket. Depending on gasket thickness, scissors or some other cutting tool can be used.

[Martin 2,130]

We use the tap method to create masking templates for magnetic sheet when painting parts at work. Key here is to use the locators (like in the video above) to make sure the material doesnt move, very easy when tapping to 'stretch out' the pattern by slight movement when going around with a hammer. You can also press and drag along the gasket surface a small but heavy piece of steel in your hand, (replacement of tapping with a hammer) to make an impression in the gasket from the sharp edges of the piece you are using as a pattern. 

Another variation of what @new2horses mentioned above is to smear some grease smoothly on the gasket mating surface and lay the gasket material on it. Paint could also be used the same way.

[MWR 321]

It didn't leak. 

[WHX?? 46,675]

52 minutes ago, MWR said:

It didn't leak. 

 I guess thats what counts no matter how you make it!  With all the hi-tech sealers out ther these days it's a wonder we have to make them at all. Next time your in a auto parts store guys check ouy how many different kinds of gaskets in a tube there are! Mind bogling as to which one is the right one for what you are sealing.

 

How many of you guys use the the old school gasket shellac?

[WNYPCRepair 1,875]

Fastest hammer in the west! (south?)

[squonk 38,842]

I use 3 sealers depending  on the application. Ultra black silicone for most but also aviation sealer for dressing a paper gasket, and anaerobic for machined ridgid   surfaces.