Sheltech wrote:
Hi Folks,
I'm looking for something resilient, strong enough and of the right consistency that I can punch holes in it
(preferably w/ a leather punch) and rated to 1100 F.

I got a piece of alumina/silica sheet gasket material from McMaster Carr -even talked to a guy from the vendor who said I'd be
able to drill or punch holes in it- and it turned out to be more like dense, crumbly cotton than anything . What a joke.

You can, you just don't use a leather punch, it's totally the wrong tool
for most gasket material at that temperature.

Is there a reason you need it to be flexible?
I can't think of much off-hand that will work.
Pure gold perhaps, some stainless steel based spring gaskets with
graphite, ...


--
http://inquisitor.i.am/ | | Ian Stirling.
---------------------------+-------------------------+--------------------------
Prosperity and ruin issue from the power of the tongue.
Therefore, guard yourself against thoughtless speech.

"Ian Stirling" wrote in message
...
Is there a reason you need it to be flexible?
I can't think of much off-hand that will work.
Pure gold perhaps, some stainless steel based spring gaskets with
graphite, ...

Copper? Depending on the atmosphere anyway I guess...

Tim

--
In the immortal words of Ned Flanders: "No foot longs!"
Website @ http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

Tim Williams wrote in message ...
"Ian Stirling" wrote in message
...
Is there a reason you need it to be flexible?
I can't think of much off-hand that will work.
Pure gold perhaps, some stainless steel based spring gaskets with
graphite, ...

Copper? Depending on the atmosphere anyway I guess...

Tim

--
In the immortal words of Ned Flanders: "No foot longs!"
Website @ http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms


Okeley Dokely, to answer a few replies at once,
This is for an annealing box with a flat lid that will screw on . I'm annealing copper sheets in an electric kiln.
Perfect seal isn't actually required because the customer isn't fussy about getting pristine copper
parts; in fact , torch-annealed was adequate. I mostly want to 'automate' the annealing.

Flexibility of the gasket material isn't actually necessary, I just sort of assumed that rigid materials wouldn't
be among the candidates. Copper might work if I used socket caps and cranked them, instead of common machine screws.
For that matter, if my box had a milled-flat flanged rim instead of the non-flat one it has and a thicker, flatter lid, I might
get by without a gasket at all, given the relaxed standards of the customer.

ps "pure gold" ..... if that was a bad idea it wouldn't be funny. good one.

thx
DS

On Sat, 6 Sep 2003 12:22:20 -0600, "Sheltech"
wrote:


Tim Williams wrote in message ...
"Ian Stirling" wrote in message
...
Is there a reason you need it to be flexible?
I can't think of much off-hand that will work.
Pure gold perhaps, some stainless steel based spring gaskets with
graphite, ...

Copper? Depending on the atmosphere anyway I guess...

Tim

--
In the immortal words of Ned Flanders: "No foot longs!"
Website @ http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms


Okeley Dokely, to answer a few replies at once,
This is for an annealing box with a flat lid that will screw on . I'm annealing copper sheets in an electric kiln.
Perfect seal isn't actually required because the customer isn't fussy about getting pristine copper
parts; in fact , torch-annealed was adequate. I mostly want to 'automate' the annealing.

Flexibility of the gasket material isn't actually necessary, I just sort of assumed that rigid materials wouldn't
be among the candidates. Copper might work if I used socket caps and cranked them, instead of common machine screws.
For that matter, if my box had a milled-flat flanged rim instead of the non-flat one it has and a thicker, flatter lid, I might
get by without a gasket at all, given the relaxed standards of the customer.

ps "pure gold" ..... if that was a bad idea it wouldn't be funny. good one.

thx
DS

If that's all the sealing you need then go to the fireplace store and
buy some door gasket rope gasket for wood burning stoves. It is woven
glass I think. Anyway it should work fine.
ERS

In article ,
says...

Okeley Dokely, to answer a few replies at once,
This is for an annealing box with a flat lid that will screw on . I'm annealing copper sheets in an electric kiln.
Perfect seal isn't actually required because the customer isn't fussy about getting pristine copper
parts; in fact , torch-annealed was adequate. I mostly want to 'automate' the annealing.


