Fun with kydex

S

sputnick

Joined
Mar 12, 2006
Messages
246
UPS dropped off some kydex and tek loks, but for some reason i didnt get the rest of my order which included the chicago screws i was planning on using to put this thing together. I went ahead anyway and undersized the holes as well as leaving it roughly trimmed in case i needed to make some adjustments. Currently its held together with the teklok hardware and a tee nut i picked up for testing the other day.

I didnt wrap the blade in tape before i pressed it, so its a little tighter on the blade than i would have liked. The mouth of the sheath is slightly puckered to ease reinsertion as well as having a slight thumb ramp to aid in removing the blade. The knife clicks hard into the sheath. Can i use a pot of boiling water to loosen up the grab on the blade? Also, how much more kydex should i take off around the mouth without weakening its grasp?



pic00001cj9.jpg
pic00002jh0.jpg
 
sputnick said:
Can i use a pot of boiling water to loosen up the grab on the blade? Also, how much more kydex should i take off around the mouth without weakening its grasp?

Nice job, Sputnick! I'll tell yo what I've READ, the experts can correct me if I'm wrong:rolleyes:

Boiling water won't do squat. It's only 212*F and that Kydex needs about 350-400*. Get a heat gun at Harbor Freight for about 12 bucks. Remember to tape the mouth closed when sanding or finishing the edges. Otherwise grit will get in there and scratch your blade.

Your pix shows a rivet or screw indent. That's probably what's holding it tight when you pressed. I hear that's the way some do it, though. You can do a second press with the blade taped and fix it (maybe). Anyway, that's what I read, I have no actuall experience, but soon will:p
Click to expand...
 
OOps! One more thing. I see in the pix you've got a choil, right? That's supposed to be a no-no with kydex for the reasons you already mentioned. No belly blades, no choils, nothing that can vise it in.........

Mike
 
well bodfish you were partly right. I tried the boiling water bit and it was just hot enough to let the kydex relax. So now i have a super loose kydex sheath!

Because i had already drilled holes in it (i was almost done but couldnt leave well enough alone) repressing it was going to be a problem I left the studs in the holes, heated it up and stuck it back in the vise. actually worked out pretty well. I'll likely be able to salvage it although i will have to try it one more time and let it get a bit warmer.
 
I have read to NOT heat kydex up above 300 degrees due to releasing toxic fumes. Can't quote the source. I put my little toaster oven up to 250-275 and works quite well.

As for trimming, I usually trim them about 1/2 - 3/4" above where the actual holding point is, in this case the finger groove.

Haven't heard anything about problems with choils and bellies. You would have to becareful in the design but I've seen it done.

Charles
 
300 degrees was plenty and i definitely wont be going any higher. I tried 325 to see if i could get a little more conformation out of it and one of the pieces actually shrunk. That decent sheath at the top of the thread is now a couple messed up pieces of plastic. Maybe i'll turn them into battery holders or something. Tomorrow i'll pick up some more fasteners and denser foam and have another whack at it. Todays experience was good and i learned a lot about how it handles as well as its temperature thresholds. The next one will be perfect.
 
As all ready said get that heat gun. I started working with kydex only a few months ago but have been making some complex sheaths. The heat gun will allow you to direct heat to an area and make adjustments with out heating and changing your whole project.
 
Do you guys use directional/focusing tips on your heat guns? What type gun are you using. In the sign business i used a milwaukee dual temp gun, but that thing belted out heat.
 
sputnick said:
300 degrees was plenty and i definitely wont be going any higher. I tried 325 to see if i could get a little more conformation out of it and one of the pieces actually shrunk. That decent sheath at the top of the thread is now a couple messed up pieces of plastic. Maybe i'll turn them into battery holders or something. Tomorrow i'll pick up some more fasteners and denser foam and have another whack at it. Todays experience was good and i learned a lot about how it handles as well as its temperature thresholds. The next one will be perfect.
Click to expand...

Sput, I'm learning stuff while you do all the work:)

I've also read a good pad can be found at a sportng goods store, the blue dense stuff backpackers use to sleep on. Maybe someone here can recommend something better?

