OK to use copper automotive silicone for gaskets?

[cruzmisl]

Hi All,

I'm curious if its OK to use the permatex automotive copper silicone to adhere the gasket material or even make your own gasket. I'd imagine once its cured its benign but wanted to make sure.

Any ideas?

Joe

[kravnh]

I used it on my BigGreen Egg; it works great. The silicone doesn't go near food, unless you accidentally drag some meat across your gasket. Here's how I did it:

- I put a thick bead on the lip of the base, and used some wooden dowels I had as spacers between the lid and the base to keep it thick.

- Placed wax paper over the silicone, closed the lid, waited 24 hours

- Peeled the wax paper, removed the dowels, filled the void left by the dowels with more silicone, more wax paper, closed the lid, waited another 24 hours

- Peeled the wax paper, voila - new gasket!

The bead of silicone doesn't go from edge to edge of the lip, so there is no overhang into the body of the cooker.

I would imagine you could do something similar to a KK, but I'm not sure how you could put spacers in there to maintain the thickness of the silicone while it cures.

Keith

[Amphoran]

I had a bad experience with the copper silicone putting in my guru tube.

Either it never cured, or the heat at the bottom near the charcoal basket degraded it, but it became a permanent sticky mess and the guru tube could slip in and out easily.

I re-mounted the guru tube with stove cement, and that has worked perfectly.

Mike

[ThreeDJ16]

Re: OK to use copper automotive silicone for gaskets?

Hi All,

I'm curious if its OK to use the permatex automotive copper silicone to adhere the gasket material or even make your own gasket. I'd imagine once its cured its benign but wanted to make sure.

Any ideas?

Joe

I have used the Permatex black automotive silicone for that purpose for years with no problems. Wanted a little extra seal, so I laid a bead around the entire perimeter (lower lip on the slope). Then placed wax paper all the way around on top of it, closed / latched the lid and left alone for a day. After it is has cured, trim the edges and you should be good to go. I have also used the same silicone on the Guru port with no issues and it has never pulled loose (though I did scuff up the surfaces for better adherence).

-=Jasen=-

[Firemonkey]

I reseated my gasket with the Permatex black hi-temp RTV silicone, and its held solid. That same silicone is also a spot on match for the dark gray grout Dennis used before the elastic grout. If you see any grout cracks, go ahead and fill them with the silicone!

[Syzygies]

Here's what I use:

Permatex High-Temp Red RTV Silicone Gasket Maker

http://www.permatex.com/products/automotive/automotive_gasketing/gasket_makers/auto_Permatex_High-Temp_Red_RTV_Silicone_Gasket.htm

A lower temperature rating (650 F), but it has an NSF food safety rating ("Certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 51"), unlike anything else in that series. I go over the stated rating without issue. (Although, quoting the best line in the Simpsons movie, "So far!")

Some think lead poisoning from wine vessels helped take out the Roman empire, and I'm sure they were telling each other at the time, "Hey, these crocks work great." So, I don't know if it matters, but the NSF rating makes me feel better. I also spent $100 on a pH meter to make sure my fermented hot sauce doesn't give my friends botulism; call me cautious.

While we're reciting toxin risks, let's mention that galvanized metals have no place in a cooker (e.g. no galvanized heat deflectors). They off-gas nasties.

[primeats]

Good info Syz.