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Working with Kydex
- Thread starter Frank G
- Start date
Cut it cold. I use a bandsaw, anything similar would work.
If your going to be doing any shaping at all, make the peice way over sized when you cut it. The stuff seems to swell and change dimension a little when you heat it. The edges also curl up on you and are kind of sharp, so the excess around the edges will let you sand things back down and round off edges and corners.
Riveting the peices together is pretty simple, but plan ahead the rivets need to go through where the sheets are flat. If you have to twist things a little to get the rivets and peices all lined up right, be very careful about heating the peice again. The rivets will tear out when the kydex softens up around them.
Your probably going to do a healthy amount of swearing, but it should turn out alright. Kydex isn't hard to work with, but its very tricky to get the kind of results the pro's are shipping out. Practice is all it takes. I've made about 10 sheaths for knives, and came out with 2 that I'm fairly happy with and the rest are just "useable"
If your going to be doing any shaping at all, make the peice way over sized when you cut it. The stuff seems to swell and change dimension a little when you heat it. The edges also curl up on you and are kind of sharp, so the excess around the edges will let you sand things back down and round off edges and corners.
Riveting the peices together is pretty simple, but plan ahead the rivets need to go through where the sheets are flat. If you have to twist things a little to get the rivets and peices all lined up right, be very careful about heating the peice again. The rivets will tear out when the kydex softens up around them.
Your probably going to do a healthy amount of swearing, but it should turn out alright. Kydex isn't hard to work with, but its very tricky to get the kind of results the pro's are shipping out. Practice is all it takes. I've made about 10 sheaths for knives, and came out with 2 that I'm fairly happy with and the rest are just "useable"
frank i was thinking of doing the exact same thing. i have a bladetech IWB but would like to have the option of tucking. i was thinking id shape the kydex similar to the UCH only that it would attach w/ the tensioning screws.
how were you thinking of doing it?
if you try it, post your results.
how were you thinking of doing it?
if you try it, post your results.
I'll second the idea of cutting it oversize before shaping it. Then, after you trim it to the final shape, use a propane torch to heat only the cut edges until you get them to smooth/round over. If you want to make a simple bend in one part of the Kydex while keeping the rest flat you can also use the torch to heat only the part where it will bend. Keep the torch moving though.
Tom
Tom
Frank,
You can cut Kydex by scoring the plastic with a sharp knife and breaking it along the score line. A jig saw or band saw will also work.
DO NOT USE AN OPEN FLAME TO HEAT KYDEX. An open flame will heat the plastic well beyond the point where it starts to decompose. This will make your part very brittle. Use a heat gun.
File the edges to final dimentions or use a belt sander. To smooth the edges, use wet and dry sandpaper (220 grit, then 400 grit) wet.
You can cut Kydex by scoring the plastic with a sharp knife and breaking it along the score line. A jig saw or band saw will also work.
DO NOT USE AN OPEN FLAME TO HEAT KYDEX. An open flame will heat the plastic well beyond the point where it starts to decompose. This will make your part very brittle. Use a heat gun.
File the edges to final dimentions or use a belt sander. To smooth the edges, use wet and dry sandpaper (220 grit, then 400 grit) wet.