3D printed gaskets? Any good?
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- Опубликовано: 28 июл 2024
- Making gaskets in the home shop is something we all need to do from time to time. I found others using 3D printers to make gaskets from plastic but not just any plastic. In this video I make and test some 3D printed TPU gaskets in real world situations relevant to home shop guys. From fuel resistance to heat tolerance, I take a look at how these TPU gaskets hold up.
Follow up videos on TPU gaskets -
One year later.. gasket follow up - • 3D Printed TPU Gaskets...
Will TPU gaskets melt? - • Will 3D printed gasket...
Heat treating TPU gaskets - • Annealing TPU to incre...
3 ways to design a gasket in for 3D printing - • 3 ways to design a gas...
This plastic is different than the normal PLA or other common filaments. It is not new but I think this use is nothing short of game changing.
See me fix a broken mower hood - • Fixing a broken riding...
My printers
Sovol SV01 - amzn.to/3LwYxN0
Creality Ender 3 Pro - amzn.to/3iNQPld
TPU Filament I used - amzn.to/3RV0vLC
The previous links are affiliate links, the channel gets a small referral fee if you click one and buy something, it costs you nothing extra.
My Thingiverse page - www.thingiverse.com/the_eddie...
Video Chapter:
00:00 - Basics of 3D printing in the home shop
01:45 - Basics of TPU filament and it's properties
05:21 - First experiment with 2 stroke gasoline.
06:41 - TPU printing on a Sovol SV01
06:55 - 2nd experiment TPU gasket on a lawnmower
12:52 - 3rd experiment on lathe
15:10 - How to 3D print TPU
16:34 - Result of gasoline test
17:52 - 4th experiment with acetone
19:16 - Some final thoughts 
Наука
The beauty of 3d printing is how quickly an idea becomes a tangible piece
And in this case even a pliable one! :D
TPU is great! I've used it to make custom wire grommets for a bandsaw I rebuilt when I couldn't find the size I needed and didn't want to wait for an order to come in. Being able to print durable, compliant material is amazingly powerful, and you can even alter it's compliant properties by adjusting the infill density and wall thickness if you need parts with different levels of flexibility.
Yes, it is amazing stuff. Wire management, that is a good use, had not thought of that yet.
One thing to watch out for with TPU is that a lot of the softer grades (Shore A range) have plasticizers added to make them more pliable. Short term, not a big deal, but long term, they may bloom on the surface and the material may degrade. It pays to double check before you invest in a spool.
Besides that, you may want to play around with infill strategies. Rectilinear is the default in most cases, but there are other patterns, but other shapes might be better as gaskets. My guess is that Archimedean chord and concentric patterns may be more effective, if only marginally.
Checked some chemical compatibility charts for TPU. Its rated pretty well for gasoline and oils. The BASF study I found says theirs can last in gasoline at 60°C for months with only minor swelling and a slight decrease in tensile strength, but no degradation. They also say it would take years to see that effect at lower temperatures. Definitely gonna start slapping TPU gaskets on all my stuff now!
I've printed TPU gaskets for my 26 gal. upright air compressor back in December and so far they have performed up to par with the factory originals.
Cool, thanks. Where did you use them on the compressor?
@@theeddies Yeah, pretty curious if they will survive as a head gasket for the compressor.
I did an air filter inlet gasket for my CH upright compressor last week. Works well. Sure beats $8.90+$12.95 shipping any day.
I have been using a drag knife (cricut) for cutting gaskets. This looks promising so will give it a try.
Just to put it out there. I soaked a Solutek PLA part in 20W ND oil for over 6 months without noticeable change.
Those cricut units are very cool. I also have a laser cutter for the Sovol printer that I want to try. I bought it with the machine and not even taken it out of the box yet. It hardly stops working long enough to play with the laser yet.
I have read PLA can be pretty tolerant of oils though aromatic fuels are hit or miss. Probably comes down to exact formulation of the brand. Many of my little storage units are contaminated with different oils and grease and have not reacted.
Thanks, always good to get input from other people trying similar experiments.
Eddie
Just another note solute PLA can also handle chlorine tablets in the pool. The original floating chlorine tablet holder base disintegrated so I reverse-engineered a new one and printed in PLA it's been in the pool for over a year now and still holding up good
@@nicks9360 Nice to know. Has it sun faded? I have a PLA piece I am working on now that will get come in contact with bleach often so that is great to know as the chemistry of those tabs is close.
It looks like you may have deleted the other comment but the TPU I used is linked in the description.
Best!
