Anyone done any gaskets ? What materials are safe to cut ? Where to get sheets of said materials (UK)?
Rebuilding a professional compressor given to me for free (standard 10BAR). Checked prices for gasket kits and near shattered my jaw at the floor - near 400 quid for service kit. Nope…
Need to figure out how to diy them.
Cutting gaskets is a common use for laser cutters. I made a carburetor gasket for an old tractor engine with mine. Gasket material should be safe to laser cut as it will likely be one of three material types, paper, rubber, or cork. I got my material at my local auto parts store.
If you can get the old gasket off intact, you can use a scanner and the tracing function in LB to create the new gasket.
I’ve done a gasket for water protection purposes. Amazon sells silicon sheets about 1 mm thick that cut like a dream in the laser. I suspect that the compressor application would not be particularly suitable for silicon at 1 mm but you may find thicker sheets that will work. Silicone sheet is pretty tough stuff. Cork and rubber have been around for years/decades/centuries? and even paper is quite a good gasket material.
If you can’t salvage the old gasket, secure a sheet of paper over the surface and perform a pencil rubbing, then trace that outline to another sheet of paper. Scan it in with a scale reference, such as a small ruler on the page, and match it in LB for size.
At this time i’ve no idea what kind of gaskets are in the compressor. Will be dismantling the head from the tank and then checking head itself. No idea of thincknesses as well. Cant seem to find any engineering info on the pump, but its ABAC B70 or B60.
As for the process of making/cutting, i would be using coreldraw to do processing, as i use it for almost everything vector (used to work in signmaking industry) and only cutting with LB. LB has long ways to go to reach cdrw levels when it comes to doing graphics. I dont think they should try, to be honest. Keep it cutting/engraving oriented/specialised. Less effort to put into not needed fluff, plenty of other good free/paid software that have been around for a much longer while to catch up to them. Some direct integration between cdrw and lb would be nice tho.
Take a look at this: https://www.compressorsonline.com/product/performance-kit-8973037636/
Those look like run of the mill paper and rubber gaskets to me.
You can get a sample set of gasket material on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Fel-Pro-3060-Gasket-Material/dp/B000CNKUGO/) for about $9.20.