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.
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 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.
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.
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.
I made a follow up video on this th-cam.com/video/dSGOzGJjoWc/w-d-xo.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!
@@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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 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.
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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 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.
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.
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
ANY WAY you can PLEASE provide an STL file for that toyota circle piece @ 11:00 (it looks identicle to my MR2 spyder 2zz swapped MAF (where its leaking rn so im running badly lean), This would fix me thousands as I have tpu. Also do you by any chance can share how you learned to design stuff by measuring?
Send me an email. My address is on my about page. I doubt it is going to be a exact match as it is for a different application but I will send you the file. I did a video all about designing and measuring these gaskets, see my channel page for "3 ways to design a gasket for 3D printing" Thanks!
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!
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
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!
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.
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.
@@kevinpalmer4137 If you are only making gaskets and/or need higher temps (more than 100C), the Cricut is probably going to be a better choice. If you want something more versatile, a 3d printer cannot be beat. And you can add cricut functionality to a printer with some mods but not printing to a cricut. So if you already have a Cricut, it may be a better choice just for gaskets but if you don't I would lean to a printer. Just a personal opinion though.
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!
You know what, I had not yet considered that but I do need to check valve clearance in the mower so... I will need to do a temp check and that is near the muffler on this model but that's worth exploring, thanks!
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.
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!
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!
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
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 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.
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.
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.
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'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?
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.
@@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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
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
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.
@@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 :)
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!
In the Little British Car hobby, where people repair and drive MGs, Austin Healey, Jags, Morris, Minis and other brands, it can be a pain in the ass finding gaskets, and spacers. I'm looking for something that will survive as a carb gasket on the manifold side and act as a phenolic spacer to insulate the carb from the high heat of the exhaust manifold being absorbed by the intake manifold and conducted into the carb causing heat soak and vapor lock. TPU I think melts at a too low temperature for this application. But for shock absorber gaskets and other gaskets this would work a treat. There's a resin that has a really high temperature limit, I might give that a shot though failure likely means you're going to suck the broken print pieces into the intake :-) which wouldn't be fun.
Hello, yes anything around an exhaust is going to need something other than TPU. I am not sure about resin printing, I have never messed with it. But I would suspect that either making a form out of regular PLA and using it to make silcone gaskets or laser cut the "proper" material would be a safer bet. Thanks! Eddie
@@theeddies that's a good point. The best part is I have the STL of the gasket, and even tinkercad can extrapolate that out of a deeper box to make a mold in about 2 minutes flat.
yeah thats super cool. I highly suggest looking into a resin printer!! you can find resins that have similar properties but they wil be much much more accurate and much stronger!!
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.
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 TH-cam 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. th-cam.com/video/rd-YOs6qPJ8/w-d-xo.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.
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 .
Sure, that is another method to try. I have not tried it yet myself but others have mentioned it. Would probably need some release agent to cover the mold.
Can you make a vid on how you design/ get your radius’s, and how you measure your parts, I print with tpu just never knew how to design the exact roundness
Hello Donovan, you are at least the second person to ask me this so I guess there is some interest in it. I am no expert but I will see what I can come up with. I am really behind in making videos because of other work but will give it a shot soon. Thanks!
@@Flatout56-o8k Yeah on those, the only way I could think to "easily" do it is the photo transfer way. Either use the old gasket or trace its shape from the part. Then take a photo of it. Use that photo or convert that to a vector drawing like an SVG file which easier than it sounds. Import that into your CAD program, scale it, and use it as a backdrop to construct your lines. And just typing that out I realized if you have never done any of that it does not sound easy, lol. There are lots of instructional videos on this method though. NY CNC has a good video on the process, I will send you a link in different comment as links sometimes don't get sent.
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.