@@theeddies I have other pla projects that sit in the Florida Sun but are under a screen enclosure seem to fare very well also haven't really noticed any sun fading. Haven't really tried PLA in direct sun but I have had petg in direct sun for over 3 or 4 years and holds up pretty good. The floating chlorine dispenser part I printed is in the water the whole time so the sun it sees is through water. Something to note I would use white if it's around chlorine as I have a small blue piece that functions well but has discolored the rest is in white and looks good. And one last thing petg does not handle the chlorine tablets well at all. LOL yeah I deleted because I found it in the description
@@nicks9360 Cool, thanks. Very interesting about PETG and chlorine. I would not have thought that. Strange kind of liberating time right now when you can make your own things but you also need to get a degree in material sciences and do your own product testing to get it right, lol. Someone eventually is going to come up with a 3D printer that is as easy to use as a 2D printer and what we are doing now is going to influence how that plays out. It kind of reminds me of the early 90's internet. I knew it was both over and just getting started when Toyota (and other big corps) started running ads with their web address. But the foundations were just a bunch of people trying things and experimenting with the tech.
Hello Eddie,
I have to admit that your enthusiasm for 3D printing and what it can do is making me want one... Good video, thank you.
Take care.
Paul,,
Thanks Paul, I think it can be very useful. Ultimately it is just another tool in the shed, or side room in this case, lol.
Best!
Eddie
Paul I like 3D printing but it is a very fiddly process compared to machining.
@@danharold3087 Hello Dan, I am sure I will end up with one at sometime...
RIGHT!!!! I was able to design a gasket to replace a factory subwoofer in the back of a troublesome 05 Avalon. Tpu allowed me to repurpose the old sub as a bracket and also act as a shock absorber between the sub and the rear deck metal. However I have not had much success printing tiny gaskets. I have had several unsuccessful attempts at printing an airbrush gasket.
That's a cool use. What size is the airbrush gasket? I have not tried anything smaller than about 3mm wide. That worked but it was flat. This stuff seals so well I want to try an O-ring of a mm or less. I have thought about changing nozzle size down to do that though (maybe a .02 or even .01) and it will have to print really slow, maybe less than 15mm/s, I am thinking. I will have a video of that coming up. That will be a good test of printing small.
Thanks for this video. I was looking for people that have actuly used tpu in somewhat hot conditions. I'm impressed by the durability of this filament. Incredible
Thanks! Yes, I am very impressed with it so far.
Wow. That really is a game changer. I've been printing with TPU for years and never thought to do that. I print a lot of planters out of it for my wife, because its water tight. Anyway, awesome video. Maybe make the entire cap out of TPU and you could have a fill port and dipstick lol.
My gasket hack: photocopy the old gasket beside a ruler, crank up the contrast, and turn the outline into a dxf for the laser cutter! Quick and dirty, but gets it quite close without any measuring.
That is similar to how I do it for printing. I actually have a video with 3 different ways to do this coming up. Thanks!
I'm rebuilding the carburetor for an old 1986 Honda Rebel 450, been dreading about trying to find replacement for the o-rings and gaskets so it's been sitting disassembled in the garage for 2 years now. I also had a 3D printer sitting in the basement for the last 2 years collecting dust along with an unopen vacuum sealed fresh pack of TPU... didn't cross my mind until recently that I could probably print those parts with TPU until last week. Started Googling for chemical compatibility in different temp ranges for TPU and gasoline, then found your video! Will def give it a go!
I cut very similar exhaust gaskets as that one you were testing on a weekly basis on a couple Bystonic laser cutters where I work. So clicked one this seeing a gasket on the thumbnail. Very informative as I got into 3d printing a couple months ago. Thanks mate
Cool man. Glad you liked it. Thanks!
I didn't realize that TPU was that handy. I've been looking for something to use with gasoline, and the only thing I could figure was nylon, but now I will consider TPU thanks to you!
Never would’ve thought to try this out I can’t wait to get my first printer and dig into this!
Great video. Very nice. Years ago I made a gasket out of nylon for an electric chainsaw. One that fits between the chain bar and chainsaw body, I think it handled the automatic chain oiler.
Never had a problem since.
TPU is awesome! Never thought I’d actually use it, but I went for it, upgraded my bowden tube to a Capricorn and let me tell you, NOTHING doesn’t slip through that tube. It is so slick I can even do small retractions without needing direct drive. Love TPU I’ve made so many go pro mounts for my drones with it
Awesome. Yeah I did not buy any for the longest time and now I print it as much as anything else. It makes great cam mounts. I actually made a mount for a large Windows tablet that is tripod mounted for livestreams. It is soft on the computer but stiff enough to hold at any angle. Awesome stuff.
This is such a great demonstration for tpu usages, thank you.
Thanks!
i see this as a great way to make a 'template' to then make a gasket out of whatever material you prefer for a particulour application. having that 3d file that you can print out whenever you need it is very handy.
Heck yeah - rapid prototyping! I love mine - resin and filament.
Thanks for showing this amazing use. Will use for steam and hot/chilled/domestic water pipe/pump connections in our building systems. A lot of our systems are old and hard to find the right size gaskets. Another "holy shit you can do THAT??" from the chief engineer!
