Are you trying to punch holes for the studs, or just fit a gasket with holes already in it?

One thought – are the stud ends at the same dimensions as at the root

ie, exact same pattern.

Another is to make the gasket as a larger sheet and trim to size after fixing.

Edited By not done it yet on 18/09/2016 18:10:59

Liquid gasket works for me. Teflon baking sheet works for others

You say that you drilled the stud holes in teh gasket? this may well leave a ragged edge which won't help with tearing, they are better punched out either with a Wad (hollow) punch or a punch and die (4mm peg and 4mm hole in die)

Edited By JasonB on 18/09/2016 19:39:10

Gasket holes shouldn't be a tight fit to the studs, you need to be sure they don't get damaged edges or crinkles.

To cut the holes, lay the gasket paper on the part with the drilled holes, find one of the holes through the paper then using a ball bearing a bit bigger than the hole, put this on the hole and give it a whack, first hole, put a peg in the hole through the paper, and do the same for the next hole, put in another peg, carry on and do the rest, then tap around the edge of the casting or what ever, and the sharp edge will cut the gasket. Some bit might need cutting, but often the whole gasket can be made this way.

Ian S C

Mike,

Try

http://www.stationaryengineparts.com

They sell plain gasket paper as follows.

"Suitable for mineral oils, hydrocarbons and cold water not suitable for acids and steam. Maximum temperature 120'C Available in 0.25mm, 0.5mm, 0.8mm and 1mm thick all from 1 metre wide rolls".

For cutting holes I use a revolving leather punch e.g. Clarke CHT489 about £8 from Machine Mart. It has punches 2,2.5,3,3.5,4 & 4.5 mm diameter. For larger hole I use wad punches.

I hope this is of help.

Mike,

​My father made a cylinder head gasket for a lawn mower engine from thick brown wrapping paper, using the sharp edges of the metal to cut the shape by tapping round with a small ball pein hammer. Bolting holes were cut with the ball end of the hammer pushed into the gasket and the plain end tapped with a second hammer. A smear of grease both sides completed the job before bolting up.

​He said it was a common dodge used by him and his biking friends as a field repair; the lawn mower engine ran for years like that afterwards.

​I have since made many such gaskets for other applications, the last being from a paperback book cover found in the back of our Landrover for a roadside gasket repair to the CAV diesel fuel pump. It was still doing good service when we sold the vehicle 4 years later.

Regards
Brian

Surely the right name for a firm selling gasket paper to model engineers, is 'Stationary stationery' ?

Tim

.

Just make sure you declare it to the Juges, if you enter the engine into competition.

MichaelG.