Hello! I print another gasolin gaskets and hydraulic distributors. I also use TPU and PETG. However, what I do and recommend you to do is: Around the important openings of the gasket to put a slight additional edge with a height of + 0.2 to 0.5 mm above the level of the gasket itself, wide, say 1 mm. This edge will flatten further and will give and seal the garnish even tighter! Only around the important openings do you make such an addition! Tested on hydraulic distributors and petrol pumps with PETG and TPU, they work flawlessly !!! Now, however, I have to change the AC compressor gasket on my car. The compressor is Delphi and has hard to find gaskets (not O Rings!). And here the dilemma is big, because there the pressure is high, it reaches 25 Atmospheres and the temperature of the outgoing refrigerant at the discharge pistons, I guess about 100-120 degrees to liquefy ... Petg gasket will withstand the pressure but I do not know the degrees .. TPU I also don't know ... Polycarbonate will withstand degrees and pressure but I don't know if it will not degrade chemically from freon ... :)
Great suggestions, thanks! If your temps are Fahrenheit which, TPU should be fine. If C, that would be pushing it. I did some other tests in other videos with temp, and 100-120C is going to be the absolute cutoff point where I would consider the material to be viable. I even attempted annealing it to increase it high temp usability and the results were better but not significant enough for me to change my max temps. I did do some torqued tests at those temps as well and it performed ok in the 25 ft/lbs range. Pressure is something I have yet to explore but am thinking of some ways to do it that is somewhat measurable. Though that is probably a few weeks (or months) before I will really get to that point. What has been your experience with PETG at higher temps? I initially thought because it prints so high that it would be pretty good. But I have had some mixed results with it deforming lower than I would expect. Best!
@@theeddies `Hello. Where I use Petg and TPU seals are not high temperatures, around 70-80 degrees. Rarely up to 90 degrees. Both filaments work well, in the form of seals, hold well and have no leaks. It is very important or at least recommended, when printing the gasket in the way I have described with slightly higher outlines around the eyelets, to fasten the gasket 2-3 times later especially in PETG Put the gasket on and tighten it. You start the machine and after a while it works and cools down, tighten the bolts even more! So 2-3 times (2-3 days or after a week) until it settles perfectly and the bolts no longer allow to tighten! It's perfect :) I use PETG for hydraulic distributors because of the pressure! Petg is hard but slightly tough and is perfect for them. It is not affected by chemicals and aggressive oils and up to 80-90 degrees it holds up well + some pressure there. For the car's air conditioning compressor, however, I am in a big dilemma, high pressures, temperatures from over 100 to 130 degrees and sometimes to minus 20 degrees. You say you tested the TPU for seals at 120 degrees and it works well? I thought that TPU could not be hardened !? :)
@@brad4edat There is a slight hardening during heat treat, mostly from the plastic filament strands melting tighter I think not a chemistry change. The purpose though was to does increase the temp tolerance slightly. I found a few lab studies and tried to replicate their results on my own. I would say the results were close to what they saw but I am still unsure if it is enough to be worth it in most cases. th-cam.com/video/a_fQ30COQQ4/w-d-xo.html
I am working on a video for that in a week or 2. There are many showing the process but I have had enough interest that I am decided on making one specific to gaskets. Best!
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?
You can use cheap laser cutter to cut gasket material. I have made tpu gaskets before and they work. For example MAF sensor. But on direct engine parts it's better to use 150usd laser cutter. It's really easy to scan them using photocopier and import them to slicer and lasercut them. If laser is not strong enough you can go multiple passes :)
I actually bought a laser with my Sovol SV01. I have not even tried it yet. Both my printers work 6-8 hrs a day making a product I sell. I need to hook it up though and try this. All the best!
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 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?
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.
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.
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!
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.
I made a follow up video on this th-cam.com/video/dSGOzGJjoWc/w-d-xo.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!
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.
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!
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👍
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 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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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!
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.
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
ANY WAY you can PLEASE provide an STL file for that toyota circle piece @ 11:00 (it looks identicle to my MR2 spyder 2zz swapped MAF (where its leaking rn so im running badly lean), This would fix me thousands as I have tpu. Also do you by any chance can share how you learned to design stuff by measuring?
Send me an email. My address is on my about page. I doubt it is going to be a exact match as it is for a different application but I will send you the file. I did a video all about designing and measuring these gaskets, see my channel page for "3 ways to design a gasket for 3D printing" Thanks!
@@theeddies perfect! Thanks
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!
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
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!
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.
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 !
Heck yeah - rapid prototyping! I love mine - resin and filament.
I been thinking you could use a cricut for such things
This appears to be better
Yes, if you have one, it is probably a better alternative.
