how to make a kydex press

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. I used my bandsaw to make short work of it, here again a coping saw would do. There are some sites that list these colors so that you can find ones that work for you. 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 I don't seem to find any cheap ones like the article says. After some web searching I came across www.knifekits.com. What the devil is that?!" You can put weights on top to do this, or use clamps to hold it shut. Subscribe to Simple Little Life: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUSz. The hot glue kept it in place well! Again, making a Kydex sheath is a lot easier than you may think. Great tutorial Tracy!!! Your sense of humor would be awesome to see. You can buy the presses pre-assembled for a little under $100, or you can do what i did, get some heat-resistant foam and some plywood and make your own. 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. Keep the rougher sides on the outside. Shape the kydex 5. Most are quite expensive, coming around $80-$120. i need to buy all the tools from you to do the rivots you need to make a kit. Make your own Adjustable Kydex Magazine / Handcuff Combo Carrier. Amateur Bladesmith, hobbiest woodworker, and a bloody good cook, Mobile Workshop Sink With Easy DIY Parts Washer. Many people use YouTube or Youtube videos to help guide them into the world of making them. Cut the template 2. 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. Top press board. I am using 2ea 1" thick pieces of neoprene for the mold foam. Get your oven plugged in and all your gear laid out and ready. The majority of holsters I use on a daily basis are either Kydex or combinations of both leather and Kydex. Here is the bottom. The secret is to heat it up first. Also, before you press, make sure the shiny sides of your Kydex sheets are on the inside of the sandwich. (For a taco sheath: do the same thing, but put the Kydex on the press, place the blade on the Kydex, and fold the Kydex over the knife so that the crease very closely follows the spine of the blade.) going to build that tomorrow. The Kydex can be placed either directly on the rack or on a cookie sheet if you prefer. However, what makes Kydex so useful is that unlike plastics, Kydex doesnt off gas toxic fumes at forming temperatures. A rubber mallet may also prove useful! Its cheap, rugged, non-marring of your guns finish, moldable for good retention, smooth for a consistent draw, and does not react to normal temperatures or gun solvents or oils. 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. Knife Terminology To do this, bore holes around the blade. Assuming both halfs of your sheath look good, lets get them stuck together! First things first, do a dry run at the press, just to make sure everything fits properly. Please do not put any dangerous materials in your Kydex due to the risk of fire or burn formation. A sheath will give you so much convenience, and also prolong the life of your knife. Whaddup denizens of the internet, its ya boy guz- wait, wrong intro. If you want to experiment with kydex you need a kydex press like all my projects, I wanted something cheap and simple to test out before I invested in quality tools this posts kydex press is just such a tool. The important thing to note here is that where you put the 2 fasteners closest to the throat, where you insert the knife, changes how well the sheath will retain said knife. Ditto with the eyelets. 2.0 1" neoprene foam 11.5 x 11.5 usaknifemaker.com. Okay.I'm making a new rig for my CCW piece. Make sure you can center the knife in the piece of kydex, with a generous border around it as shown in the pictures. Even if you dont have the tools, the other benefit of kydex is just how cheap it is to work with. I have had the wood cut the foam bought and have been going to make one of these for months now but have been kinda stuck on how to put it all togethor. 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. First, cut a small piece of leather about one inch long and about half an inch wide. Do you sell Tek-Lok belt clips? if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'knifepulse_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_15',172,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-knifepulse_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');The concept is the same for whatever you have. At 320-degrees Fahrenheit, the Kydex will soften and you will be able to work with it effectively. Do you have access to a Black and Decker Workmate? I made mine to follow the profile of the knife, pretty easy to do. Knowledge and tips to give you the mental edge and prevail in any situation. Thanks a bunch for the tutorial, Tracy. 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. But before you do this, make sure you tape your blade with masking tape first. Foam Layer. Just make sure you dont burn your Kydex in the process! Because Kydex does not have a lot of directions, this process can be tricky. 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 color and texture. Thanks now I can finish mine! Dont skip this part, its a lot easier to find out a piece is undersize now, rather than when its hot and floppy. very cool press i will have to make me one. In addition to this you will need a drill and a few drill bits. First things first, do a dry run at the press, just to make sure everything fits properly. i can hear a few of you screaming at your monitor. If its a large knife I would recommend using two pieces of KYDEX riveted together on each side of the blade to allow for more stable mounting options, but for medium and small knives one piece of KYDEX wrapped around the blade is sufficient. Now is the time to add your decorations! 