I made a follow up video on this ruclips.net/video/dSGOzGJjoWc/видео.html. The temperature I said in this video is the temperature that the material is printed. So it would be basically in a molten state at 200°C. The important temperature to consider here is the heat deflection where the material starts to change from a solid to liquid. This would be the temperature that would be the max operating temp. This is a little harder to determine as every brand would have a slightly different formulation but as far as I can tell, 80-100°C or 176-212°F would be the max temps before it would begin to melt. This is certainly still within the range of the uses I presented but does limit it somewhat in other applications. Thanks for watching!
so maybe not useful for steam lines
@@danielsweeney8164 A steam pipe is certainly going to be at the upper limits of this material's usefulness. It is not going to melt but will be getting softer by 100F. I have had this material in constant contact with 90F oil and while it did not fail as a gasket, I would not trust it in a critical situation. As others have suggested for higher temps, nylon or even making a 3D printed mold to form a silicone gasket may be a better choice in that case. Thanks.
@@theeddies Thanks for the extra info. Yeah steam may be a bit much!
I recently got a 3D printer, and some TPU as well. I was pretty sure I could use it for low temp gaskets, but I was concerned about high temp applications. Thanks for this video!
Thanks for watching. I just released another video with some more "scientific" experiments seeing how far it can be pushed. Best!
Eddie
Excellent video. Opens up a new realm of possibilities.
I thought so, though I am beginning to think the things I find interesting, others find boring, lol.
@@theeddies Listen, I for one found your ‘Tribute to Yarn’, and ‘Seven Easy Recipes of the Himalayan Yoot People” to be not only be scintillating, but also a thought provoking emotional roller coaster ride, so… haters gonna hate I guess.
@@johnstrange6799 The himalayan one was worth it just for the trip across the andes on a Yak to catch plane to Tibet. I thought the Yarn went on a bit long, ba dump dink.
Your mention of Red Green deserves a thumbs up. I like your scientific method.
Thanks! There's a method, not sure scientific is the right word but it's a method, lol. All the best!
Eddie
Awesome video! Thanks for sharing. A follow-up video on a more long-term wear test would be awesome.
I will do some updates along the way over the summer. Thanks for watching!
3D printing changed my brainstorming process completely. I can think it up, what I want to do, draw it on paper, then design in CAD, 3D print it and what was in my head just the other day is now a working prototype.
Exactly👍
Very informative. I'm thinking about buying a 3d printer but I'm on the fence. Videos like this make me lean towards it even more.
I resisted for years until I had a very specific use case. I wish I would have had one all along, now. LOL
I have this exact engine and carb. I used a cereal box for the gasket and it works.
That's it. I'm upgrading my Ender 3 Pro to direct drive. That 3D printer has been the most universally useful tool I've ever put into my toolbox--it's amazing how your mindset changes, how easy it is to fix stuff that you would have to replace (or do a shitty sugru fix.)
Never considered using TPU for gaskets; I've been using the wife's CriCut, but I need to print some new mallet heads for our croquet set, so, time to take the plunge and start using TPU.
And a tip: guys, spend a couple bucks and get an automated bed leveling sensor (BLTouch) and a magnetic textured PEI bed. The time (and sanity) savings are incredible. Took me a year before I broke down and installed the auto bed leveling system, and I ain't never goin' back!
Very interesting. I was going to ask some questions but they were all answered in the comments. Only other thing I can think of is to soak the gasket in gas for several days and check the results .
I have one soaking right now. Will do a short follow up tonight or tomorrow.
Nice research man! I got fired from our 3D printing lab for doing research with our form 2 like this because it was "irrelevant". I was simply doing materials testing lol
Considering buying a 3D printer now for hobby use, some of the parts I'm thinking of printing could be subject to gasoline. The fuel resistance test was very helpful. Thanks for the video!
PETG and TPU are fine with gasoline in my experience. A word of caution though. Buy good quality brand name stuff (Duramic, Overture, SUNLU, polymaker, Prussa, etc.) not the Amazon bargain basement no name. Less reputable manufacturers will mix fillers in their filaments to cut cost.
I just did my first TPU print. I used a Anycubic Kobra with a temperature of 220 C. The print came very well. I have to wear a compression garment on my right leg so I had to make a push stick to help remove the garment. I had one made of actual wood, but I couldn't resist making one 3D printed with PLA with 20% wood powder. That was great, but I needed a softer handle therefore I made the handle of TPU. The end of PLA with wood part slid up into the TPU handle and stayed. The handle is comfortable, and the PLA+ end does the job.
Excellent functional use. I use Fusion 360 to design most things.
Great video. I haven't used TPU much so far, but from my experience it works best without retracts and with a reduced printing speed on bowden style printers. TPU can also be very hydrophobic before printing, so drying a spool of it for a half hour at low temperature in an oven can make a big difference between "not printable at all" and "great results".
Ninja flex is not hydrophobic. Prints amazing with direct drive. I have not tried with a bowden. Avoiding retracts is a good idea, it can be really stringy.
