kydex help please

Bruce Bump

Bruce Bump

Joined
Dec 2, 1999
Messages
9,910
I need the crash course on making kydex sheaths for a few tactical knives I am making. The need to be carried in front or in the back. The directions I received from K&G says to use a hair dryer or a heat gun. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Bruce Bump
 
Bruce if your wife will let you I use the kitchen stove more recently a toaster oven at 325F (watch the Kydex so it doesn't get to hot) when its hot it will be extremely pliable. Too hot and it will shrink up and thicken. I then mold it to the blade with pressure. experiment with a small piece
smile.gif

wendell
 
When I made Kydex sheaths in the past, I used a PVC Thermo Foam. It was about 2.5" thick and I glued it to two pieces of 2" X 6" X 18".

I first use 2" wide masking tape (3 or 4 layers) on both sides of the knife blade. If you don't do this, you will really scratch up your blade.

I use my wife's oven to heat up my Kydex. You will need to experiment with the temperature. For 1/16" thick I used about 310 degrees, and I think I used 325 degrees for 3/32". If you get it too hot, it will stick together. And, if you don't get it hot enough, it will not form to the shape of the knife. Anyway, since that Kydex is really hot, I wear cotton gloves.

After the Kydex is limp from the heat, I lay it on the piece of foam. I then place the knife on the Kydex, and then I folded the Kydex over. You need to leave an ample amount of extra Kydex. Don't try to save material. I then take the other piece of Foam and place it on top of the Kydex, that I wrapped over my knife. I then stand on the top board and
rock my feet. This makes the Kydex form to the knife blade and handle.

In about 5 minutes, the Kydex will be cooled enough for you to remove the blade. Don't rush it. If you don't like the way it looks, just pop it back into the oven and re-heat it. I then grind the Kydex down to the shape I want. To make the belt loop, I just basically do the same thing I described above, but I use a 2-3" wide strip, that I double over (after being heated and limp) and lay on the bottom piece of the Thermo
Foam.

I then place the sheath (with the knife inside) on top of the limp Kydex, place the other piece of Thermo Foam on top. I then stand on top and rock until the Kydex is cool.

I used the oven to fit the belt loop to the sheath. After I glued the belt loop to the sheath, I used a heat gun to open up the belt loop. I used either a 2" or 1 1/2" wide piece of 1/8" thick Micarta to shape the blade loop. After I opened up the belt loop, I would then finish the shaping of the sheath.

The glue I use is Oatey orange for CPVC. Just skuff up the inside of both parts of the Kydex with some 220 grit sandpaper. Apply the glue to both sides. Keep pressure on the two parts for a minimum of 4 hours. If you will check with your local Plastic Suppliers, you will be able to purchase Kydex fairly inexpensively.



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A.T.
http://www.customknives.com
AKTI #476


 
O.K., I understood all that was said, but where do you get the Thermo Foam?

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C.O.'s-"It takes balls to work behind the walls "
 
Oh.almost forgot...I agree with AT on most of his post....Just dont follow the post that was here before that stated 20-25 MINUTES at 325 degreees! (That makes it look REALLY funny..three-four mins. @ 325 degrees for .060" is fine if the oven is preheated....experience will tell you if it is soft enough to mold.) Tim Wegner from BladeTech sells Concealex/Kydex; as does Kleerdex Corp. (Kydex's manufacturer)Just make sure nobody is home when you are rocking back and forth on the foam....(Ive had the UPS lady look at me a little weird...)

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Nonmetalic G-10&CarbonFiber Knives:http://www.geocities.com/bladewiz/bladewiz.html
 
Hi Guys...

You guys pretty much got the idea of it....

A couple of hints though....

You don't need to use expensive molding foam. Blue Sleeping pad foam is good enough.Use spray adhesive to laminate it, then weight it down overnight.

