How to make an everlasting PTFE gasket, Very Easily...

[Samohon]

How to make an everlasting PTFE gasket, Very Easily...

Thought I would share my PTFE gasket/Washer with yall.
I have been using a gasket I made the very same way as depicted on the photo's.
It shows no sign of ware and has never let me down once.
The gasket could be made to any size and works great for my VM extension pipe held together with a couple of OD's easy flanges.
Its very flexible and hard waearing, wont leech any baddies into our product and cheap to make...

Heres the materials you will need. You will also need a full roll of 10mm wide PTFE/plumbers tape.
A compass to draw the OD/ID of the washer would also help. (forgot to include them in the photograph...)

After cutting out the cardboard washer, you will need to cut excess plastic from your spool of PTFE..
This will help us feed the spool through the hole while wrapping...

Now, very carefully wrap the PTFE around the cardboard washer, taking care to overlap the tape 50/50.

Keep wrapping the PTFE tape around the washer until it becomes a lot thicker.
It usually takes a whole spool. Heres one finished for this blow by blow...

And heres the same gatket with one of OD's easy flanges sitting on top...

The gasket will flatten out over time with use/heat, but it will still compress to give us a vapour free seal.
You could also use a copper washer made from thin sheet, remember to cut the ID hole of the washer first, then trim off the OD.
Got the idea for a copper washer from Myles... Thanks goes to Olddog and Myles...

@Beginners/Novices:
Only use PTFE tape to make this gasket.
Do Not try to substitute the PTFE for silicone, plastic, rubber, or any other non tested compound...

Hope it helps to make the hobby easier and safer...

[Prairiepiss]

Nice one Sam. Thanks I mite have to give it a try.

[blind drunk]

Nice

[banter_king]

beautiful. you have been talking about your washers for a bit now. this should help lots of people out, including myself. Cheers!!

[The Baker]

The things you KNOW but don't realise!!
And then someone shows you...

I need gaskets/seals that look just like that for the swing-top jars I am using for macerating fruit. Strawberries and other fruit.
I studied the problem and thought it would be difficult to wrap the rubber seals (which will certainly flavour the product but I don't have enough other jars...)
because the rubber seals have to be stretched to fit the jars and they would be difficult to stretch after wrapping with the teflon.
So I will make these cardboard ones. Probably have to use thicker cardboard or a couple of layers of the thinner stuff;
and a bit extra teflon, to make up the required softness and thickness.

Thank you, thank you...

[WalkingWolf]

Thanks Samohan -- as The Baker mentioned -- the uses just keep on going and going and . . . . . .

Good to see ya back on the board. I was talking with my two younger ones this past week about our "common" last name there in Scotland. The kids thought it "kool" that the "clan" probably originated there.

take care my friend

[Bushman]

Nice tutorial, this will make a great backup to what I already have! Your comment at the end about cutting the ID first reminds me of some of the safety labels we now have to have on containers, but I can see someones excitement to get it done and making the mistake.

[NcHooch]

I recon you could prolly make a large version of these to seal a boiler lid too.

NChooch

[ozone39]

Great idea!!! I have been struggling for a boiler lid seal for some time now on my new build....I was considering using a natural cotton/hemp rope and wrapping in the same way....but I like the rigidity the cardboard offers.... I have a 20" on to build, thanks for the post Samohon...

[Samohon]

I recon you could prolly make a large version of these to seal a boiler lid too.

NChooch

My thoughts exactly NC. Could be made as large as you wanted.
This, combined with the Easy Flange, could serve to make a long still column. modular. For storage purposes...

Thanks guy's, its sure to come in handy...
Dont think it would replace luting a joint with flour paste, but will certainly reduce the need...

Thanks again..

[Samohon]

Great idea!!! I have been struggling for a boiler lid seal for some time now on my new build....I was considering using a natural cotton/hemp rope and wrapping in the same way....but I like the rigidity the cardboard offers.... I have a 20" on to build, thanks for the post Samohon...

I reckon larger gaskets would be easier Ozone.
You will need a few more spools of tape, but its so cheap that it makes it worthwhile...

Just be sure to go around the cardboard 3 or 4 times and you'll have a gasket that will last for months, if not years...

Thanks again guy's...

[mash rookie]

Sam,
When you mentioned this method a couple of months ago I knew it was a brilliant idea.

I have Teflon sheet site glass gaskets that have been difficult to seal. I wrapped them with Teflon as you described to solve the problem. They still take a lot of tightening to seal.

