Once the Kydex is formed, you can add your patterns or decorations! Kydex press (from knifekits.com) Rivet Press (I prefer the hand set tools) The steps to make this holster are: 1. The Aluminum is acting as a skeleton and giving structural support. To do this, I place my Kydex sheets on my electric grill. The kydex really fits this knife's style quite well! Many offer free tutorials or just show you how to get started. Now that you have 1 side drilled, use some squeezy clamps to clamp the 2 halves together with the knife inserted, to keep everything lined up. If you have to use an edge, make sure it is a sharp one! There are many different ones, so let your creativity take you! To do this, bore holes around the blade. The way to do this is to make the mold half-way through the process of shaping your leather. Make sure the neck and mouth of your first press are closed so that nothing gets leaked out. Use your clamps to hold the frame together while drilling the holes. Chosen for its high performance in the fabrication process; not only does it produce more detail in formed parts, it can be used on both sides but of its skin. For the wrap around style of sheath first lay your knife flat on the KYDEX about one inch from the edge and roll the knife over once then add another inch, this will give you the proper width of KYDEX to fully wrap around the blade and should leave you with some extra screw up material. After that, it should be floppy. Anyway, now that the kydex is nice and malleable, move it to the press the exact same way as before. Kydex is a thermoforming plastic made for use in gun holsters and knife sheaths. You will use this wood to brace your kydex sheet against when pressing the release button on your wallet or card. When the KYDEX is sufficiently pliable, lay your knife on the surface with the spine of the blade in the center then fold the KYDEX over the blade. Tips on staying active, fueled and ready to overcome all obstacles. Built your press, and bought a griddle. Knife Terminology Im always trying to improve my cleaning and sharpening process, and always on the hunt for the next best knife. Then, using the knife, spread the leather slightly apart and down until you have created a hollow space where your mold will go. Whats kydex you ask? Did you make this project? For those of you that do not know, Kydex is the trade name for a propriety thermoplastic sheet. I went with it because it seemed to be a material I could work with easily. Use keywords to find the product you are looking for. 8. I'm building one this week. Our KYDEX press foams are used in every level of holster making, from professional kydex presses all the the way to DIY kydex presses, and even homemade kydex press designs. Im using a drill press because, hey, burn em if youve got em. At the very least i recommend using some sandpaper to smooth the rough edges, they can be a little rough from the saw cut. But the original idea behind what we wanted it to be is this description below:Videos on our journey to homesteading. Kinda like spagetti, but, you know, not. Im not going to tell you where to buy a hammer, you know where to find one, 5. Ive owned several types of knives and sharpeners over the last few years and have become obsessed with everything to do with knives. The hardest thing to come by was the foam ,I found some knealing pads at a farm co-op near my work they sell them for milking cows they were $2 each but you could get some at any store with a garden center at a higher cost. See more ideas about kydex, holster, kydex holster. Form the kydex 4. Doing the first 2 holes like this helps to keep everything lined up like it should be. I was not real sure about the hinge part but that is a simple awesome way. You do not need special presses or machines to press your material. Scribe a line around the outline of the knife, with about a 1/4" offset, like the picture. The order is - 1. As you can see I drilled 3 holes and placed the tee . A sheath will give you so much convenience, and also prolong the life of your knife. During the molding process, you'll use your hands and fingers to manipulate the hot Kydex. If you are using a smooth, soft leather such as peau dorange, then it is recommended that you choose a texture that has some line-work or lining. These materials will protect your hard work from accidental presses and releases. Bottom press board. At its simplest a Kydex press is a rigid board with a thick piece of foam glued to it as a base, with top made the same way. But when Im not spending time with my hobby, Im here, writing about Knives and Sharpeners on KnifePulse to share with you what I learn along the way. The 2x4's will act as feet for the bottom. The two Kydex sheets are now stuck together, but they need to be sealed. To make a holster the Kydex will be heated to 350 degrees and then the gun mold will be placed on the vacuum table and the Kydex placed over it. You are using an out of date browser. For this I used a belt sander, it removes the burs and can be used for final shaping of the KYDEX. Make the mold using the knife and leather, Use your press to make custom kydex sheaths. And there you have it! Hybrid Holster Making Kit w/Cowhide Leather Backer - (KYDEX) - (Black) - (Medium) - (RH), QLH - Holster Molding Prop - for Glock 19/23/32 (Butterfly). Eyelet Setter. Thanks a bunch for the tutorial, Tracy. Yours doesnt look that way, did the kydex not properly take the shape of the knife? First things first, do a dry run at the press, just to make sure everything fits properly. Consult the pictures for more detail on how it should look. You see? Over the last 20 years, we have developed the number one selling steel design KYDEX molding press systems in the 12"- and 24"-inch KYDEX press. We recommend starting with a KYDEX Molding Press. With bare hands, it could be too hot to handle. Being a DIY enthusiast, it did not take me long to want to try my hand at molding Kydex. At least until I got enough skill to try more complicated gun holsters. Also, by being connected, it gives me more leverage for clamping. Then take your eyelet, eyelet setter, and hammer, and get to work. Great info by the way i like your gloveslol. Instead, Im going to teach