just got my supplies for my kydex i am making for my first knife. Do you guys fold or sandwich. also how do you punch the rivits around the edge i know you need a tool but where. walmart maybe or do i have to order off-line. I ordered the sheath kit from knife kits.com it looked like had all of the stuff i needed and it was fairly cheap. I am planning on making a press that i can drive on. I know it was suggsted as a joke(i think) but it sounded good to me. would that be too much pressure on the blade and sheath.
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kydex sheath?
- Thread starter jdaniels
- Start date
Great on making your first knife.
I make mine of two seperate pieces. Others fold there's and others do as I do. I rivet my front and back together. I have gotten my supplies for this from Sheffield (they have a web site). For a press I do it the unsofisticated way; I place my blade on a cutting board, heated kydex on top and foam pad (from Sheffield) on top of that. On top of that I place a graphite comparison block (whatever will do) and then I stand on it. That is my press
. I'll edit in a minute so I can send you to a link that shows the style sheath I have been making.
Here it is: http://riflestocks.tripod.com/pics3.html
I have been making these. I see some others here that are really nice. Like I say, and you asked, some fold theres.
I have found that a little experimenting with the heat temperature makes a lot of difference. I would recommend starting out heating the kydex at the lower end of the recommended range and for not too long. Too high in temp. and time has caused problems and wasted stock for me. If you like I will share my temperature and time notes with you that I wrote down based on my experience heating kydex.
Roger
I make mine of two seperate pieces. Others fold there's and others do as I do. I rivet my front and back together. I have gotten my supplies for this from Sheffield (they have a web site). For a press I do it the unsofisticated way; I place my blade on a cutting board, heated kydex on top and foam pad (from Sheffield) on top of that. On top of that I place a graphite comparison block (whatever will do) and then I stand on it. That is my press
. I'll edit in a minute so I can send you to a link that shows the style sheath I have been making.Here it is: http://riflestocks.tripod.com/pics3.html
I have been making these. I see some others here that are really nice. Like I say, and you asked, some fold theres.
I have found that a little experimenting with the heat temperature makes a lot of difference. I would recommend starting out heating the kydex at the lower end of the recommended range and for not too long. Too high in temp. and time has caused problems and wasted stock for me. If you like I will share my temperature and time notes with you that I wrote down based on my experience heating kydex.
Roger
RokJok
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2000
- Messages
- 4,201
Howdy! You can check out the links I posted to the following thread for quite a lot of info on kydex sheathmaking, including Jens Anso's tutorials.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=252970
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=252970
do your sheaths have the mold on both sides or is one side flat. the tutorial had only one side but i think i want both molded. Please share time and temps. I do have a heat gun if that is easier than the over.
rlinger your knives are sweet. I really like large hunting knives but i still really like small knives neat knives. My fingers are just too clumsy to make such small knives i think only time will tell.
rlinger your knives are sweet. I really like large hunting knives but i still really like small knives neat knives. My fingers are just too clumsy to make such small knives i think only time will tell.
- Joined
- Nov 24, 1999
- Messages
- 4,981
I think the hardest part is designing the sheath.
I've done the folding method with very little succes, and done the sandwich method successfully several times.
For me, the belt loop always comes out seeming like an after thought. If you make it integral to the sheath there is a good chance it will break off unless you it have just right. And if you rivet or use chicago screws to attach it, there's only so many place you can put them through.
So really think about what you want before you ever cut the kydex or start the heating !
The snap retaining loop on rlinger's sheath is cool, but you don't have to put one on yours. If you make the sheath cover a little more of the handle and press it right, you can make it as tight or loose as you want (I have a hard time finding the middle ground, where you can remove the knife without aid of a vice and it still doesn't rattle in the sheath
) -Not trying to say anything bad about the sheath Roger, I like it, just thats an extra step you don't have to tackle if you don't want.
Oh yeah, I mold both sides. Usually press the front, the press the back (not quite as tight, as when I go for the final fit). Stick them together around the knife so they line up, and rivet them together. Then heat and press the whole mess together (take the knife out while heating, and press TIGHT this time) Then trim things up, tweak the fit a little bit etc.
I've done the folding method with very little succes, and done the sandwich method successfully several times.
For me, the belt loop always comes out seeming like an after thought. If you make it integral to the sheath there is a good chance it will break off unless you it have just right. And if you rivet or use chicago screws to attach it, there's only so many place you can put them through.
So really think about what you want before you ever cut the kydex or start the heating !