Braided packing for wood stove doors is available several
diameters in hardware stores, at least here in the
Northeast. It resembles very soft clothesline rope and
seals pretty well in a properly designed joint.

I expect McMaster sells the same stuff as hi-temp packing.
See pp. 3187-3188 in catalog 109.

Ned Simmons

Ned Simmons wrote in message ...
In article ,
says...

Okeley Dokely, to answer a few replies at once,
This is for an annealing box with a flat lid that will screw on . I'm annealing copper sheets in an electric kiln.
Perfect seal isn't actually required because the customer isn't fussy about getting pristine copper
parts; in fact , torch-annealed was adequate. I mostly want to 'automate' the annealing.


Braided packing for wood stove doors is available several
diameters in hardware stores, at least here in the
Northeast. It resembles very soft clothesline rope and
seals pretty well in a properly designed joint.

I expect McMaster sells the same stuff as hi-temp packing.
See pp. 3187-3188 in catalog 109.

Ned Simmons


I've not considered this type of material because the joint I made on the lid is too narrow , I think. Some of the "clothy glass"
might still work. Long story short, I found my old piece that I got for this a few years ago and looked it up. "Garlock" made it
but it's only rated to 650 F. What the hell was I thinking?. Probably before I found a good annealing temp for Cu . Dumbass.They
have some rated at 950, and MSC has some graphite/nitrile at 950 F and is inexpensive.

I don't want to build a new box with a wider lid joint, but that may end up being the best thing. I'm getting burnt, after
searching the
lost corners of my shop and finding the missing sheet, only to find it unsuitable. Tempted to abandon the whole thing again in
favor of simply wrapping the dogdang sheets in aluminum foil and throwing them in the kiln like I did last time . My box still
isn't
done; the rim isn't brazed on and the holes aren't threaded and there's a lot of other stuff needs doing. Hmm.... how much
aluminum foil do I have ?......... lol

Probably end up doing that now, and figuring out/doing a long term solution here and there over time. Thanks for the input, and
I'm off to read about glass rope.

Dar

Sheltech wrote in message ...

Ned Simmons wrote in message ...
In article ,
says...

Okeley Dokely, to answer a few replies at once,
This is for an annealing box with a flat lid that will screw on . I'm annealing copper sheets in an electric kiln.
Perfect seal isn't actually required because the customer isn't fussy about getting pristine copper
parts; in fact , torch-annealed was adequate. I mostly want to 'automate' the annealing.


Braided packing for wood stove doors is available several
diameters in hardware stores, at least here in the
Northeast. It resembles very soft clothesline rope and
seals pretty well in a properly designed joint.

I expect McMaster sells the same stuff as hi-temp packing.
See pp. 3187-3188 in catalog 109.

Ned Simmons


I've not considered this type of material because the joint I made on the lid is too narrow , I think. Some of the "clothy
glass"
might still work. Long story short, I found my old piece that I got for this a few years ago and looked it up. "Garlock" made
it
but it's only rated to 650 F. What the hell was I thinking?. Probably before I found a good annealing temp for Cu .
Dumbass.They
have some rated at 950, and MSC has some graphite/nitrile at 950 F and is inexpensive.

I don't want to build a new box with a wider lid joint, but that may end up being the best thing. I'm getting burnt, after
searching the
lost corners of my shop and finding the missing sheet, only to find it unsuitable. Tempted to abandon the whole thing again in
favor of simply wrapping the dogdang sheets in aluminum foil and throwing them in the kiln like I did last time . My box still
isn't
done; the rim isn't brazed on and the holes aren't threaded and there's a lot of other stuff needs doing. Hmm.... how much
aluminum foil do I have ?......... lol

Probably end up doing that now, and figuring out/doing a long term solution here and there over time. Thanks for the input, and
I'm off to read about glass rope.