I believe your simple cardboard wrap to be a superior method. The cardboard is be soft enough to conform to most surfaces, Teflon tape is available any corner hardware store.

Well done.

MR

[cob]

Sam,I believe your simple cardboard wrap to be a superior method. The cardboard is be soft enough to conform to most surfaces, Teflon tape is available any corner hardware store.

Well done.

MR

+1 this should be a sticky. cob

[Prairiepiss]

+2 should be a sticky.

[frozenthunderbolt]

+3 a sticky - I'm going to go buy some ptfe tape now!

[ozone39]

PTFE stock is going up...

[Prairiepiss]

I just picked up some 1" wide PTFE tape the other day. It's nice and thick too. I think it mite work pretty good for this.

[jacksenz]

Just went off NCHooch's comment and built me a gasket for my boiler (8 gallon stock pot). Am doing a run of All Bran right now and its holding up flawlessly. Only thing I can say is that the heavy corrugated card board I used was a pain to cut. Actually ended up using my dremel tool. Thanks for the idea!

[Ian Jay]

Ingenious! I will certainly try this when my next gasket fails. Thanks for the heads-up.

[Zeotropic]

I thought this thread deserved a bump and I had something to add.
I was having a hard time sealing the lid on my stock pot still so I had my wife crochet a cotton single crochet strand and then connected to the ends in the exact size to fit the lip of the lid and then I wrapped it in PTFE tape.
It seems to be working flawlessly and a heck a lot easier for the funky shapes that my lid tries to smash the gasket into. Using cardboard the tape won't stick to the surface of the cardboard because it had to go around the corner on the stock pot lid so this being a round essentially rope gasket works much better. Also if the PTFE tape was ever to allow vapors to get to what's under it cotton is somewhat safe.

[Bushman]

I made a lid for my 8” opening in my antique stainless steel milk can that I use for essential oil. I am on my second everlasting PTFE gasket the first one lasted about two years and probably would have lasted longer but decided to make a new one. Works great.

[tiramisu]

Simple, practical, cheap... Thanks.

[Zeotropic]

I discovered one thing about the crochet, you have to stretch it initially because otherwise it stretches after the first use so I ended up having to unwrap a small portion of mine so that I could adjust the length and rewrap but once stretched it should be good to go. I will report back after a few runs if I discover anything unexpected. So far it is working good for the annoying connection on my still.
The cotton was bone dry when I had to unwrap it so that was very encouraging as my cardboard one with the way it was getting crimped when I put the lid on the tape never really sealed it so cardboard would get wet and swell and then in between uses it would dry out and shrink and be really hard to get back in place on the next use.
Now my next still is going to use a nice flat gasket and I will be using cardboard for sure.
When I first read this thread last year I just looked at it and I was thinking tape and cardboard how hokey but then after using flower paste a couple times I said oh I'm going to try it. Well I haven't gone back and I've got over the look of Teflon tape and cardboard.
Thanks for the idea @samohon

[Setsumi]

i have a stainless steel swimming pool filter. used kneed brown bread to seel but was a pain on time. made carton PTFE gaskets a few times but the size at 500mm diameter made it warped. got stainless sheet lazered at 10mm wide and use it as base for the everlasting gasket. works a treat.

[Bushman]

i have a stainless steel swimming pool filter. used kneed brown bread to seel but was a pain on time. made carton PTFE gaskets a few times but the size at 500mm diameter made it warped. got stainless sheet lazered at 10mm wide and use it as base for the everlasting gasket. works a treat.

I think there is a lot of different products that can work as a base. For me with a still I like the give with the cardboard base.

[Zeotropic]

Figured I should report back with my findings on the crochet version.
It is working perfectly. The trick was to get the crochet stretched properly before you wrap it otherwise when you wrap it it'll stretch and then it'll be too long.

[StillerBoy]

What also works very good as a gasket material is mat board, and easier to work with that cardboard..

Mars

[opus345]

Great tutorial. What is the recommended thickness of the cardboard or mat board?

[Zeotropic]

Great tutorial. What is the recommended thickness of the cardboard or mat board?

As thick as required. [emoji16]
I have been using regular corrugated cardboard. At least when I'm not using crocheted cotton yarn.

[Bushman]

Great tutorial. What is the recommended thickness of the cardboard or mat board?

I would say there is no real recommendation I have used several different thicknesses. If I were to make a recommendation I would say not too thin. Also real thick cardboard might be a problem if your using a tri-clamp instead of clips (just my thought on the subject).