you how to make your very own Kydex sheath. When it comes to creating custom holsters and sheaths, finding the best foam for your kydex press is essential. A quick how-to on building your own press for making Kydex holsters, sheaths, and mag carriers. Thanks Tracy for the tutorial. Here is the back of the sheath with the clip mounted. Kydex needs to be heated up before it becomes pliable enough to shape and mold. Assuming all went well in the dry run, now for the wet run, which involves no water. Make sure you can center the knife in the piece of kydex, with a generous border around it as shown in the pictures. When youre ready to make your first kydex press, the first thing to do is find a steel rod. Really though, I recommend clamps. Book could work, if you have a lot of them. Voting on the iOS app is a little weird. If you have an oven toaster, you can also use this. It consists of a hard, disk-like material that you place inside your hand and where the pressure is applied against. A rubber mallet may also prove useful! Now, use your cutting implement of choice and cut along that line you traced. Cut the belt slots After some web searching I came across www.knifekits.com. Youll also need a 1/4 drill bit, preferably a brad point bit. Top press board. Also the size of the piece your molding will impact on your heat source. Make sure to get the 8-8 eyelets, as those are just the right length for a double layer of .080 kydex, 3. This is a short how to article for anyone interested in working with KYDEX. At this point, yours should still be considerably oversized, like mine is. Skills we advocate to get you through anything life throws at you. This is one side repeat for the other side. (in order to get one formed side and one flat side) Is there a common type of foam or rubber heat resistant that I can pick up at a store? i need to buy all the tools from you to do the rivots you need to make a kit. The next step is to drill the holes for the rivets and mounting hardware. Now you just need to get them in exactly the right place. You must log in or register to reply here. Takes some time for the kydex to cool, the foam is a good insulator. When you press the tip of the knife into the kydex, it should be grinded to a point. Simply glue the two pieces of sheath making foam to the two pieces of plywood, allow to dry and there you have it. Share it with us! or do you have a kydex stater kit.. Remember, the shiny side of the kydex should be touching the knife, the rough side should be facing outward. All you need is some curved, beveled kydex tubing and you are ready to go. Oh My Hell!!!!!! However, it leaves less material available for mounting hardware. Not too shabby, eh? For making a sheath by using two pieces of KYDEX the process is pretty much the same as above, you just need to be careful during the molding process because the two pieces will want to shift while you are clamping them together. If they are open, put something over them to prevent air and water from coming in and out. You can use any heat source to soften your Kydex sheet. Made right, your knife press will feel like a butter knife in your hand. An avid outdoorsman, shooter, fly fisherman and fellow connoisseur of BOSS Coffee! The Kepler Cardigan from PDW: Versatile Adventurer Insulation. I made my own press out of a few hunks of 3/4" plywood ,I purchased a couple of big hinges I attached the hinges to one end and I use a fast close clamp for woodworking. This process can take a few moments or days, depending on how much you update your creation. The heated Kydex is wrapped around whatever it will sheathe, and then sandwiched between the two pieces and then clamped or weighted heavily until the plastic cools. Aug 20, 2018 - Explore Arcturus Enterprises's board "Kydex press & Holster Making" on Pinterest. What I do is cut two pieces of Kydex sheet, then attach them together to form the sheath. Best damn advice I've gotten for kydex. This is one side repeat for the other side. There are several options for MOLLE or belt mounting hardware including making your own out of another piece of KYDEX, this is where the Chicago screws can come in handy. A kydex press is a great way to make some extra money as a skilled make-yourselfkydex sheaths. If so, wed love to have you as a Crew Leader by joining our annual membership! Voodoo Resins - Handle Scale Set - Absinthe - Luminescent - (6.0 x 2.0 x .250), Elite Survival Systems - Belt Slide Holster - Size 8 - Left Hand. A rubber mallet may also prove useful! If it doesnt, increase the heat to 275, wait 10 more minutes and try again. I used my bandsaw to make short work of it, here again a coping saw would do. Click the Learn More button below for details. Its possible the reason your moulds were not coming out well is that you waited a little too long and it wasn't flexible enough. In my case, the piece of kydex i was working off was small enough all i really needed to do was cut it in half at the bandsaw. Im using a toaster oven, but a regular over or a heat gun would work as well, 7. Today, we arent going to buy a sheath. Place your Kydex sheets in at 250 degrees for ten minutes. At 320-degrees Fahrenheit, the Kydex will soften and you will be able to work with it effectively. It works, just not that great. Because Kydex does not have a lot of directions, this process can be tricky. If you were to drill all the holes at once, you run the risk of mis-drilling a hole and messing everything up. I connected them this way because I plan on making knife sheaths. I made mine to follow the profile of the knife, pretty easy to do. Go cut another just like it, and meet me at the next step, Now for the fun part, making the flat sheet of kydex fit your knife. If you stop here, youll have quite an ugly sheath. Once this is done, place the wrapped item in the molding press and apply pressure (chain locking optional). All of my measurements are precise and designed to fit your Peerless Chain, Peerless 801 Hinge, ASP Hinged, or Smith & Wesson chain cuffs perfectly. 7. You can now use a saw to remove the excess KYDEX and shape the sheath to your liking. Also, before you press, make sure the shiny sides of your Kydex sheets are on the inside of the sandwich.