Gaskets

The steam chests on my steam engine are only 22 x 15mm square and need to be sealed on both sides.

One against the face of the cyl. and the other is a cover plate.

Can anyone suggest a very thin gasket mtl.

Or should I use goo to seal the faces.

Clive

Hi Clive .

Although i haven't used it on a steam engine but have used it I/C engines ,pipe fittings etc and that Loctite master gasket .

It won't harden until it is compressed between surfaces and from memory can fill up to .020 with the correct primer .

It is what i use to seal crankcases on outboard motors, mowers , motorcycles etc and seems to work better than anything else for metal to metal gasket faces .

Actually i have used this to glue a broken gasket back together and it still didn't leak !

The only issue i see may be pressure .

Ian

Edited By IAN B on 29/05/2012 04:49:57

John,

What is this stuff, and how do you get it?

Seems like a good idea to me and how does it handle compared with brown paper?

I have trouble finding thin paper so all sorts of bodgies.

David

Metal to metal I use Hylomar originally invented by Messrs Rolls & Royce.

A really thin gasket I will make from brown paper or proprietry gasket paper depending on the size.

'fraid I'm 'old school' when it comes to gaskets - oiled paper is all I have ever used - these days I draw 'em in CAD, print 'em on 80gsm paper, cut out and saturate with 3 in 1 oil.

Edited By Tel on 29/05/2012 10:25:44

The function of a gasket is to fill up the irregularities between the two surfaces being joined together. The flatter the surfaces are the better, coarse surfaces need thicker gaskets.

The problem is that the thicker caskets you use the stronger the material used has to be. This is to prevent the gasket from blowing out. In commercially made joints tend to have rather thick gaskets as fine finishes cost money.

Clive in your case I would use paper, a good quality ‘Bank paper’ if your finish is not too good or tracing paper or the old fashioned bog roll (Bronko or the like).

To make them I use a tiny ball-pein ‘tappy’ hammer, a sharp craft knife, a scribe to poke holes. I oil the surface well and stick the paper on it and lightly tap round the shape, hitting the paper down onto the edge of the item with just enough force to cut/thin down the paper. It is a skill/art which is easy to learn.

The thing is that thin paper gaskets, soaked in oil and squeezed firmly into the joint are extremely strong, cheap and easy to make. Once assembled they are not taken apart again for many years so the little effort to make them is well worth it

Rdgs

Dick

You can get proper gasket paper down to about 6thou here.

Altenatively af few turns of plumber's PTFE tape woven between the studs works well.

Russell.

Or you could use Loctite 574. Polly do it.

Quicker easier than cutting out paper, steam and oil proof, gap filling of course, sets in about 3 minutes. Perfect for the job, less messy than Hylomar, and no waiting. On the TE now Metre Maid, I have stopped using paper completely, because 574 is just so quick and easy.

Be a little careful when joining steam flanges, not to use too much - a tiny bit applied with a paint brush is plenty so it doesn't spread into the pipe.

Certainly a very useful alternative.

I use Loctite master gasket on my hot air engines. Ian S C

It seems I have stirred up a lot of Useful information here , not only for myself but other builders.

Thank you for all your help and interest.

Clive