couple questions on kydex and kydex rivets

[Matt Shade]

I just got all my stuff back from TKS. It was my first time to send blades to be heat treated and things turned out good. I was afraid they were going to explode into a million peices
Anyway I got all the stuff to try kydex sheaths but I have a few questions before I start.
First off, what kind of temperature should this stuff be molded at? I have a heat gun that will run at 120F 17 Cubic ft/min , 800F 11.3 cu ft/min, and 1000F 17cu ft/min. What sounds best?
I have the foam to mold it and will set up a vise for that. How long does it take for it to harden/cool off?

I bought a pack of 50 rivets. Is there any particular spacing on those to keep them from tearing out? I'm planning on keeping things pretty simple to start out wiht so I didn't get any chicago screws. And what do you use to smash/peen the rivets? I have a hand press for harness rivets. Or will a ball peen hammer do better?

Thanks for any help.

 

[tmickley]

With gloves on, hold the kydex in your hand and move the heat gun around until it folds over and become pliable. Use the hot setting, you won't hurt the kydex. It'll take maybe a minute or two. It will get softer than construction paper, almost soft like upholestry material. If it gets too hot by holding the heat gun in one spot, it will start to look wet-slick and you will notice the (typically, yours might be different) hair cell pattern start to lose detail. You'll see it happen and move the gun before you damage it. Don't worry too much about that. You might slightly heat up the knife a bit so it doesn't cool the kydex too quickly. Wrap it around the blade (move quick, it cools and stiffens fast), make it tight using your fingers to pull and tug it into place, press it in your foam for maybe two minutes and it will be hot, but stiff. It's really easy, just intimidating to do it the first time. Use your band saw to trim it size, your grinder to smooth the edges and shape it at the top and around the edges.
Rivet spacing isn't critical, just enough to hold and satisfy what ever look you want. A ball peen hammer works fine to smash it altogeter. Expect your first one to look like hell. The second one will look much better.

 

[peter nap]

Don't know about that Tracy. My second and third one looked like hell too. Some people have a longer learning period.

 

[Matt Shade]

Thanks guys
I'm sure they'll all look like hell. That seems to be my specialty
This ones for me to use, so looks won't matter.

 

[tmickley]

Originally posted by peter nap
Don't know about that Tracy. My second and third one looked like hell too. Some people have a longer learning period.

Mine too, I was just trying to be supportive.
You ought to see my leather work. I made a leather sheath with an inlay of beaver tail. I didn't have enough to inlay the entire sheath so I inlayed the beaver (snicker) to face out, naturally, I cut and laid it in backwards and now handsomely rubs against your leg instead of showing like it should.