Dar



Yeah , yeah , I know where Aluminum melts! . Right around the temp I was annealing my copper at before , when I was wrapping
the sheets with Al foil, thank you very much, lol. I know this because sometimes the foil would kind of stick together and stick
to the copper if I got things too hot, nyuk nyuk.

But seriously, I think I'll do the aluminum foil wrap AND stick that bundle into my annealing box and make a copper gasket
for it . That way I don't have to do any re-working of the lid joint to accommodate the glass gasket, and the box will protect the
foil from the (excessive) radiant heat it would get sitting close to the kiln element. Some activated charcoal sprinkled inside
the bundle or the box should help, and I think this "double half-assed" (copyright pending) approach will work well enough.

DS

Given your relaxed standards, could you use something like RF
gasketing to improve the seal over what you now have. Or maybe add a
tube that would run outside of the heated area and use a gas to
exclude the oxygen. Argon or nitrogen would be great if you had them
available. But methane would work as long as you made sure all the
gas that escapes burned. Easier if you used natural gas to do the
heating and to provide the atmosphere.

Dan


"Sheltech" wrote in message news:
Okeley Dokely, to answer a few replies at once,
This is for an annealing box with a flat lid that will screw on . I'm annealing copper sheets in an electric kiln.
Perfect seal isn't actually required because the customer isn't fussy about getting pristine copper
parts; in fact , torch-annealed was adequate. I mostly want to 'automate' the annealing.

Flexibility of the gasket material isn't actually necessary, I just sort of assumed that rigid materials wouldn't
be among the candidates. Copper might work if I used socket caps and cranked them, instead of common machine screws.
For that matter, if my box had a milled-flat flanged rim instead of the non-flat one it has and a thicker, flatter lid, I might
get by without a gasket at all, given the relaxed standards of the customer.

ps "pure gold" ..... if that was a bad idea it wouldn't be funny. good one.

thx
DS

Sheltech wrote:

Tim Williams wrote in message ...
"Ian Stirling" wrote in message
...
Is there a reason you need it to be flexible?
I can't think of much off-hand that will work.
Pure gold perhaps, some stainless steel based spring gaskets with
graphite, ...
snip
Okeley Dokely, to answer a few replies at once,
This is for an annealing box with a flat lid that will screw on .
I'm annealing copper sheets in an electric kiln.
Perfect seal isn't actually required because the customer isn't fussy about
getting pristine copper parts; in fact , torch-annealed was adequate.
I mostly want to 'automate' the annealing.

Flexibility of the gasket material isn't actually necessary, I just sort
of assumed that rigid materials wouldn't be among the candidates.

In that case, if you want to remove and replace the lid, as well as want
it to seal, you ideally do want a flexible gasket.
In some cases the silica based materials work just fine.

Wacky ideas.
Give up.
Wrap a couple of turns of aluminium foil round it.
It may come out just fine, though the foil probably won't survive
unwrapping.
A variant of this would be to use a crushable gasket, the (weighty)
top, with a tounge that fits into the groove on the body with a little
clearance.
Fill box with copper, put a sheet of Al foil over the top, put top on.
This may seal well enough.

The advantage of Al foil is of course it's nearly free.
The obvious disadvantage is that you'r getting mighty close to its melting
point.
Stainless steel foil is an option, but before you get there it's probably
better to make a proper gasket.

Other things.
Throw some barbecue charcoal into the container, and don't bother sealing
it.
Might work.
snip
get by without a gasket at all, given the relaxed standards of the customer.

ps "pure gold" ..... if that was a bad idea it wouldn't be funny. good one.

For some things, it's the cheapest way of doing it, easily recoverable, and
not that expensive if you don't throw it away, but recycle.

--
http://inquisitor.i.am/ | | Ian Stirling.
---------------------------+-------------------------+--------------------------
"An enemy will usually have three courses open to him. Of these he will
select the fourth." -- Helmuth von Moltke

"Ian Stirling" wrote in message
...
For some things, it's the cheapest way of doing it, easily recoverable,
and
not that expensive if you don't throw it away, but recycle.

