Wow, leather is tough, gaskets suggestions needed.

Toadmund

Toadmund

New Member
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.
 
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.
 
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
 
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Dammit, I had a nice good piece of thick cardboard, but of course I left it at work.
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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
Click to expand...
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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

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