troutfisher13111
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Are there any good books on making kydex sheaths? Thanks
-
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kydex sheath making books
- Thread starter troutfisher13111
- Start date
I haven't seen any books. I found a few basic tutorials online, Bought a few chunks of Kydex, and gave it a whirl. Here's how my first project turned out:
That was supposed to be a sheath for my WSK.
The Kydex sheath making adventure has been trial and error for me. And the 'black ball' has really been the only error (cause by too much heat). After that episode, I learned to STAY and WATCH the kydex. I also start the oven a little below the opitmal temp, and then bring te temp up after the kydex piece has been in there a few minutes.
As far as molding the sheaths or whatever, I made a press out of some scrap 2"x6"s and a $7 foam sleeping pad i picked up at Kmart. What nice about kydex is if at first you don't mold it just the way you want it, you can heat it back up and try it again. You can also fine tune sheaths this way.
Give it a try. Take your time, and have fun!
That was supposed to be a sheath for my WSK.
The Kydex sheath making adventure has been trial and error for me. And the 'black ball' has really been the only error (cause by too much heat). After that episode, I learned to STAY and WATCH the kydex. I also start the oven a little below the opitmal temp, and then bring te temp up after the kydex piece has been in there a few minutes.
As far as molding the sheaths or whatever, I made a press out of some scrap 2"x6"s and a $7 foam sleeping pad i picked up at Kmart. What nice about kydex is if at first you don't mold it just the way you want it, you can heat it back up and try it again. You can also fine tune sheaths this way.
Give it a try. Take your time, and have fun!
troutfisher13111
Gold Member
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Thanks, that pic was slow to load on my PC and I had read your intro before it popped up. It was not what I had expected and gave me a good laugh!
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Hey Guys..
Hik..
LOL
That is typical Oven Baked Kydex!!!
That's why I don't use an oven any more...
When you cook in an oven, can can do NOTHING else..If you pick your nose, you'll forget about the kydex,, and that will be the result...
Get a decent heat gun..
ttyle
Eric
O/ST
Hik..
LOL
That is typical Oven Baked Kydex!!!
That's why I don't use an oven any more...
When you cook in an oven, can can do NOTHING else..If you pick your nose, you'll forget about the kydex,, and that will be the result...
Get a decent heat gun..
ttyle
Eric
O/ST
- Joined
- May 19, 2005
- Messages
- 12,709
I'm thinking about trying my hand at Kydex this winter when things slow down. So I'm curious, can a heat gun do it all? Most of the Kydex tutorials I've read talk about using a toaster oven for heating the entire material, and using a heat gun to spot heat specific points for molding.
If I can get away with just a heat gun, that would be fantastic.
Thanks....
- Joined
- Nov 7, 1999
- Messages
- 6,651
Hey Guys..
bulron...
Yes it is possible to do it all with a heat gun..
It's all I use and other than some experimenting with ovens it's all I've ever used...
If you know what you are doing and how to use a heat gun properly,, there is really no need to use an oven...
When you use an oven to heat the kydex, you don't have a feel for your work.
Alot of people think heating a piece of kydex is like tossing in a Toaster Strudel, Set it and Forget it.. It's not like that at all...
What do you do when you are using an oven, and you want a certain part of the plastic hotter than the rest,, or if theres a cold spot in the plastic ??
You can't tell with an oven. Only a heat gun will give you a true hands on feel for your work.
No matter what size of knife I'm sheathing I'm using a Blackened Pecker heat gun. I've burned out only 3-4 since 1999..
Proof is in the Pudding!
ttyle
Eric
O/ST
bulron...
Yes it is possible to do it all with a heat gun..
It's all I use and other than some experimenting with ovens it's all I've ever used...
If you know what you are doing and how to use a heat gun properly,, there is really no need to use an oven...
When you use an oven to heat the kydex, you don't have a feel for your work.
Alot of people think heating a piece of kydex is like tossing in a Toaster Strudel, Set it and Forget it.. It's not like that at all...
What do you do when you are using an oven, and you want a certain part of the plastic hotter than the rest,, or if theres a cold spot in the plastic ??
You can't tell with an oven. Only a heat gun will give you a true hands on feel for your work.
No matter what size of knife I'm sheathing I'm using a Blackened Pecker heat gun. I've burned out only 3-4 since 1999..
Proof is in the Pudding!
ttyle
Eric
O/ST
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- Apr 14, 2006
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- 7,021
Hikeeba, thanks for posting that picture. It gives me a good idea of what to expect if I ever try it. And like troutfisher, it gave me a good laugh as well. 
Doc
And like troutfisher, it gave me a good laugh as well. Doc
troutfisher13111
Gold Member
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Thanks guys. Normark, I was hoping you would chime in.
Mike Sastre
Custom Crafted Concealex Sheaths
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- Mar 23, 1999
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- 1,919
Eric,
I wondered what had happened to your review. You gonna make Knob Creek this Fall?
DVD set was honest effort to teach anyone to make sheaths and holsters, from hobbyist to professional. You can get them from me or www.trsdirect.com.
I wondered what had happened to your review. You gonna make Knob Creek this Fall?
DVD set was honest effort to teach anyone to make sheaths and holsters, from hobbyist to professional. You can get them from me or www.trsdirect.com.