Guess I'd better re-read my temps. Don't want no toxic fumes:barf:

Mike
 
The blue sleeping pad works just fine. I used three layers of it glued to with Gorilla glue on one inch ply. I put a thin piece of cloth over the pad to keep it from sticking. Three layers of the pad is on the thick side but I use a hundred pound dumbbell to press it down so I need the thicker padding.
No tips on the heat gun. I just cover the places I don't want heat on with cardboard.
 
checked the craftstore for a heat gun, found a purple sparkley one for $25 bucks. HD has a dual temp milwaukee for $30. I ended up not getting either one (broke). I'll just flare the mouth on the stove top again, although that purple sparkley one was pretty darn sweet!

While i was out yesterday i picked up one of those blue sleeping pads from walmart. I can only fit 4 total layers between the mouth of the woodworkers vice and 2x4's. I should have picked up some mdf or plywood to use in the vice while i was out. The 2x4's are just wide enough to fit this sheath.

So last nights attempt is below. I got a pretty good press out of it, although the masking tape I wrapped the blade in caused waves in the kydex that you can just about see. I'm not going to change this particular sheath, but i will have to come up with something better on the next one. A layer of cloth on the foam certainly sounds more attractive than the cooking spray i used. I've outlined my proposed cutline and hole layout. The holes are currently 1.5in on center. Is there a standard hole spacing that everyone likes to see on a sheath? How about the shape, is a pointy nose more aesthetically pleasing? The larger outline around the hole center marks are where the rims of the tee nuts are going to end up. One thing i did forget about when buying the hardware to hold it together was the ability to tie the sheath onto something. Is there a suitable tube type fastener that can be purchased locally? If not i'll end up just drilling a second set of holes where i want to be able to tie into it.


Thanks for all the feedback guys, even after reading all the tutorials on kydex, its helpful to bounce some ideas off of those that have actually done it.


Sorry the images suck, the lense on the olympus d-490 is hazed.
pic00001ct9.jpg
 
Looks pretty good to me, I've been wanting to try this as well.... and oh man! :eek: Put some socks on, don't you know it's cold out??
 
HAH, making that post was the first thing i did this morning. It is 22 degrees out at the moment. I've got some nice wool socks and moccassins on now!

I encourage you to try it. Its cheap, easy, plenty of help here on the forums, and it allows you to replace all your crappy sheaths with custom sheaths you made with your own hands. I dont see any downside there.

If this cold weather hadnt moved back in I would be working on my file knife. When thats finished i'll be able to make it some pants and have a 100% built by me tool. Pretty sweet.
 
Round 2. This one is just about complete. I am very happy with the fit on this one. No rub on the blade, but it wont let go unless you slide your thumb up the seem on the spine, which is exactly how i wanted it to be since my plans were for inverted carry. A little clean up and some extra holes and it'll be a keeper. Maybe a little more flaring around the mouth. You can see the glossy part on the kydex where it was heated to tighten up the fit. A little silicone spray ought to even out the appearance a bit. I'll have to watch the temps a little closer.

Tomorrow i'll tackle a HRLM. The tee nuts are working well enough but i think i would be happier with tube rivets. Can you get them locally?

pic00007om5.jpg
 
I've checked two local hardware stores and found grommets and snaps that I can use on sheaths. They cost more per each but you can buy them one or two at a time. Use to be that if I ran out I had to Waite till I got the next order in the mail. fabric stores and upholstery shops have grommets also that work with kydex. Now that I'm thinking about it I'll bet shoe repair places have grommets that will work.
 
Tinbasher: For this sheath I am using .08" kydex, however i did order some .06 to make sheaths for things like phones, lighters, batteries, etc.

Bikermikearchery: Great suggestion on the cobbler. I tried the warehouse stores, then the chain hardware stores, then the local hardware stores. Only ACE had any grommets and they were huge. The cobbler had a bunch of rivets, but only one size tube fastener and it had a 3/16" post. I bought ten dull black smooth rivets just because he took the time to look through all his boxes for grommets. Maybe they'll get used in a different project. Oh, and i did find chicago screws at the local tractor supply in the tack section. They were pretty attractive and only $2 for ten. Would go pretty well in a leather sheath I'd say, didn't buy any though. I even checked the craft store, which did have some black eyelets but they were the same size as what the cobbler had, they were super cheap though at $2 for 100. After 2 hours driving around, I'm still kicking myself for not buying a bag when i ordered the kydex. Looks like i'll just drill some extra holes for the harness mount.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top