6 years ago, 1) Probably. Click the Learn More button below for details. The order is -. (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? When you first get ahold of Kydex, you might wonder how you are supposed to shape this. Pushing it down or squeezing it likely wouldnt work, it takes some force. Whelp, its a short list: 1. I was not real sure about the hinge part but that is a simple awesome way. Im always trying to improve my cleaning and sharpening process, and always on the hunt for the next best knife. 8-8 Eyelets. What is a cheap wood vise? You can use either a patterned paste or liquid adhesive to place your decorations on the Kydex. This was very helpful to do separately, as some people may not have used glue before this process. I also countersunk the screw heads so they are flush with the plywood. The finished product!!! Now, use your cutting implement of choice and cut along that line you traced. First, make sure the back of your first press is flush with the back of your new one. Theres a lot of reasons why making your own Kydex sheath is a great idea. Knife. Just simply slide your foam in between the top and bottom and your done! (no stitching required, I suck at that.) Either way, they must be the same length! Thermoform Molding Foam For KYDEX Holster Making - (Xtreme Form) - (8x12x1), Thermoform Molding Foam For KYDEX Holster Making - (Xtreme Form) - (8x12x1.5), Thermoform Molding Foam For KYDEX Holster Making - (Xtreme Form) - (8x12x.5), Thermoform Molding Foam For KYDEX Holster Making - (Mega Form) - (8x12x1), Vacuum Forming Membrane - Commercial Grade Silicone - (49" Width), *Sheath/Holster Molding Press (w/Mega Foam) - Bench Model - (8 x 12), *Sheath/Holster Molding Press (w/Mega Foam) - Bench Model - (8 x 24), *Sheath/Holster Molding Press (w/Xtreme Foam) - Bench Model - (8 x 12), *Sheath/Holster Molding Press (w/Xtreme Foam) - Bench Model - (8 x 24), HolsterMolds - Curved Jig - Large Radius - (w/Xtreme Foam), HolsterMolds - Curved Jig - Medium Radius - (w/Xtreme Foam), KYDEX Taco Press - (6 x 12) - Press Only, KYDEX Taco Press - (6 x 12) - w/Maxx Center Foam, KYDEX Taco Press - (6 x 12) - w/Xtreme Center Foam, Scissortail Custom - Bender Angled Jig (w/Xtreme Foam), Thermoform Molding Foam For KYDEX Holster Making - (Maxx Form) - (12x11.5x1), Thermoform Molding Foam For KYDEX Holster Making - (Maxx Form) - (8x12x1), Thermoform Molding Foam For KYDEX Holster Making - (Mega Form) - (12x11.5x1), Thermoform Molding Foam For KYDEX Holster Making - (Mega Form) - (24 x 3.75 x 1), Thermoform Molding Foam For KYDEX Holster Making - (Xtreme Form) - (12x11.5x.5), Thermoform Molding Foam For KYDEX Holster Making - (Xtreme Form) - (12x11.5x1.5), Thermoform Molding Foam For KYDEX Holster Making - (Xtreme Form) - (12x11.5x1), Thermoform Molding Foam For KYDEX Holster Making - (Xtreme Form) - (24 x 3.75 x 1). A quick how-to on building your own press for making Kydex holsters, sheaths, and mag carriers. You dont need to invest in special machines to build one of these. If so, wed love to have you as a Crew Leader by joining our annual membership! I went with it because it seemed to be a material I could work with easily. You will want to make sure that you keep pressure on the mold long enough for it to form correctly. This molding foam is for use in press molding sheet materials, such as KYDEXTM, HOLSTEXTM and BoltaronTM. This only takes 30 seconds. Heat Source. If you would like to make your own, there are many places to find help online and in DIY shops. Enough food, back to business. 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. You must log in or register to reply here. That is no surprise when you look at the benefits of Kydex. Knowledge Base. To start, you can preheat your oven to between 200-250 degrees. I went a little more complicated, as I put a set of hinges to connect the top and bottom pieces. If you don't have any, Harbor Freight is an excellent source, 3 inch C clamps are only a few bucks and are extremely useful, Sorry, that should read "doesn't require buying extra materials than what's listed". All Rights Reserved. Here is the back of the sheath with the clip mounted. Most Kydex sheets are quite big, bigger than youll need. Eyelet Setter. Without it, your Kydex may get deformed. Book could work, if you have a lot of them. You will love it! Im always trying to improve my cleaning and sharpening process, and always on the hunt for the next best knife. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Using one piece wrapped around the blade is the easiest way to go and it creates a more narrow, lower profile sheath. For longer knives, add a few more. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Be careful if you do, too much force on the buff will melt the kydex. Now you need to decide if you want to make your sheath from two pieces of KYDEX (a front and back) or from one piece wrapped around the blade. These two suggestions may not apply to all wallets, but we will discuss them here! Seal the Kydex. If they are open, put something over them to prevent air and water from coming in and out. Double up a couple layers and glue them to some boards. Trim the leather 8. Anyway, now that the kydex is nice and malleable, move it to the press the exact same way as before. Being a carry permit holder I have a thing for gun holsters, being a big guy, I spend a lot of time baking sure that my holsters are comfortable and work well with the clothing I wear.
Roman Kirkman Chris Kelly, Clyde's Restaurant Group, Fortnite Save The World Founders Pack Code, How Do You Get Dominican Republic Citizenship, Jamal Lopes Age, Articles H