Gasket for band saw gear box info please

D

dave d

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I picked up a 4 x 6 band saw similar to the type sold by Harbor Freight. It had a broken casting and my friend brazed it for me. I want to check the lube in the gear box and I assume it has a gasket. What do I need to do to make a new gasket for this once I take the cover off? What type of material is used on this?

I would sure appreciate some guidance so I don't screw this up. I really like this little band saw a lot. Best $15 I ever spent!
Dave D
 
It's just a piece of flat rubber. You could get most any gasket material from an auto parts store and it would work. RTV should be fine as well.
 
Auto supply stores sell RTV silicone designed to use as a gasket. If you go for gasket material from those stores you can make a perfect fitting gasket by just holding it in place and tapping around the edges with the round end of a ball peen hammer.
 
I do not like silicone for gaskets. It cures and then chunks of it gets into the oiling system and then plugs passages. Anaerobic sealants made by companies like Permatex, Loctite, and others are anaerobic, which means that they only cure when confined in a tight space without air. Whatever sealant that does not cure gets dissolved in the oil and does not hurt anything. I have seen many internal combustion engines destroyed by using silicone sealants.
 
I had some old cork sheeting from the auto parts store (Kragen? ) so I made mine out of that. No leaks and easily access.
Mark S.
 
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My go-to material for making a new gasket is the cardboard backing from a pad of graph paper. Impregnate it with grease, and it covers a multitude of misalignment sins. If you need thinner, a cereal box side is just as good. For smaller seals and thinner requirements, the thin cardboard backing that packs the wife's nylons is a great material.

I've been doing this for over 50 years and never had one of them fail.
 
Thanks for all the great tips! I had no idea it was that easy! Looks like it will be hard to screw this up.
Dave
 
I thought I mentioned it, but reading my post I didn't...

I reused the existing gasket without issues. It's a good idea to have something available, but mine went back together without leaks. Pretty decent little saw for hobby work.
 
Dabbler said:
My go-to material for making a new gasket is the cardboard backing from a pad of graph paper.
Click to expand...

There's also 'oaktag' paper (sometimes seen in file folders), which is thinner cardboard
so seals best if the surfaces are very flat. Crafts shops might have it as stencil material.

Some previous owner of my car tried the Permatex route, and on waterpump
replacement day I discovered that the bolts were all galled because a few thicknesses
of gasket material was the difference between the fully-threaded part of the holes
in the engine block, and the partly-threaded parts.
After removing most of the bolts, and only breaking three, there was no
way to pull the casting off (glue joint, no paper to split, and no handle).

It came apart eventually, but there were a lot of 'leave it a few days and
maybe think of something' breaks in that project.

I'm unwilling to leave out the gasket and just use a bead of adhesive.
 
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