kydex sheaths-how do I make one?

P

prigger

Joined
Jan 18, 1999
Messages
233
Hey everyone,
I just read the other post and thought that I'd give it a try. What tools do I need?
Any special equipment needed? whats involved in making one. I just finished my knife kit
and I want to try this now.
TIA,
PR
 
I just checked out Boyers site and it's a really informative one. Really enjoyed it.
Tom
 
I just finished making my first Kydex (well, actually Concealex) sheath to complement my Rob Simonich Cetan Tanto kit knife. I'll put everything I did here to show that it CAN be done very cheaply! :-) Anyway, here's what I had to work with: the Concealex material itself, some black rivets, and some Chicago screws I bought myself at a hardware store. I had no instructions other than what is available through word of mouth on the internet (not really word of mouth, but you get my drift!). The main problem seemed to be how to press everything together. I decided I'd heat the material until it started to fold over, then use an old 100% black cotton t-shirt as a makeshift "press". So, that's what I did! I folded the dhirt several times to make a nice, thick pad on both sides. I heated two pieces of Concealex, placed one on the t-shirt, set the knife where I wanted it, then placed the second sheet of Concealex over it. I folded the t-shirt over and stood on it while shifting my weight around to press the entire thing. It cam out okay, and I used a heat gun and some subsequent oven-visits to get it in its final shape. Instead of describing every detail, here's what I found out:
1) Be careful using the heat gun. The Concealex shifts and expands (or shrinks!) when it is heated, so be careful when doing detail work with the heat gun as it could ruin what you originally achieved. It helps to wear thick leather gloves that you can shield the Concealex you don't want to heat up with.
2) Along with the above info, don't do any drilling or anything until you are sure you want to keep the final shape. Otherwise your holes and slots may not line up correctly.
3) If you want to make a belt-loop, your best bet is to use a blank of metal or wood in the shape you want to the loop to be, then mold hot material around it. Trying to shape one free-hand is next to impossible, from my experience!
4) Along with the belt-loop idea, if you will be carrying the knife parallel to the ground (i.e. along the length of the belt...horizontal carry) you would probably be better off making the back of the sheath flat. So, instead of "double-pressing" like I did, simply lay the knife on a workbench and mold just one layer of Concealex around it, then rivet it with a flat backing piece.
5) I found that for my press, a thinner t-shirt worked better. I originally started with it about an inch thick on both sides, but half that was more appropriate, I found.
6) Even better, I thought using my hands to mold the Kydex worked the best. In gloves, obviously! ;-)
7) Don't bother epoxying the sheets together as it doesn't hold...you have to use rivets or screws.
8) Imagine the final shape and make plenty of space for drilled holes and slots for webbing, screws, etc...only THEN should you finish off the final shaping and make it look nice.
That's all I can think of at this moment. If I can get some Kydex to do a belt loop, then I will have an ugly, although fully-functional and pretty cool, sheath. I could do a 100% better job the second time around, I guarantee it!
Steve Agocs
please email if you need more info!
 
One thing I forgot to add to my list above of hints:
I strongly recommend using ONE piece of Concealex or Kydex for the sheath, folding it over the knife, etc. That way you use fewer rivets and you get a cleaner look. I haven't tried it myself yet, but the ones I've seen that are like this seem like a better idea...
Steve
 
I figured out how to make a decent belt-loop without a blank, guys. I used my belt as a rudimentary "blank", folding a piece of hot Concealex over it and overlapping the ends a bit. After it cooled, then I heated the free ends and pushed them down over the edge of my belt, so as to make a starir-step like effect at the end I would be drilling (thus allowing the loop itself to ride a little off the surface of the sheath). I put the loop about where I thought it work on the sheath, then drilled two holes through the stair-stepped end and the sheath border itself. If you use Chicago screws, make sure you leave enough room for the screw heads, which are quite large...anyway, once it was all together I found that the loop wasn't quite big enough, so I shielded the sheath from my heat gun and heated the looped end of the belt loop. Once warmed, I used my Spyderco Endura to literally pull and stretch the belt loop to the right size. It actually worked out REALLY nicely! I recommend leaving the loop connected to the sheath so that the heating doesn't cause the loop to shrink or expand and throw the holes off of alignment. I hope this is clear! I should have picture up of my knife and the sheath, with detail shots, withina month or so, so I will post the URL and you'll have a better idea of what it all looks like...
Steve
 
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 fold 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 use the oven to fit the belt loop to the sheath. After I glued the belt loop to the
sheath, I use 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.

A.T.
http://www.customknives.com

 
I remember reading in Engnath's catalog that someone had used THF (tetrahydrofuran) to bond the kydex together. Apparently, it goes into solution with the kydex and then the THF evaporates leaving the kydex bonded. Has anyone tried this? What about with Concealex?

SPencer Stewart
 
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