The snap retaining loop on rlinger's sheath is cool, but you don't have to put one on yours. If you make the sheath cover a little more of the handle and press it right, you can make it as tight or loose as you want (I have a hard time finding the middle ground, where you can remove the knife without aid of a vice and it still doesn't rattle in the sheath
) -Not trying to say anything bad about the sheath Roger, I like it, just thats an extra step you don't have to tackle if you don't want.Oh yeah, I mold both sides. Usually press the front, the press the back (not quite as tight, as when I go for the final fit). Stick them together around the knife so they line up, and rivet them together. Then heat and press the whole mess together (take the knife out while heating, and press TIGHT this time) Then trim things up, tweak the fit a little bit etc.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2002
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- 2,259
If you want to spend some extra cash, you can also go with a Tek-Lok rather than a belt loop. I have had sheathes made with both, and there's advantages and disadvantages to both of them.
that being said, I still don't make my own sheathes(leather or Kydex). Send leathre out to Tess Nielsen and Kydex to Tom Self at Seawolf Custom. Eventually will get around to making my own on both, but this is just easier for now.
that being said, I still don't make my own sheathes(leather or Kydex). Send leathre out to Tess Nielsen and Kydex to Tom Self at Seawolf Custom. Eventually will get around to making my own on both, but this is just easier for now.
jdaniels,
Here is what I have noted:
For the size knives I've been making, I cut my sides 6 X 6 inches. I tried to scimp in the beginning but found that just wasted more kydex.
I get oven to 350 - 355 F. and then put in the kydex. I hold for 4 minutes.
For rivets: I place my first rivet 1/2 inch from top of sheath (where the bolster rides). I then space my rivets on 1 inch centers around the sheath. It does not always work out exactly 1 inch depending on the sheath size, but as close as I can to that. Also, I place the rivets 1/2 inch from the blade edge and blade spine.
I use 1/4 inch rivets and for the snap I use 'line 20'.
Drill bit sizes: rivets - #13 (0.184), line 20 - #33 (0.114)
Before molding the kydex I have put a layer of tape (duct or masking tape) on both sides of the blade and with a razor blade trimmed it to the blade contour. This helps prevent the blade from scrapping the inside of the finished sheath by making the pocket thicker. It will badly scratch a mirror finish otherwise, and even at that it will still scratch it some.
My biggest trouble has been getting the kydex positioned properly on the blade and getting weight on it before the kydex cools too much. I often have to re-heat the kydex a time or two until I get it right.
In addition, I have always used the Tek-Loc loop. I use the 1 inch centered rivets (mentioned above) to afix the Tek-Lok. The two rivets used for this act as nuts and I also place a dab of loctite on the two screws that fasten the Tek-Lok so it won't shake loose in the woods. If you look at the picture in the link I think you can see the two rivets used for this.
Roger
Here is what I have noted:
For the size knives I've been making, I cut my sides 6 X 6 inches. I tried to scimp in the beginning but found that just wasted more kydex.
I get oven to 350 - 355 F. and then put in the kydex. I hold for 4 minutes.
For rivets: I place my first rivet 1/2 inch from top of sheath (where the bolster rides). I then space my rivets on 1 inch centers around the sheath. It does not always work out exactly 1 inch depending on the sheath size, but as close as I can to that. Also, I place the rivets 1/2 inch from the blade edge and blade spine.
I use 1/4 inch rivets and for the snap I use 'line 20'.
Drill bit sizes: rivets - #13 (0.184), line 20 - #33 (0.114)
Before molding the kydex I have put a layer of tape (duct or masking tape) on both sides of the blade and with a razor blade trimmed it to the blade contour. This helps prevent the blade from scrapping the inside of the finished sheath by making the pocket thicker. It will badly scratch a mirror finish otherwise, and even at that it will still scratch it some.
My biggest trouble has been getting the kydex positioned properly on the blade and getting weight on it before the kydex cools too much. I often have to re-heat the kydex a time or two until I get it right.
In addition, I have always used the Tek-Loc loop. I use the 1 inch centered rivets (mentioned above) to afix the Tek-Lok. The two rivets used for this act as nuts and I also place a dab of loctite on the two screws that fasten the Tek-Lok so it won't shake loose in the woods. If you look at the picture in the link I think you can see the two rivets used for this.
Roger
- Joined
- Nov 24, 1999
- Messages
- 4,981
On the press that you park your car on top of.....you will want to use LOTS of foam if your going to use that much pressure!
I made a press out of two 2X4's with a hinge that I could fold around the knife and foam and then stand on/clamp it together, and I bent the knife slightly when I didn't have the foam positioned correctly.
I made a press out of two 2X4's with a hinge that I could fold around the knife and foam and then stand on/clamp it together, and I bent the knife slightly when I didn't have the foam positioned correctly.