How many of you guys use the ball peen hammer trick to make gaskets?

[echris 1,425]

I don't know if this is common knowledge or not, but an old timer back in the day taught me to use a hammer to cut out the gasket paper when making your own.

Most surfaces we need to seal on these old machines have a sharp edge.

Just place the gasket paper on top of the surface to be sealed and hold it tightly in place. Using a small hammer, tap the gasket paper against the sharp edge at about a 45 degree angle. You don't have to tap hard at all. Just repeat until the paper separates.
For the holes, just use the right size ball peen and tap the center of the hole a few times. Perfect paper gaskets every time.

The same works when masking off sealing surfaces for paint.
Like the head and cylinder of the snowblower I'm working on. Works beautifully!

Any of you guys use this process when you roll your own?

 

Edited October 3, 2020 by echris

[formariz 11,993]

I do that all the time. Instead of tapping many times I just rub on the edges with a smooth round piece of metal. Even if it does not separate all you need to do is to follow the crease with a xacto knife,

[echris 1,425]

I just realized I missed the best part of the trick.

Make the holes with the ball peen first.
Make the first hole, then insert a pin/bolt.
Then insert hardware through the rest of the holes as you make them and keep alignment when cutting out the gasket.

Edited October 3, 2020 by echris

[pacer 3,175]

I make Virtually all paper type gaskets using this method. I have a dedicated "gasket hammer" which is a quite small ball peen -I have no idea where I got it!! The small ball end allows for easier making of the bolt holes and small rounded corners, while the hammer end makes the straight parts. Cereal boxes are one of my favorites to use.

[echris 1,425]

I just used a cereal box 2 days ago to paint a really rusty flywheel.

I found a 1 gal house paint can was the exact outside diameter of a 5HP Techumseh Snow King flywheel, less the ring gear.
I used the cereal box to mask the ring gear.
+1 for cereal boxes. First time I tried one.

[ebinmaine 70,319]

I've not tried it yet but it's a lovely trick. 

 

Been a long time since I've made a gasket. 

Keep messing with these older machines and I'm sure I'll get the opportunity. 

 

[953 nut 57,473]

10 hours ago, echris said:

old timer back in the day taught me to use a hammer to cut out the gasket paper

Growing up I never knew you could buy a ready made gasket, this is the only source of gaskets we knew existed.

[Ed Kennell 40,237]

Yes, I used the ball peen hammer to make vellumoid gaskets for pipe bolting flanges up to 24".    It cut  1/32 to 1/8" vellum.    In my application, the sheet gasket was fastened to the flange with contact cement  holding it in place while the bolt holes were cut or marked with the hammer head..  I usually cut an x in the hole then hold a hammer head slightly larger than the hole on the x, then tap it with another hammer.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,210]

Needed a complicated Zenith carb gasket.

Placed the carb top down on a flat bed scanner. After a couple of tries got a full scale image.

Used spray adhesive to attach the image to the gasket material and cut it out.

Worked like a charm.

 

Garry

[squonk 42,280]

10 hours ago, echris said:

I just used a cereal box 2 days ago to paint a really rusty flywheel.

I found a 1 gal house paint can was the exact outside diameter of a 5HP Techumseh Snow King flywheel, less the ring gear.
I used the cereal box to mask the ring gear.
+1 for cereal boxes. First time I tried one.

I hope you kept the decoder ring from the cereal box!  

 

Those waxy coated boxes work great for all kinds of stuff