I disagree with 1" of foam though... I use 2-3 inches of foam on both sides. Now on the otherhand,,if you are making real flat knives like Bladewiz,, then 1" of foam is fine...

However the more foam you use the more pressure you will need to use as well. You will get better detail from using thick foam than you will using thin foam, it will sink into the ridges better this way.

If i use an oven to heat concealex,, just watch it,, when it's ready it will more times than not lift slightly.. Push it with your finger to test if it's soft enough.

Why aren't you guys using some type of a clamping system....
The trick to doing kydex work is steady downward pressure. If you rock back and forth on it,, there is a likelyhood that you will move the blade around inside giving you an inaccurate fit.

Use the same setup you are using,, but use clamps,,load some bricks onto it or even back the car ontop of it,, Anything but rock back and forth.

If you are rocking on it,,to get good detail,,you aren't using enough foam....

Hope this helps somewhat...

Eric....


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Eric E. Noeldechen
On/Scene Tactical
http://www.mnsi.net/~nbtnoel
Custom made, High Quality
Concealex Sheaths and Tool Holsters
Canada's Only Custom Concealex Shop!

 
Thanks for the input. It seems that everyone agrees that 300-325 is best but should I rock back and forth or back the car on it? Thanks again, Bruce Bump
 
Hi Guys...

AT..

LMAO..
You and me both brother....
smile.gif


Bruce...

Don't rock... Use pipe clamps or those quick grip clamps,, they work fairly decent....

I have a custom made press,, and it has excellent downward pressure.. I get really good lines on my sheaths....

ttyle

Eric...

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Eric E. Noeldechen
On/Scene Tactical
http://www.mnsi.net/~nbtnoel
Custom made, High Quality
Concealex Sheaths and Tool Holsters
Canada's Only Custom Concealex Shop!

 
For those of ya playing w/kydex, there's other fun stuff to make. CC rigs for smaller guns come out slick, mostly for my Glocks. Even your less than totally successful jobs can still be useful as hideaway holsters for home, work or vehicle....
smile.gif
be immaginative, nuff said. Slip on belt holsters for carryng your Surefire light. Scraps can be made into belt holders for ear muffs. My favorite is a neck holster for my naa .22 mini-revolver. BTW don't lay your finished product on the dash of your car on a hot day if you live in the southern climes.
frown.gif

You might want to consider a flea market toaster oven for the shop if you want to keep peace in the house. The stuff does let off some fumes as it heats up, I keep the shop door and window open mostly. Don't know bout standing on the work in progress but a clamp and a cpl pieces of 5/8" plywood along with some foam in my big wilton vice will do the job with 'no fuss'.


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Only perfect practice makes perfect
 
Concealex and Kydex are similar, but diffent animals. Kydex expands if over heated. (Anybody need any 1/2" thick kydex? Hard-Copy and their stupid bikini specials!)

Concealex tends to role up if overheated. The trick is not to overheat either one, but I would have to say that Concealex is the quicker of the two to overheat. Lay the inside (glossy side) down when heating it to resist the roll.

Asd for rocking back and forth, it hasn't had much effect on the molding. I just get bored standing on the damn thing so I practice my Elvis moves for a minute or two. BWiz is right, the UPS lady does look at us a little different now! I guess a press is probably a good idea.

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Chris Hatin
hatintec@dellnet.com

www.geocities.com/chrishatin/hatintec.html
 
Hi Takao...

Yes .060 is fairly common. .080 is used alot on large knives.

For clips and some belt loops you can use .080, .093 .125 if you really need something stiff...

hope this helps...

ttyle Eric...

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Eric E. Noeldechen
On/Scene Tactical
http://www.mnsi.net/~nbtnoel
Custom made, High Quality
Concealex Sheaths and Tool Holsters
Canada's Only Custom Concealex Shop!

 
I use .080 for big stuff, sometimes .060 for little guys. .090 is ok too, I have some for my big knives in the carbon-fiber pattern.
 
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