There’s also different “grades” of TPU, where if you’d like it more rubber like, you’d want a lower number (it’s been awhile, I can’t remember how they’re rated, but I think normal 3D printer TPU is like R95?), and they’re insanely useful for all their unique properties
Hello, yes I discussed this in the follow up video on heat treating. It is actually a Shore scale of hardness and most rated at 95A but NinjaFlex is 85A which would be a bit softer. The hardness can change with temp as well. It is my favorite material to print with right now.
I'd love to see some consumer grade pellet-fed extruders for 3d printing in the 30-40A range.
That is really cool! I've seen guys use those hobby cutting machines to cut gaskets out of paper and cork, but this is next level. I ordered a roll of TPU but I haven't tried it yet. I have been thinking about trying to print t-slot covers out of it but I was concerned about the hot chips and cutting oils. After watching your video I think I'm going to give it a shot very soon. My biggest concern now is that my machine is not direct drive, but I do have a high quality bowden tube, so we'll see. Thanks for doing this and posting about your experience!
Thanks Mick! T-slot covers is a great idea to try. I don't think they would be any worse than the leather or rubber mats I have seen used to cover the slots. Might get a burn here and there from a really hot chip but should work overall. And easy to just reprint and replace if they get an embedded chip. I have not tried printing on my Ender with the bowden setup but there are a bunch of videos with tips to do it successfully. Best! Eddie
@@theeddies I have on my ender 3 printed little vibration dampening feet for it. All I did was upgraded to Capricorn and a 3d printed extruder mount type thingy either way what it does is let's you cut and add a piece of bowden tubing between the hole it goes through in the extruder mount and the drive wheels so you can't get a loop popping out of there
That’s pretty awesome. Polyurethane is pretty resistant to solvents but I wouldn’t have thought to do this. I’ve made some small seals for an old paintball gun and it worked out alright, but this is pretty cool. I’ll have to try it.
Yes, so far so good and I am working now to increase it's temp resistance. Video soon.
Great video, thanks for sharing. I've been making gaskets with my Elegoo 3d printer for a while now with no issues. I use Sunlu TPU 87a filament. This is a little more flexible than the TPU 95.
Nice, I will have to try that filament. Thanks!
Awesome mate, thanks for sharing, cheers
Thanks Matty!
Man this is a great vid I am a small engine mechanic (as a hobby) and these have been a game changer. I have an ender 3 pro with a direct drive mod
Thanks Jake, that means a lot. I will probably add a direct drive mod and dual z stepper or linked leadscrews at the same time eventually to mine.
This looks very promising. Better than ball peen hammer and gasket material. However, if I did this for a 2 cycle intake gasket I would have to vacuum test nit before starting it. At least until I get to where I trust it.
Pretty amazing, i need to get my self a 3d printer soon!
They are amazing tools with a lot of uses.
I have used TPU to make an O ring for the main jet on my generator/ welder’s carburetor. Still works has been in for about six months. I have a Sovol svo1 printer.
Thanks! How do you like your Sovol?
@@theeddies it works very well. It does have moments but mostly it is a slicer setting and back to work. I used Fusion 360 to make o ring and cura to slice it. I also have used TPU to make rollers for a tumbler and two drive belts for it as well. Thanks for the video. TPU is very chemically resistant and strong
I do a ton of 3d printing, I'd be a bit worried about TPU absorbing moisture. It tends to do so. Also great tip on direct drive over Bowden. TPU is a nightmare even with a very calibrated printer with a Bowden setup. Very valuable information. All of mine are direct drive and I'm never looking back. I also never once though to make gaskets even though I do a lot of small engine and vehicle repair. Exciting idea. :D
Thanks! You should take a look at
@Thomas Sanladerer video about wet filament from a few months ago. Basically it comes down to the amount of water that most filaments normally absorb is miniscule. It certainly can effect the quality of the printing process, but only to a much lesser extent the strength and durability of the resultant parts.
I plan to do some specific tests with TPU in the future but honestly, I have left my present spool out for 4 or five humid Georgia days at a time and it prints just as well as new.
I do not want to say that the hygroscopic effect is overblown because I have seen PETG spit and pop while printing then dried it and it was fine, but I think sometimes it is a bit overstated as a problem, Nylon and some others excluded. Best!
Eddie
A couple of thoughts: Prusa slicer has an option for concentric fill. For many gaskets this would place the “grain” of the part perpendicular to the shortest leak path.
Next, I have been having a lot of success printing using nylon trimmer string. It is very tough, fairly flexible (less than TPU of course) and heat resistant. It only costs about $15/kg when I buy 5lb. From Amazon. The hassles are winding it onto standard spools, and drying it out prior to printing. This might be something to keep in mind if you need a firmer seal at some point. Stephan of CNC kitchen did a nice video
Good ideas. I believe Cura has a similar option. I started with Cura and am really still learning, so kind of sticking with what works for me right now but I do plan to try Prusa at some point.
I saw that nylon video awhile back but had forgot about it. That is an interesting idea, might be great for bushings as well. What print and bed temp do you use? Enclosure? I have a very good oven for drying, it maintains a good constant temp even in the 65-70C range. I have had good success drying PETG and TPU with it.
