How to make gaskets

[DavidOliver]

Out here in Spain and post Brexit it is a pain to need just a gasket, delivery from UK is costly and slow and I needed one for the auxiliary housing.
Fortunately I had photocopied a previous gasket, which I used in my printer and put in a sheet of gasket material, A4 size, and the copier printed out the profile on the gasket material. I then simply cut out the gasket with scissors and some hole punches.
I need another gasket for the water pump and will attempt to locate the pump on the printer screen and print out the surface profile, and the transfer to gasket material.

Previously we old timers would always make our own gaskets by hammering around the edge of the part to be sealed, before we had our own printers.

just a tip.

Dave the cog

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Less sophisticated than your method, but I too make my own gaskets.
I don't make gaskets that are thickness critical like the need for exactly 19 thou separation between my Clan's cylinder head and block, but sump cambox and thermostat gaskets, for example, are game.

I use 1 mm thick gasket card (on a roll) for my sump. I trace around the sump pan and use a set of hole punches to acheive correct stud hole sizes. 100% leak free and you don't get caught short for the want of a gasket on the day.

[Pete Boole]

Great tip Dave. How do you ensure that the printed size is correct? I'm not very clever when it comes to computers

Pete

[AndyC]

Previously we old timers would always make our own gaskets by hammering around the edge of the part to be sealed, before we had our own printers.

Makes me feel ancient then, as the tap hammer was where my mind went when this thread come up.

[Zag]

Or loctite 518, worked fine on my aux housing amongst others.

[bash]

Mucky thumb and cereal box works. I then give the card a light coat of spray lacquer.

Bash
Cereal bodger

[Pete Boole]

Cereal bodger

Pete

[DavidOliver]

For Peter B. The photocopier does not change the size, A4 paper to A4 paper.

Dave the cog.

[Pete Boole]

Ah - yes - I'd assumed it had been saved as a file on a computer and printed from there. Cheers.

Pete

[Hawaiis0]

Hi Dave. I'm coming to Madrid next month. I can carry as many gaskets as you want?

[DavidOliver]

Hi Hawei. I am in the middle of an engine rebuild, carnk, liners , rings etc. and need to finish this week as I have sold the house and need to move the Excel. We are moving back to Madrid after 17 years here in Malaga and it is likely the Excel will go to a new home in Mallorca.
Have a good time in Madrid. Thanks for the offer of gaskets.

Dave the cog