gaskets - make or buy?

[Jules]

when you read all the issues that we have with our old bikes wrt to teardowns/rebuilds, leaks and other investigative issues, I note that people like Musky and others make their own gaskets. I bought a couple of gaskets sets years back, but once you use one or two from a pack for items  that need regular teardown/inspections for whatever reasons, you always end up with lots of leftovers and never the gasket that you need!
I just looked up gasket paper on line and noted that its sold in very discrete sizes and thicknesses, in flat paper form eg A4 etc, or in rolls of 500x500 etc and I realised that there would be a lot of waste if you need to cut say a primary chaincase or timing cover gasket each time you need to pull off those bits to check something in there  - what do people do and use when doing repetitive, troubleshooting work and/or when completing a rebuild??
Also, if you make your own what do you use, flat packs or roll??... I thought that perhaps a roll would be a PITA to get flat before cutting out a large gasket, but then a flat sheet typically isn't big enough!!
Lastly, how do you manage to cut out a large complex gasket like the timing cover "neatly"??
thoughts??

[Slymo]

I use Flexoid paper or equivalent (there are a few brands) and generally I stick to .4 and .8mm. There are a number of ways to cut them out including tapping them out with a ball peen hammer. Mostly I use Engineers Blue smeared onto the face of the part to be gasketed and then rub the paper onto the part with thumbs to reveal a faint but clear outline. I then use a wad punch to cut out the bolt holes and then a Stanley knife or scissors to cut the rest. There is obviously quite a lot of waste but you keep all the reasonable size bits in the roll because other gaskets might fit. The gasket paper needs to be kept wrapped up in its film cover as once it dries out and goes hard its much harder to deal with and tears more easily as well as not compressing as well. The other point worth mentioning is that this type of gasket needs a retighten after a few days but once fully compressed can be re used until torn as long as you assemble dry ( with no other sealant).

[coater87]

 I use a new gasket that fits as a template for more gaskets.

 Like tappet cover, primary cover, timing cover, sump cover. I keep multiples of these.

 Stuff like inner timing, I have one spare.

 I also just smear grease on one side, and oil soak the other side of a gasket. Some guys use a smear of sealant on everything, my most hated thing is cleaning gasket surface so I try my best to use no sealants.

 If you grease them, you can get multiple uses out of a gasket because they don't stick.

Lee

[Greybeard]

Yes, I agree, you end up with box of gaskets you rarely need. I have discovered that Blue Hylomar on its own is as good as a gasket. If I have a primary or timing cover gasket I'll use it but if not I'll just use BH.

[muskrat]

G'day Jules.
I buy rolls of the stuff 0.4 & 0.8mm 1m wide x ?m. Can't remember where I got it (lasts me years) but think it was AutoPro or Supercheap.
The large bits (primary etc) makes all the small bits (rocker covers etc). I use Permatex #3 Aviation Form a gasket on both sides and gaskets can be reused and clean up with carb clean. A bought kit is used as templates, well over 10 years since I bought one.
After marking out always punch holes first then the inner and outer last. Craft knife or scissors with a steady (at least 2 beers) hand!
If a template is not at hand I punch a hole, put on item with a bolt/screw and find a second hole and punch out and replace with another bolt/screw then ball peen hammer to get the inner and outer.
Cheers