Thanks!
i seen a video of a person once using a cricket vinyl cutter and used it to cut out gaskets for his stuff it was pretty neat
I have seen that as well. Thanks!
Great video! I have tested ninja tpu by soaking in methanol, gasoline, and coleman fuel. Doesn't seem to affect it at all. It makes amazing gaskets and seals. Very strong and durable. I like to use a large nozzle. The larger the better it prints. I have a direct drive, haven't tried tpu in a boden.
I have not done the follow-up yet, but they have performed flawlessly. Thanks!
I make carb float chamber gaskets for some old bikes out of tpu for some time now, they're reliable, and resistant to gasoline, and most importantly almost indestructible
The aftermarket gaskets peeps can buy is just ridiculous, either they reacting to gasoline because the manufacturer is an idiot, or fall apart the first time you disassemble the carb
So I started to make working/reliable gaskets out of tpu because of this
I use sunlu tpu, the only thing I noticed that in time the plastic gets white, no material degradation, no falling apart, just messing with the pigments in it
One guy uses a gasket I made, already disassembled the carb more than 10 times, and he still uses the same gasket, and still doing its job perfectly
Nice, that is a future project as well. Modern fuels destroy older gaskets. I have been buying viton o-rings for awhile, they hold up better. And for the shaped o-ring type carb bowl gaskets you can form them in the recess, or even use 2 glued together. Thanks!
I have used TPU for everything between making a holster for my Leatherman to a pair of glasses for my son, I have used it for the gasket on my Bijur oil pump on my Bridgeport
Thanks! There are so many ideas in these comments.
i printed gaskets for my carburetor bowl for my snowmobile two years ago and they are still working with no leaks and no visual breakdown.
I haven't done any gasket projects with my printer because it's a liquid resin unit. However, I have found several 'reasons' to use it for various mechanical and engine-related projects. Both for myself and others around me. Most popular thing so far is a 3 piece water sprinkler. Costs about $2 in resin for something that would run well over $50 from a retail store. And I can print em in any color you can think of. Best printer I have ever bought. Paid for itself 10 times over already.
A SLA printer is one my future buy list. Do they have flexibles resins?
For the lathe gasket you could model a little lip that snaps around the cover so you don't have to hold the two things when assembling it again, it would make it a little bit more convenient to use!
That's a great idea. Thanks!
There are companies making specialists materials. One being chemical resistant TPU. You can also 3D print molds and cast high temp silicone chem resistant silicone.
I have 2 extreme areas I'm using 95 VA right now. One is 3d printed Orings on injectors in a Mazda 1.6 engine and on the output of my pressure washer. Both have been on for about 6 months and I've had no issues.
You printed injector o-rings for your car? You are more adventurous than me, lol. Nice one.
Interesting video. Have you considered the ironing feature? Mot sure how well it would work with TPU but it makes the top layer much smoother and melts all the lines together.
I actually have not. It would certainly be something to explore, I have not had great success with it on other materials as far as looks. I did make sure the nozzle was a little lower for a bit more squish to close up the gaps a bit.
Highly informative exploration - thanks so much for sharing it. Not sure what the downvotes are for...
What are you using to see down votes? You are the second person to mention this. If you are using an extension like "Return RUclips Dislikes" they are not accurate on videos made after Dec. of last year. I tried it on my own videos and even though I shared data they report this video with 600 and some dislikes. The actual count for this video as of 5/13/2022 is 27 dislikes and 1832 likes.
TPU is resistant to oil, grease, solvents, chemical, and abrasion. Look up the TPU grade and see if it can handle what you are going to expose it to, but it will handle most non-polar liquids.
Unfortunately I have had no luck getting the specific TDS from this particular brand. So I am talking in generalities about certain things I cannot test myself. My experience with this particular product matches what you say.
i think calling the potential uses for 3D printing "game changing" is quite fair. one day they will be in every home, and everyone will use CAD the same way they use email. imagine being able to make a gasket for something like a head gasket though! maybe material science will get us there.
in your slicer change from printing lines to concentric for a better seal i think it will work if everything is melting together in the print
Quicktip , when trying to show a closeup for the cut of the husqvarna gasket try putting ur hand behind the gasket to let the camera know where to focus :) good job btw. Tip, there are many types of tpu, seems like you have a lot to discover yet. Hope u enjoy it like i did.
U can make suspension bushings too :) get to know the shore hardness scale for referance to type of tpu needed for each task
Also u can stop prints and change filaments to have a tpu joint in your design. Tpu is also GREAT for sleeves and can holders.
ps.
my beers keep cold as f for 40 min
Lol, thanks. I know about the hand focus trick, just sometimes forget and my videos are a little off the cuff, so to speak, most times.
It is funny, I made this video to share with my subscribers, many of which were not aware of this material at all and then the video blew up to nearly 100k views in less than a month and every commenter either thinks I am crazy idiot for even trying this, a genius TPU expert, or (like yourself) recognize I am just getting started exploring the subject which many have already explored, which is closest to the truth.
