die/punch

[John Rudd]

Ok, I know I'm supposed to be on vacation/holiday.......

But.... I tried to make a punch for some gaskets I need for my steam engine.....for the cylinder end caps.

I took a piece of brass bar and bored it to 1/2 in.... turned a piece of steel to match the hole diameter.....In the gasket paper, I can punch a hole, all is good...
Now, I need to make the outside dia 1"....so I made another block of steel (bar) turned to the right diameter with a hole in the centre to take the punch (1/2").. and used that to centre the gasket paper...with me so far?
Now, I machined another piece with an internal diameter to match, now the probs start....
When I try to cut the o/d, the punch doesnt cut a full circle....
Something is wrong! cant figure out what....the same thing happens with the 4 pcd holes ....

(I made the two blocks with holes machined to the pcd required and machined a punch to suit....)

So, how do you make your cylinder gaskets?

[chipenter]

Cut the centre hole cover the gasket with copper ease push the cover on and just poke a sharp pin or drill tapping size , then screws cut off the excces with a knife .

[Pete W.]

Hi there, John,

I was taught to make paper gaskets on the job with a ball pein hammer.  I guess that'd be a bit tricky at your size! 

[awemawson]

Hi there, John,

I was taught to make paper gaskets on the job with a ball pein hammer.  I guess that'd be a bit tricky at your size!

Yes that was my first thought when this thread began, but then I realised that you'd need a very small toffee hammer !

[75Plus]

I have used this set-up to make washers from shim stock. It should work for gaskets also.

Take a couple of inches of round stock of the required diameter and cut in half. On one piece bore a hole the size as the bore of your gasket. on the other piece turn a spigot the same diameter. Place the gasket stock that has the OD punched on the spigot and insert into the other half. Now you can use a knife or chuck it up in the lathe using the tail stock to hold the two halves together and, using a sharp tool , trim to size.

Regarding making gaskets with a ball pein hammer, the four ounce size that was my go to hammer is becoming hard to find and expensive.

[Lew_Merrick_PE]

John -- You are doing it backwards.  Cut the OD first and make your ID bushing with a relief to hold & center the OD.  When you do it the other way around, there is no support to allow the cut to be completed.  I go through periods where I have to make 50-100 adjustment shims at a pop.

[Fergus OMore]

Why not use ball bearings? Far more accurate than a ball pein hammer.

Me? I foresaw these unnecessary  problems years ago and made a Staking Tool to George Thomas's design. With tongue in cheek, the book was 'Workshop Techniques' and edited by a dentist.

One has to smile a little

Norman

 

[John Rudd]

I have used this set-up to make washers from shim stock. It should work for gaskets also.

75+
Yup thats the way I almost did it......just need to figure a way to make the 4 pcd holes.....

I think I'll make 4 holes the right pcd and use a small b bearing to punch out the holes....
Guys thanks for the thoughts......
Now back to the racing..... been a great day wirh great weather 87F today.....