I am confused now, is the cricut better, or is the 3d printer
@@kevinpalmer4137 If you are only making gaskets and/or need higher temps (more than 100C), the Cricut is probably going to be a better choice. If you want something more versatile, a 3d printer cannot be beat. And you can add cricut functionality to a printer with some mods but not printing to a cricut. So if you already have a Cricut, it may be a better choice just for gaskets but if you don't I would lean to a printer. Just a personal opinion though.
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 have this exact engine and carb. I used a cereal box for the gasket and it works.
Wow, I just wanted to know if it would work outside to seal my own project boxes. Looks like it'll go way beyond that! Thanks.
This is such a great demonstration for tpu usages, thank you.
Thanks!
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 wonder if this will work as a seal for the OHV caps? considering they're the basic seals too.
You know what, I had not yet considered that but I do need to check valve clearance in the mower so... I will need to do a temp check and that is near the muffler on this model but that's worth exploring, thanks!
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?
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!
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!
6:45 oh my those drivers are noisy... get some TMC2209 or TMC2225 if possible and replace them.
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.
you could add a sealing rib around the carb hole.. make it 1 layer thick.. about 0.2mm.
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
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 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 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!
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.
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'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.
The sight glass on my AC gauges have a TPU gasket I printed and its working just fine.
Nice. Great use!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Photocopying gaskets works great fwiw
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!
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
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!
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.
Never would’ve thought to try this out I can’t wait to get my first printer and dig into this!
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.
Could do the same on a laser cutter or vinyl cutting machine too from gasket materials or other materials
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...
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
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
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.
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 :)
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!
In the Little British Car hobby, where people repair and drive MGs, Austin Healey, Jags, Morris, Minis and other brands, it can be a pain in the ass finding gaskets, and spacers. I'm looking for something that will survive as a carb gasket on the manifold side and act as a phenolic spacer to insulate the carb from the high heat of the exhaust manifold being absorbed by the intake manifold and conducted into the carb causing heat soak and vapor lock. TPU I think melts at a too low temperature for this application. But for shock absorber gaskets and other gaskets this would work a treat.
There's a resin that has a really high temperature limit, I might give that a shot though failure likely means you're going to suck the broken print pieces into the intake :-) which wouldn't be fun.
Hello, yes anything around an exhaust is going to need something other than TPU. I am not sure about resin printing, I have never messed with it. But I would suspect that either making a form out of regular PLA and using it to make silcone gaskets or laser cut the "proper" material would be a safer bet. Thanks!
Eddie
@@theeddies that's a good point. The best part is I have the STL of the gasket, and even tinkercad can extrapolate that out of a deeper box to make a mold in about 2 minutes flat.
I may just use this stuff to print gaskets for the lugs on my drumset shells
yeah thats super cool. I highly suggest looking into a resin printer!! you can find resins that have similar properties but they wil be much much more accurate and much stronger!!
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.
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 TH-cam 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. th-cam.com/video/rd-YOs6qPJ8/w-d-xo.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.
Printed water tank gaskets from TPU A95 but they all leaked. Not soft enough to make a perfect seal.
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.
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.
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!
What about trying printing a mold and pouring some silicone in after it set up would make a good gasket? You would only need Pla to make mold
Sure, that is another method to try. I have not tried it yet myself but others have mentioned it. Would probably need some release agent to cover the mold.
Can you make a vid on how you design/ get your radius’s, and how you measure your parts, I print with tpu just never knew how to design the exact roundness
Hello Donovan, you are at least the second person to ask me this so I guess there is some interest in it. I am no expert but I will see what I can come up with. I am really behind in making videos because of other work but will give it a shot soon. Thanks!
@@theeddies yea, I have clutch covers and stuff, and the way they are shaped there such odd shapes
@@Flatout56-o8k Yeah on those, the only way I could think to "easily" do it is the photo transfer way. Either use the old gasket or trace its shape from the part. Then take a photo of it. Use that photo or convert that to a vector drawing like an SVG file which easier than it sounds. Import that into your CAD program, scale it, and use it as a backdrop to construct your lines. And just typing that out I realized if you have never done any of that it does not sound easy, lol. There are lots of instructional videos on this method though. NY CNC has a good video on the process, I will send you a link in different comment as links sometimes don't get sent.
@@Flatout56-o8k th-cam.com/video/dUiIAb1YqeM/w-d-xo.html
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.
Just wondering what CAD program, do you use?
Hello!