I have some plans for motorcycle shock absorber bumpers and new over travel bumpers for my truck which are like $80 a piece.
I have already ordered some other grades though with current supply issues, I am not sure when they will arrive.
the TPU joint is something very interesting to me. I have not even attempted it yet. I have made color changes between filaments so know how to slice it. Have you tried changing between TPU and PLA or PETG? Will they bond?
I have not made any can holders but a ton of flexible little holders for drill driver bits and batteries. And a over engineered holder for a full size Windows tablet with a quick change tripod mount. I use it for livestreams for my day job. The stuff is great in the mix of flexible and stiff you can get from it just the way you design and print it.
Best!
Eddie
Ive made an intake manifold for my outboard to adapt a pwk carb to it. I used Carbonfibre filled PETG, ive had it running for months now with no wear on the printed part and no leaking at all
Nice I have yet to mess with structurally filled filaments but I am ready to go as soon as I get some time and a good project for it.
The primary reason why the access cover for your lathe/mill leaks is that the cover plate is made from flat sheet without any reinforcement.While working the plate will flex. If it were made from plate, or reinforced/formed sheet it would be rigid and the cork gasket would be fine. I suspect that even the TPU gasket will leak some eventually.
Actually the primary reason is that is what I had on hand at the time. But it does not really leak, the gasket just soaks up oil. I agree that some reinforcement or thicker plate would not hurt but it's better than the original thin plastic plate from the factory. And I will get around to improving it one day when it becomes a priority. Thanks!
I’ve made several different sized washers for various applications and thicker ones that act like vibration dampeners. Very versatile stuff.
If you have a used gasket just scan it in to the computer and then take the scan in Inkscape and turn it into a svg file and then put it in your cad program to get the thickness and then put it in your slicer to print. You’ll never run out of gaskets again.
Very cool video
I did that trick with the square gasket. Works great. I did not mention it because I was trying to keep the video focused on the material. Vibration dampening is another great use. Thanks!
@@theeddies
I’m making a fuel tank gasket for my lawnmower this weekend.
So much more satisfying to design and print something right at home. And it works perfectly.
@@jack0cat nice!
I've printed a few faucet gaskets in TPU, works great !
Thanks for posting !
I was thinking of printing some diesel pump gaskets. This was very useful video. Will have to try see if diesel deforms tpu before I do obviously. Would be good to see a video on that maybe?
I will see about that, i doubt diesel would affect it but it would be a good test. Kerosene is also something I want to test. Thank!
Interesting and thinking some Type 2 Form-A-Gasket might seal any gaps up and still be good for being exposed to fuel. Thanks for sharing! Subscribed!
Thanks, I print them on a plain glass bed, slightly hot, with a max of .15 layer height. They come out smooth (especially the bottom side which is glass smooth) and I would say nearly completely sealed. But for a higher pressure applications, that might be necessary..
Printed a gasket for a 5 liter jerry can, because I could not find a replacement. Seems to work so far and your tests let me feel certain that it would last some time. Btw. you can use acetone to glue pla parts the same way as acrylic glass. Take a look at PETG too.
Cool, thanks for sharing your experience and the info. I will take at that acetone idea. I print a lot of PETG, I actually prefer it to PLA for most things.
you could add a sealing rib around the carb hole.. make it 1 layer thick.. about 0.2mm.
Awesome always wondered able this
I have the same mower. But due to lack of rain this year I only used it twice.
I have not used mine as much as usual either but the gaskets held up during 2 months of 90 degree plus days.
I have a TPU bed surface on my 3d printer. Acetone is the go to for cleaning it before printing. It works great. From what I remember ( i dont do it myself ) peopole use acetone on PLA to smooth the print surface to make it more uniform and glossy in a chamber where they vaporise the acetone.
TPU bed surface? That is interesting? How do you hold it down or does it just stick with heated bed. How thick is it? What materials does it work with?. I have not seen that before.
Are you sure it’s TPU and not PEI? I’ve never seen TPU used as a print surface before. Might be interesting.
I may just use this stuff to print gaskets for the lugs on my drumset shells
I've been on the fence for years, wanting to get a 3d printer but I really only have 1 thing I want to make so could never justify the huge expense. However, your video brings to mind just how expensive it is for rare automotive gaskets. When I had my old 82 Buick it was super difficult to locate rare gaskets for parts too old for most places to have on hand and I was always having to special order or wait for delivery from rockauto and nothing was cheap. Just the thought of making a reusable gasket is mind blowing. So many times I wanted to take something off to check or clean it easily but didn't out of fear of how much a replacement gasket was gona cost me, or even just the going out to buy one or wait for delivery. Sometimes I just get a rare free moment and the urge to do something and once the parts delivered I have long lost that motivation ya know? just me? anyway. Great video, nice demo of durability. Now just need to buy a 3d printer, and by that I mean convince my wife to let me buy it.
