Kydex Heating Tray?

Infi-del

Infi-del

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I've done some search and haven't quite found the info I was looking for. I've basically got my kydex setup ready for war. Got my toaster oven, got my digital thermometer and the temp settings on my oven dialed in within a few degrees. I've diabled the top heating element for broiling so it's just the bottom element. Got everything I need either in hand or on the way for my press and all that.

The part I'm still a little foggy on is what kind of tray to use. I've read of some guys using a rock? A griddle? Non-Stick flat cookie sheet? Modified Cookie Sheet???

What do you guys put your kydex ON when you stick it in the oven? Pics would be AWESOME. Looking forward to learning this new craft.
 
i think most who use toaster ovens use cookie sheets,me i had couple pieces of thin stainless sheets that i cut down to size and use them as trays...the rock, you probably misunderstood the use of...it`s lava rock(i have heard that other kind of rocks are a no no) and it`s only for a visual cue, you lay the kydex on top and you can tell when is limp and ready to come out
i do have a flat gridle but i only use it for really big pieces that i can not fit in the oven...
 
A little late to the party. I use heavy duty foil, just put it right on top of the toaster oven rack, make sure its layered otherwise the hot rack my put hot lines on the kydex. Much rather play around hot foil then a pan as I get a little clumsy at times and hot pans can really hurt if not careful : p

Put it in, get it hot, take directly out of oven as quick and carefully as possible and set it in the press and bam.
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When I make big items I will use this and take it directly off and onto the press once the kydex is hot
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My griddle only is big enough to do rucki size max so if ak or waki I use the house oven and wrap the pan I set the kydex onto up with foil, gotta love foil. Also I find these style glove kick butt when working with hot kydex, thick enough to protect your hands if you dont dilly doddle but not so thick that you cant pick thin kydex up

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1379018180.804732.jpg
 
I find what helps is a silicone baking sheet. You can get the kydex a little warmer on those without them sticking to a pan. Sticking to a pan = burned kydex, even at temps that shouldn't burn the kydex.
 
I use the bottom of a cookie sheet I preheat my oven to 275 degrees, in my experience if your kydex is sticking to the cookie sheet your temp is to high
 
Ok so here is my first try... don't laugh I know it's horrible but I learned A LOT by all the mistakes I made. Definitely need to use a straight edge when marking my eyelet holes, need to apply more even pressure with my press, and need a better tray. My kydex actually did stick to my folded up foil sheet. I luckily found a flat cookie sheet that fits in my oven since though. It was only at 290 degrees when it stuck too. I went ahead and pulled it and molded it so it wasn't quite to the right temp... which is another reason I got such crappy definition. This is a fun hobby. I look forward to learning and crafting. I will say although ugly... and retarded looking... this sheath holds the knife well... I'm not gonna junk it. I'll just use it to lash to a bag or something as a spare.

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if it stuck it was not 290...drop the temp more....you have to take in to account that it spikes
 
Does that mean my thermometer is off? I bought a separate digital thermometer with probe just for the purpose of accurately taking the temp since I know ovens can be off a little.
 
Infi-del said:
Does that mean my thermometer is off? I bought a separate digital thermometer with probe just for the purpose of accurately taking the temp since I know ovens can be off a little.
Click to expand...

did you watch the digital therm. at all times while you were molding it?The oven could had spiked and you caught it while it was "cooling of"...290 is low to get stuck, in my experience
I had a toaster oven that used to spike at least 120 degrees before the thermostat will cut of,get atleast 100 deg lower before it will kick in again...
When i got my 2 GE ovens i spend at least an hour each using a digital therm with a probe to figure out exactly how it behaves...also you need to preheat the oven before you throw the kydex in...at least that`s how i do it...i know others do it differently.

Set your oven at the 350 mark with your thermometer ready, stay on top of it, watch how many degrees it will go till the thermostat cut it off, then watch how low it will go till it kicks back in again,do that few times so you know the low and the high of the spike(then you take the "aggregate" )and start adjusting the knobs on the oven,i think the highest i have mine is around 330 with the spike(my spike is +-12 degrees) don`t remember i just made a mark on the dial and now even if i move it accidentally i just turn it back on the mark again and is fine...
hope my English were OK LOL
 
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