Wow, leather is tough, gaskets suggestions needed.

Toadmund · Feb 10, 2012

Want to make an intake gasket, but boy, it's hard to cut those little holes in car seat leather.
Short of buying tiny good quality scissors, I guess I would need to punch out the holes.

Maybe a sharpened metal tube and a hammer?

I am open to ideas here.
Thanks.

bairdco · Feb 10, 2012

buy some gasket material from pep boys. it's grey and comes in a roll. you can make 800 intake gaskets for about 5 bucks. much cheaper than a car seat.

maintenancenazi · Feb 10, 2012

bairdco said:
buy some gasket material from pep boys. it's grey and comes in a roll. you can make 800 intake gaskets for about 5 bucks. much cheaper than a car seat.

^^^ No truer words were ever spoken.......

thegnu · Feb 10, 2012

A good heavy peice of cardboard box would work too dont use the corugated stuff tho more like the posterboard type if your in a pinch , I have done this a few times makeing carb gaskets on a old chevy I owned .
Gary

Al.Fisherman · Feb 10, 2012

A file folder works well. And not one off of your computer... :>)

Mannhouse51 · Feb 10, 2012

I've used cereal boxes for gaskets , they work fine.

Toadmund · Feb 10, 2012

bairdco said:
buy some gasket material from pep boys. it's grey and comes in a roll. you can make 800 intake gaskets for about 5 bucks. much cheaper than a car seat.

No, years ago I worked in Honda warehouse, the leather was destined for the dumpster, doesn't get cheaper than that.
PS, no pep boys here, I get your point though, auto supply place, maybe Canadian Tire, my second home.

bairdco said:
buy some gasket material from pep boys. it's grey and comes in a roll. you can make 800 intake gaskets for about 5 bucks. much cheaper than a car seat.

Dammit, I had a nice good piece of thick cardboard, but of course I left it at work.

Tinsmith · Feb 10, 2012

Mr Toad, yes a punch is the best way to put a hole in gasket material. A small leather punch shouldn't be too costly and a paper hole punch might even work. Good luck.
Dan

bairdco · Feb 10, 2012

cardboard works in an emergency, but will eventually break down from the fuel.

any auto parts store should have gasket material. ace hardware has it, too.

bairdco · Feb 10, 2012

another easy way to make the bolt holes in a gasket is with a bolt and a hammer.

if you look at the tip of a bolt, it's usually got a little dimple in it. find one slightly larger than the size hole you need, put your gasket on smooth concrete, or metal (like the flat side on a vice) put the bolt where you need a hole, and give it a few whacks with a hammer.
you should be able to pop the little circles right out.

for the port-hole, take a piece of masking tape and stick it over the intake, then rub it with your dirty finger to make a tracing, put the tape loosely on your gasket, and cut it out with a razor knife or an exacto.

Toadmund · Feb 10, 2012

Tinsmith said:
Mr Toad, yes a punch is the best way to put a hole in gasket material. A small leather punch shouldn't be too costly and a paper hole punch might even work. Good luck.
Dan

Just bought a paper punch at Staples (goes to get it and open package)

Totally DESTROYED! $3.49 wasted, but I learned something (If it's not bought at the dollar store it's too expensive to experiment with.)

A sharpened metal tube and a hammer is what I need.

wayne z · Feb 10, 2012

Toadmund said:
Just bought a paper punch at Staples (goes to get it and open package)

Totally DESTROYED! $3.49 wasted, but I learned something (If it's not bought at the dollar store it's too expensive to experiment with.)

A sharpened metal tube and a hammer is what I need.

I've done the sharpened tube,hammer bunch of times. Ammo shell casings work good when sharpened, and come in a lot of sizes..

Al.Fisherman · Feb 10, 2012

I use a spent .357 shell. I used a bench grinder to sharpen the edges. Place material on leather or I used a soft wood, and punched the holes. Used a razor blade for the rest.

maniac57 · Feb 11, 2012

Best way I've found to get a good selection of punch diameters is to find a collapseable antenna, like off a boombox or TV, and pull it apart. The brass tubes sharpen up nice with a file and punch nice clean holes in gasket material. Cheap and easy. Works on leather too...

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Wow, leather is tough, gaskets suggestions needed.

Toadmund

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bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes

maintenancenazi

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thegnu

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Al.Fisherman

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Mannhouse51

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Toadmund

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Tinsmith

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bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes

Toadmund

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wayne z

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Al.Fisherman

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maniac57

Old, Fat, and still faster than you