I print all kinds of things for my wife. Simple stuff like a new measuring spoon for her neti pot. Or a hair trap for the cat fountain. Or a nice lidded bowl for coffee filters. It keeps her happy and she is as excited about 3D printing as I am. She is always requesting stuff. AND she does not mind when I buy tons of filament and new printers, lol.
@@theeddies oooooh, we got this deep jar we scoop coffee from and have never found a measuring spoon long enough to reach the bottom without sticking your hand half way in the thing. Granted if I had the right size one, I would also need to make a holder to keep it from getting dirty or dropping coffee dust all over the counter. This is how it starts isnt it?
@@Mikej1592 lol, yes it is exactly how it starts.
You could always print a stencil in plastic, and use that to cut gasket paper with a craft knife. That way you always get a nice neat professional looking gasket, but using the standard material.
i use tpu just as much if not more than pla these days. it strings in some fine detail applications but its strong and flexible. they use it to make shoe parts. if you want a decent printer that will do tpu out of the box the ender 3 s1 is great.
I agree the stringing can be a pain sometimes. I have seen good things about the S1 though my Sovol is basically the same machine without a few bells and whistles like touch screen and ABL.
Thanks for sharing! I bought a snapmaker2 a350 two years ago. Have you seen 3D printed dimple dies? I was looking up dimple dies when I found you video. I also have a combo lathe/mill/drill
Hello Sam, that is a very nice printer. I had seen one video on dimple dies a few weeks ago. I am not a great body man but I can imagine there might be tons of uses shaping sheet metal.
I am a big fan of the combo machines, mine has served me well. Every thing on the channel, so far, that was made by mill or lathe came off that machine. Though I did just pick up a 10" Atlas that I am restoring. The next step in the journey I guess. All the best!
Eddie
If you want, change your slicer settings for the top/bottom layer pattern to "concentric" It will probably make them better gaskets since the entire print will be perimeter walls like around the holes and edges, just the entire print. Removing those lines from side to side. Just a thought C:
Interesting idea. Certainly worth a try, my only worry would be structural integrity since there are no crossing layers but just built up lines. I might try that with the valve cover gasket though. Thanks!
@@theeddies im no engineer but I've been printing for a few years as a hobbyist. Im curious to see how those would turn out! Great vid tho!
I have printed TPU and other thermal filament seals, o rings and gaskets...just not for anything petrol based.
They work well...though they do tend to break down a little faster than a factory jobby.
Thanks!
For the cover plate gasket on your lathe i think you should get a thicker steel plate or bend it on the long side so it creates pressure between the screw holes towards the cast iron when you tighten it since now there is a long distance between and low pressure
I think the same thing everytime I take it off. When I got the machine that rather thick piece of stainless was all I had but it is probably time for something else, though it does work. Thanks!
TPU also works great for moped rear shock absorber rubbers. Those wear out way before the shock absorber does... Printed them for 5 (Tomos A35) mopeds, not one of them has failed rubbers for over 1,5 years.
That is a cool use, I had not thought of that one. Thanks!
I did rear spring insulators between body and spring itself in my 1970 Pontiac Lemans. It's 2nd year of usage and those are still sitting there no problem (material was 40D shore). I prolly have to use custom insulators in the front too coz car is leaning to the left front after swapping new springs.
The only issue I've found with the bowden feed machines is you need to design or orientate the piece to avoid hopping between start/stop points because it'll string between them. Z-hop and retraction won't help, it'll extrude for several seconds on it's own due to compression. Incredibly durable though, but avoid acetone, chlorine and most acids.
The sight glass on my AC gauges have a TPU gasket I printed and its working just fine.
Nice. Great use!
Yeah, I designed a gasket for some vacuum couplers I made for my woodworking tools. it was much easier than cutting into a rubber sheet to make the gasket.
Nice! Great idea!
I have a printed stator cover gasket on my motorcycle has been working perfectly.
That is awesome. Exactly the kind of thing I was thinking about. Stator, timing, primary covers on motorcycles would seem a good fit. What type of bike is it?
@@theeddies 88 suzuki katana 600
@@doug12382 nice
I keep a few rolls of different thickness gasket material on hand and make my gaskets in no time and I save the coast of a 3'D printer and filament...
Good stuff! I often need oddball gaskets that are hard to find. I'm going to try printing one next time. You should do a video on how you design complex gaskets. I can design simple shapes but never tried anything complex. I have a roll of ninjaflex that would make great gaskets.
Thanks! I am probably not the best teacher for using CAD programs as I am really still learning myself. I use Fusion 360 which I recommend, you can get a free non-commercial version pretty easy. There are lots of resources on RUclips to learn the basics. I have used others like FreeCad and find them to be a waste of time and effort to learn. My buddy Aaron @Design Creativity & Technology Channel has several great tutorial videos including this one which has a bunch of the basics that would be essentially the same when making a gasket with an odd shape. ruclips.net/video/rd-YOs6qPJ8/видео.html
And he has a playlist of others that introduce lots of useful tips. Tinkercad is also another free web based program that would probably be fine for gaskets and is very simple.