And if the price of gold increased in the mean time, you might even turn
a profit off it

Tim

--
In the immortal words of Ned Flanders: "No foot longs!"
Website @ http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

Tim Williams wrote in message ...
"Ian Stirling" wrote in message
...
For some things, it's the cheapest way of doing it, easily recoverable,
and
not that expensive if you don't throw it away, but recycle.


Kinda hard to work with in it's pure form though, huh?. (that's a joke... or is it?)
But yes, the practicality of it was evident.


And if the price of gold increased in the mean time, you might even turn
a profit off it

Tim


....and with the price of gold these days, that wouldn't be funny money (you asked for it).

Anyway, I've settled on a copper gasket (just whipped one out of 16ga. sheet )
and the aluminum foil wrap , together. Nothing high tech. strictly Junkyard Wars style here.
Wouldn't have thought of a metal gasket, but
it'll help, it's 'free' and will allow me to go up to just under 1100 F.

Thanks everybody .

DS
www.sheltech.net

That is what it is. Glass tube filled with glass fiber.
I use red high temp gasket sealer on my wood stove.

Since using it, the gasket never 'lets' go and seems to last
and last.

Last year I installed a new internal METAL plate (metal work here)
and a new set of high temp fire brick. That was some task to do.
That plate - 1/4" steel plate is heavy!

Martin
--
Martin Eastburn, Barbara Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder


Eric R Snow wrote:

On Sat, 6 Sep 2003 12:22:20 -0600, "Sheltech"
wrote:


Tim Williams wrote in message ...
"Ian Stirling" wrote in message
...
Is there a reason you need it to be flexible?
I can't think of much off-hand that will work.
Pure gold perhaps, some stainless steel based spring gaskets with
graphite, ...

Copper? Depending on the atmosphere anyway I guess...

Tim

--
In the immortal words of Ned Flanders: "No foot longs!"
Website @ http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms


Okeley Dokely, to answer a few replies at once,
This is for an annealing box with a flat lid that will screw on . I'm annealing copper sheets in an electric kiln.
Perfect seal isn't actually required because the customer isn't fussy about getting pristine copper
parts; in fact , torch-annealed was adequate. I mostly want to 'automate' the annealing.

Flexibility of the gasket material isn't actually necessary, I just sort of assumed that rigid materials wouldn't
be among the candidates. Copper might work if I used socket caps and cranked them, instead of common machine screws.
For that matter, if my box had a milled-flat flanged rim instead of the non-flat one it has and a thicker, flatter lid, I might
get by without a gasket at all, given the relaxed standards of the customer.

ps "pure gold" ..... if that was a bad idea it wouldn't be funny. good one.

thx
DS

If that's all the sealing you need then go to the fireplace store and
buy some door gasket rope gasket for wood burning stoves. It is woven
glass I think. Anyway it should work fine.
ERS

Eastburn wrote in message ...
I've seen soft Al used - very thin sheet. It doesn't blow through.

Martin

Just in case anyone's curious (totally bored would help) this box is roughly an 8" cube of 14ga mild steel , welded
and with only 5 sides . The top/lid is a bit heavier steel , and I used some 16ga Cu for the gasket. It's joint/rim is 3/8" square
steel
stock brazed to the inside , drilled and tapped 8-32 size in 25 places. Not much of a contact area so the gasket needed to be
stronger than the kaowool , alumina/silica fiber I got, or maybe even the rubber/nitrile I originally got a couple years ago.
I'm really glad someone mentioned using soft metal for the gasket.

Brazing the rim joint in went ok, except for the minor setback of the whole box changing shape from being torched. A brief
pause and puzzled look was followed quickly by a mischievous grin and then a few careful (oh yes!) slams of the box on the floor,
and then a few more to adjust it back the other direction, then a few well placed bashes with the BFH , then a hogging out of the
holes in the gasket and the lid, and ............ THEN those holes all lined up with the holes in the box rim again. Ready to go.

Given that wrapping in aluminum foil alone worked well enough last time I had to do this, the addition of enclosing the Al wrapped
bundle in the box could end up working very well, maybe better than the customer deserves ,lol. Maybe the box all by itself will
do the trick...........

DS