I print another gasolin gaskets and hydraulic distributors. I also use TPU and PETG. However, what I do and recommend you to do is:
Around the important openings of the gasket to put a slight additional edge with a height of + 0.2 to 0.5 mm above the level of the gasket itself, wide, say 1 mm. This edge will flatten further and will give and seal the garnish even tighter! Only around the important openings do you make such an addition!
Tested on hydraulic distributors and petrol pumps with PETG and TPU, they work flawlessly !!!
Now, however, I have to change the AC compressor gasket on my car. The compressor is Delphi and has hard to find gaskets (not O Rings!). And here the dilemma is big, because there the pressure is high, it reaches 25 Atmospheres and the temperature of the outgoing refrigerant at the discharge pistons, I guess about 100-120 degrees to liquefy ... Petg gasket will withstand the pressure but I do not know the degrees .. TPU I also don't know ...
Polycarbonate will withstand degrees and pressure but I don't know if it will not degrade chemically from freon ... :)
Great suggestions, thanks! If your temps are Fahrenheit which, TPU should be fine. If C, that would be pushing it. I did some other tests in other videos with temp, and 100-120C is going to be the absolute cutoff point where I would consider the material to be viable. I even attempted annealing it to increase it high temp usability and the results were better but not significant enough for me to change my max temps. I did do some torqued tests at those temps as well and it performed ok in the 25 ft/lbs range. Pressure is something I have yet to explore but am thinking of some ways to do it that is somewhat measurable. Though that is probably a few weeks (or months) before I will really get to that point.
What has been your experience with PETG at higher temps? I initially thought because it prints so high that it would be pretty good. But I have had some mixed results with it deforming lower than I would expect. Best!
@@theeddies `Hello. Where I use Petg and TPU seals are not high temperatures, around 70-80 degrees. Rarely up to 90 degrees. Both filaments work well, in the form of seals, hold well and have no leaks.
It is very important or at least recommended, when printing the gasket in the way I have described with slightly higher outlines around the eyelets, to fasten the gasket 2-3 times later
especially in PETG
Put the gasket on and tighten it. You start the machine and after a while it works and cools down, tighten the bolts even more! So 2-3 times (2-3 days or after a week) until it settles perfectly and the bolts no longer allow to tighten! It's perfect :)
I use PETG for hydraulic distributors because of the pressure! Petg is hard but slightly tough and is perfect for them. It is not affected by chemicals and aggressive oils and up to 80-90 degrees it holds up well + some pressure there.
For the car's air conditioning compressor, however, I am in a big dilemma, high pressures, temperatures from over 100 to 130 degrees and sometimes to minus 20 degrees.
You say you tested the TPU for seals at 120 degrees and it works well?
I thought that TPU could not be hardened !?
:)
@@brad4edat There is a slight hardening during heat treat, mostly from the plastic filament strands melting tighter I think not a chemistry change. The purpose though was to does increase the temp tolerance slightly. I found a few lab studies and tried to replicate their results on my own. I would say the results were close to what they saw but I am still unsure if it is enough to be worth it in most cases. th-cam.com/video/a_fQ30COQQ4/w-d-xo.html
Interesting. Would be nice if you had shown how you replicated the gasket to an stl.
I am working on a video for that in a week or 2. There are many showing the process but I have had enough interest that I am decided on making one specific to gaskets. Best!
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
You can use cheap laser cutter to cut gasket material. I have made tpu gaskets before and they work. For example MAF sensor. But on direct engine parts it's better to use 150usd laser cutter. It's really easy to scan them using photocopier and import them to slicer and lasercut them. If laser is not strong enough you can go multiple passes :)
I actually bought a laser with my Sovol SV01. I have not even tried it yet. Both my printers work 6-8 hrs a day making a product I sell. I need to hook it up though and try this. All the best!
First thing i used my printer to fix was a Pneumatic Staple gun, replaced an odd seal and an unavailable trim part.
Nice, I did a video replacing a staple gun diaphragm a year or so ago, I wonder it that could be replicated as well. More ideas. Thanks!
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 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!
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.
I wish I could 3D print a carburetor for a old Clinton K300 outboard motor. They are no longer in business and parts are very hard to find.
Well see some of the new cheap lawnmowers use basically all plastic carbs now so maybe, lol.