There is a trick for more complex gaskets. You can take a picture of an old gasket or even the fitting it will attach to and in the CAD program scale it to the right size and then just trace it basically. I did not do that on the weird gasket in the video though I wish I had. It was pretty difficult doing it just by measurements and is not perfect but close enough.
I would like to try some Ninjaflex, it is supposed to be softer than what I used.
All the best!
Eddie
I once modeled an intake manifold for my car. I used the old manifold and put it on a scanner. I have one of those printer/scanner combos and just scan in my flat parts.
If you have a torn up gasket, just scan it in with a ruler next to it. In the CAD program (I also use Fusion360) you can import that scan and set the scale with the help of the ruler you scanned in along with it.
There is an option where you can draw a line and tell the program how long that line should be in real life. So I would just draw a line on my scanned in ruler and tell the program how long it is in real life. That's how you set the correct scale.
After that you simply trace over your gasket in the program and voila, you have a perfect drawing of the gasket.
@@schwuzi Thanks! I am planning to do a video on this exact process with gaskets.
@@theeddies What hardness is your TPU? I have some Shore A95 hardness but I don't know if that's soft enough for gaskets.
It would have been interesting to lay the freshly soaked gasket over the un-soaked gasket to check for any dimensional change/swelling. Thanks for sharing.
I will try to do a short tomorrow and check that, good idea. I don't think it swelled at all but only an experiment will show for sure. Will let you know what I find.
I did a follow up video. The soaked one did expand but it was what I would consider minimal, maybe even within margin of error for my tests.
Super cool video! I've always wondered if I could 3D print car parts that are like $400 but literally cost 5 cents to print
There certainly should be some uses under the hood. Thanks!
Neat! Nice job
Thanks!
You should enable z hopping to avoid damaging the gasket when the head moves, I noticed the scrape on the gasket, it risks removing it from the build plate. Great video btw
Thanks! They are not actually scrapes, just travel lines, purely cosmetic. There is a setting to clean that up I just did not have it set and I was running hot to get more speed so the nozzle was oozing a bit.
TPU gaskets also work well for air nailers; I printed a few successfully, 2 years of frequent use, and still going.
Nice, I had thought about that but wondered how many hours you could get out of them.
@@theeddies Yea, it is; the pressure is at times cranked up to 10 bar, so the gaskets have gotten a good beating over time. And also withstanding the pneumatic tool oil on top of that :)
It's important to note that 3D printing is a game changer but not for us consumers. The industry already is using 3D printed parts everywhere. You can't see them because they're all internal parts. It's still not possible to get a surface finish on plastic like you can with injection molding.
Just got here from hackaday I have to say that just from this video you deserve my sub, keep up the good work and this gasket idea its going to come in handy sooner or later.
Are you using a filament dryer for the TPU, I have a roll still in the bag because I'm afraid it will suck moisture without keeping it dry?
Hello, I was wondering where all these external views were coming from. Thanks for the kind comments.
I did not use a dryer. I did put it back in a bag with desiccant each time after it was finished, except one time when I left it out for 2 days. It actually rained one of those days but it printed fine. I am sure different brands are going to react differently. This one seemed pretty tolerant to a couple days out of the bag. Can always throw it in a oven at around 50C for a couple hours as well. I have done that with PETG and it worked great, if your oven can maintain that temp fairly accurately.
as being an auto mechanic for 25yrs give or take is first time seeing this "game Changer" freaking awesome "Idea" Better get a Patent quick too many ppl watch and will steal it.I don't have a 3d soo yeah. good luck have a great day
Have done a few years ago. Racing motor stuff for tuning
Still under nda
@@Georges3DPrinters I was just going to ask how it turned out, lol.
Coool thanks for a great video
Thanks for watching!
yah I've been thinking about doing this for a while.... if it happens that I end up NEEDING a gasket it wouldn't take much to print one. got plenty of TPU in stock.
I also saw a video on 3D printing a broken part. He superglued the part back together and scanned it on a copier. He cleaned in a photo app and then sent it into a CAD program, sized it. Sliced it and 3D printed it. That would work for this to I think. I’m ordering some TPU or whatever rubber filament.
That is a great idea. I was playing around with photogrammetry a month or so ago. I actually had some limited success before one of the programs killed my graphics card. Basically taking 50-60 photos from different angles and combining them into a program that turns them into a 3d model. I used it to try to replicate an old broken grip for a BB gun. It got pretty close though it never got the back quite right, it did get all the compound curves damn close. I will revisit it at some point but priorities and such, lol.
Video is called “ quick scan to 3D printed parts” by the chep channel
@@bulletproofpepper2 thanks!
Interested to see how they hold up with time and heat cycles.
Me too, lol. Thanks!
Could do the same on a laser cutter or vinyl cutting machine too from gasket materials or other materials
Great video, thank you!! How do they hold up in real use?
Check out my newest video. Thanks!