Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Anybody got any tips for cutting gaskets out of baking mat?
Does it cut easily with a sharp knife? Will a craft "circle" cutter work?

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Easiest way I've found is to just mark & cut with scissors.

Thanks gad, what about the inside hole?

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

I found some old 100mm plastic plumbing fittings that were the right size and just cut around them with a stanley knife, will send pics when I get home, just make sure you cut the outer diameter first I found, otherwise it pulls.

OK, so a sharp craft knife would do the trick too then.

Thanks guys.
Prof. Green.

I use a little bended pair of scissors, works OK for me.

Never considered curved scissors.
Thanks.

Prof. Green.

If you are handy with a grinder or lathe you could put a sharp edge on the right size pipe and bingo hole punch :think:

Professor Green wrote:Thanks gad, what about the inside hole?

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Just slit with stanley knife then cut with scissors.

Im looking to buy some silicone mats for a seal. Where does everyone get their mats from?
I read in a post ....

P3T3rPan wrote:a simple test for purity that will eliminate most of the cheap silicone sheets is to simply twist a piece between your thumbs. The presence of fillers will be seen as whiteness showing through

So im after some suggestions on where to go to get some in brisbane. Ive read someone got some at big W but im wondering about quality. Can anyone advise me on some not over priced small mats that are good quality?
Thanks

Crap, mine go the faintest but white when twisted, yet the wife's good Tupperware ones don't. Are these fillers a big problem? They were only cheapies from eBay.

Doubleuj wrote:Crap, mine go the faintest but white when twisted, yet the wife's good Tupperware ones don't. Are these fillers a big problem? They were only cheapies from eBay.

Unless you can get the manufacturer to tell you whats in it (good luck), or you can have it tested (expensive), then it's up to you wether your happy to keep using them.

If it bothers you then buy some better ones :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Hi guys
I have been thinking about this one for a while and have come up with a method.Its not fully proven yet but shows promise.If you do a bit of searching and find tin cans of the diameter you need then get a can opener and cut the top ring off so you have the sharp edge exposed you have your cutter.Next I get our kitchen cutting board with all the old knife cuts to give the sheet some grip and lay the sheet on that then I rub a bit of cooking oil where I want to cut,place can on top apply downward pressure and rotate can to cut.Next step is to get the smaller can to do the inner cut and hopefully you have the perfect seal.As I said it a work in progress but hope this helps

WTDist wrote:Im looking to buy some silicone mats for a seal. Where does everyone get their mats from?
I read in a post ....

P3T3rPan wrote:a simple test for purity that will eliminate most of the cheap silicone sheets is to simply twist a piece between your thumbs. The presence of fillers will be seen as whiteness showing through

So im after some suggestions on where to go to get some in brisbane. Ive read someone got some at big W but im wondering about quality. Can anyone advise me on some not over priced small mats that are good quality?
Thanks

I just cant understand why anyone would buy anything that they are going to be drinking from on price alone
The real stuff is expensive. End of story
All that cheap stuff is cheap because it is NOT pure silicon.
Buy cheap, pay twice
This is what my research pointed me to, www.silikomart.com
Where you will find it locally is up to your skills with google (I am in NZ)

Another way to test for the presence of fillers in silicone sheet is to bake some in the oven
From the web
"Preparing your silicone baking tool by baking them in the oven alone for 5-10 minutes is one way to be sure whether or not there are fillers present. Often, people describe having a funny smell the first time they use a silicone baking product. This is one of the indications that fillers are present, and by baking alone, you can tell if any gases are released. This often occurs the first time the product is used, and should be watched"

I think you're both right Sam and P3T3rPan, I was a bit Susa on mine when they arrived, very thin, so thin I can't sit one on the glass to clamp it all together. Think the kids can have them for playdoe and I'll go get some good ones. Cheers

Sorry about the soapbox approach but here is another snip from the web.
"Although silicone appears to be a marvellous form of bakeware with great benefits, it is not invincible. You should never cut your bakeware or cut on it. Introducing this will compromise the integrity of your bakeware and in the case of those that may be coated with fillers inside, expose the fillers which may introduce undesirable health risks from your bakeware. The same is true for using utensils for removing baked products or foods…. NEVER use anything sharp. There are many varieties of silicone and rubber cooking and baking utensils that are safe and ideal to preventing scratches or any other damage."

Just use the single sided EDPM seals. They fit the Primus glasses perfectly with a little stretch and the ridge stops the glass from moving. I've never had a single leak and they look great with no need to much around cutting.

Or you could use these from ebay:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1-2-8-Silicon-Gasket-Fits-50-5mm-232mm-OD-Sanitary-Tri-Clamp-Type-Ferrule-NEW-/321741595850?var=&hash=item4ae94b24ca
look the goods.
Any one used them yet?

Or you could just go to http://www.5stardistilling.net/seals-1/ for all your seals :handgestures-thumbupleft: