SYKCO rubber heat limit

5seven

5seven

Joined
Aug 9, 2015
Messages
288
Will the rubber handle 350 degrees needed to make a kydex sheath, don't want to ruin it. I received a silver 311 in a grab bag and a friend offered to make a sheath. He asked if I could find out about the rubber handle's toughness. Thanks
 
Pretty sure Res-C is stable well above that, but I don't have an exact number or a link on hand. I can tell you that every Kydex bender around here does Kydex for Busse / kin Res-C no problem. I'm pretty sure they don't put the knife in the oven though, just wrap it in the warm Kydex to mold it. HTH.
 
Yes, it will be fine but as SF notes the whole knife does not go in the oven it just gets wrapped in the hot sheet an pressed.
 
5seven said:
Will the rubber handle 350 degrees needed to make a kydex sheath, don't want to ruin it. I received a silver 311 in a grab bag and a friend offered to make a sheath. He asked if I could find out about the rubber handle's toughness. Thanks
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make sure to tape the rubber also or you will get a line molded in the rubber.
and not direct heat from a heat gun while tuning
 
That's true RG, but I had 425 degrees in the back of my mind from somewhere, so I'd bet it's pretty close.
 
The 450* on the top of my wood stove made a flat spot on my favorite B11 several years back. It was a stepped top stove so it was propped on just the back end behind the tube fastener thankfully.
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5seven said:
Will the rubber handle 350 degrees needed to make a kydex sheath, don't want to ruin it. I received a silver 311 in a grab bag and a friend offered to make a sheath. He asked if I could find out about the rubber handle's toughness. Thanks
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I guess my question is, why does it take 350 degrees to make the sheath? That is a lot hotter than needed. You should be able to form kydex at no more than 250-260 degrees but I am not an expert so maybe one can chime in. Dave Brown makes tons of kydex for basics and he has no problem. But I would not want someone heating my resiprene knife to 350 degrees to make kydex as that is way to close to the melting point. You may want to have Dave do it.
 
Cobalt said:
You may want to have Dave do it.
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I like the way you think ;)

I have done a sheath or 2 for the rubber handled Busse, Swamp Rat and Scrapyard.
what I have learned;

Tape the handle before you wrap the hot kydex around the handle.

do not heat the Res C with a heat gun or other direct heat source, it can and will melt it, or at very least make it shiny.
This is a good thing if you happen to cut your rubber handle because you can somewhat repair it this way.

lastly do not believe the internet speculation over actual experience :)

I just had a friend who told me of a friend of his wanted to make holster belt loops and "read on the internet" that you had to heat kydex to 400 degrees to work with it.
in .064" thickness :eek: well lets say it did not work out too well.

Hope this helps :)
 
Well, there you have it from the pro.

another thing to think about, when doing home made kydex is that most people use a toaster oven or other oven in the house. I have heard of people sticking the kydex in the oven while the elements are still glowing and heating up the oven. During that time, the oven is way hotter than the temp you intend to use. You could easily melt the kydex along with the resiprene into one nice blend called Kyprene:D
 
Other than potentially melting the handle in the oven, you may mess up the heat treat right? I would definitely not put the knife in the oven.
 
also DO NOT BURN KYDEX :)

Bad Bad times.
fumes kill you bad times.
That is why my laser work is done off site and have never heated it up in the house.

Heating is fine, but I do not want the fumes in my house with my family and the Buy Brown War Eagle Polly Anna :) .
scorching or burning will hurt/kill you.

There is no need to heat the knife with the kydex in the oven at all ?
where did that confusion come in ?
I think the OP asked as the warm kydex can effect the rubber handle unless you do it right.

again hope it helps :)
 
Pykrim said:
Other than potentially melting the handle in the oven, you may mess up the heat treat right? I would definitely not put the knife in the oven.
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you will not mess up INFI's heat treat in an oven at 350 degrees. You will be fine. Busse has stated many times that you would have to go over 900 degrees before you affect the HT on INFI.
 
melted Res c :)

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Cobalt said:
you will not mess up INFI's heat treat in an oven at 350 degrees. You will be fine. Busse has stated many times that you would have to go over 900 degrees before you affect the HT on INFI.
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Ah ok. It was just a thought. Nice to know though.
 
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