How To Make Stainless O-Rings

Starting with a piece of material slightly longer than you need, run it against a flat plate with 320 or 400 grit wet/dry paper on it and a little light oil. Get the first end flat and square. If you're really talented with a rotary tool equipped with a diamond slit saw blade you can do the first part of the job in about 15 seconds instead of 10 minutes. The second part of the job is more critical. I place the material in the groove from the good end and fit in in well all the way around until I can determine how much too long the piece is. I snip it off about .020" longer than I need. Then back to the plate or diamond rotary tool. Sneak up on the fit. It's best to leave the o-ring slightly long and make sure both ends are as flat as you can get them. You should have to press it into the groove with some light force. Start by inserting the end that you sanded flat into the groove. Let them butt up against each other, then run your finger around the ring to see if it will fit in. For me it's perfect when it just slightly won't go in. I then thread an old spark plug in the dome and lay it on top of a granite slab. With a hammer I tap it lightly to allow it to tighten up in the groove. That's it. I use stainless though - it's kind of tough to work with but copper is a real pain. Heads up.