The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Ever made a gasket?

Ball pien hammer method works well on thin paper--not so well on cork and thicker paper because the sharp pattern edge is cushoned.
motorcycle gaskets and small engine gaskets for cast covers with thin sealing surfaces alongside the hole are devilish things to cut precisely without misalignment of holes.I keep an assortment of steel balls to use instead of the ball pein and before tapping the ball into the hole I pierce the gasket material in an X pattern in the hole so the material will not be pulled inward-only cut.Also I keep several really small c clamps to clamp the material to the piece serving as a pattern to prevent movement as i don't have enough hands and good help is never there when you need it. I keep a few sizes of arch punches (leather punches) for the heavier material that must be punched and I have made punches from a piece of brake tubing sharpened with an edge on the inside with a small reamer.Cuts just fine just not as durable as a store boughten punch.
A good investment for cutting really small holes is the hand punch/pliers we see on the tool board @ sears/lowes/home despot and others.These are really nice for carb and magneto gaskets.
I've really learned to love the use of anaerobic (not silicone)sealers without gasket when the situation is right.A metal to metal bolted joint with this sealer doesn't flex and distroy the gasket that isn't there.Permatex/loctite ("right stuff")has some but not in small tubes and is darn costly and doesn't store long.Honda and Yamaha has some in small tubes but I havn't tried it yet.
Happy cuttin'