Making gaskets
Last Updated on July 22, 2024 by Mutiara
Whether to save money, time, or creating a gasket that is otherwise not available in stores, sometimes creating your own gasket is a better option.
Using a hammer
This technique only works on sharp cornered gasket surfaces, so it will not work on smooth cornered surfaces such as steel oil pans. All you need is a hammer (the smaller the better) and gasket material. This works best with thicker gasket material such as the combination of rubber and paper material in the pictures below.
- Place the gasket material over the surface, and begin to tap the hammer lightly on the edges, the sharp edges will cut the gasket material resulting in the perfect shape.
- Place a bolt with the same thread over the area where holes for the bolts will need to be made. Tap on the bolt lightly until it punches a smooth hole through the gasket material.
- If done correctly, you will be left with a nearly perfect gasket equivalent in quality to one that can be purchased from a store. At the very most, certain areas can be slightly trimmed with a razor blade to make them more smooth. This method produces much better looking results and much faster than tracing and cutting gaskets with a blade.