Thanks for your kind words, AC. Black Bear, I definitely agree with you about this being a great site. I don't have the time or, frankly, the interest to read each & every forum anymore but this one is still a regular stop.
Thanks very much, Yvsa. Compliments from a master craftsman such as yourself could swell my head... beyond its normal melon-size.
While I really don't like the aesthetics of Concealex/Kydex sheaths, I do find myself choosing them more & more for my fixed blades. They can mar blade finishes & may not always carry as comfortably as traditional ones but they are
highly functional. I am a real amateur when it comes to making synthetic sheaths but there has been some great advice on the subject in the Shop Talk forum, most recently
here. Nevertheless, I'll try to answer your questions based on what I did.
> Is it two pieces of kydex riveted together?
At this point, yes, but it started out as a single sheet folded using the flat part of the spine as the middle line. After molding, I first trimmed and put the eyelets in on the edge side. I then did the same to the dropped portion of the spine side. Finally, I slit the piece of Kydex by the flat of the spine. I had hoped to be able to form the plastic in that area so that the blade would snap into place. I played with it a bit but couldn't get it to work right so I wound up trimming the material flush with the edges of the spine. FYI, the eyelet immediately after the spine opening caused the sheath to hold the blade too snugly. I replaced it with a Chicago screw so I would be able to adjust the tension. (BTW, I used 0.093 grade Kydex. A lighter grade, 0.080 or 0.060, would probably have formed more easily.)
> What did you use to heat the kydex to form it?
I put the sheet of Kydex on a flat cookie sheet & heated it in the kitchen oven. IIRC, it was at 325 F for about 4-5 minutes. A couple of cautionary notes: When over-heated, Kydex can give off noxious fumes. Make sure the work area is well ventilated and do not over-heat the material. Over-heating can also cause the material to deform. BTW, I have had very good success tweaking the fit on synthetic sheaths using a heat gun. In fact, one of the posters in Shop Talk mentioned using one as the sole heat source. Whatever the heat source, be sure to use gloves to protect your hands from the heat.
My "press" was nothing more than 2 towels, folded to about one inch thick each, and 2 cutting boards. I placed the hot Kydex on the first towel & board, folded it over the knife, and added the second towel & board on top. I then put this "sandwich" on the floor and stood on it for about 5 minutes, adding pressure by pulling up with my hands against a counter. This is
NOT the pros' recommended way of forming Kydex. I made do with what I had on hand & it worked for me.
> And what was the form that you used, the khukuri itself or a model?
I used the khuk itself, covered with about 4-5 layers of masking tape.
> Where did you aquire the small amount of material it too to make it and how was the price of the material?
I didn't buy it, per se. I got the material as part of a multi-piece trade from a professional sheath maker. You might want to check out
this thread in Shop Talk. Some folks are getting together to split an order.
> May I ask what you used to get the patina?
Basically, I used lemon juice & lime juice. I wrapped the blade in a paper towel & saturated it with one juice & let it sit for a while (maybe 1/2 hour or so). I then repeated the process with the second juice & finally wiped the blade down with the wet paper towel. I said "basically" because I may have also used an onion &/or mayonnaise. (I've done a few carbon steel blades & vary things a bit sometimes depending on what I have on hand.)
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Cheers,
Brian
He who finishes with the most toys wins.
NOTE: My old PhotoPoint site is no more. Follow the "toys" link to my new site.
[This message has been edited by bcaffrey (edited 06-29-2001).]