I apologize for the poor video quality, this was done with m. This is one side repeat for the other side. Hows it going lads and lasses, in a previous instructable i walked you through how to make a simple cord-wrapped tactical knife. You need a way to heat the kydex to make it floppy. Tools to give you the advantage over any Imminent Threats that come your way. The materials are pretty simple for this kydex press. The plywood will do that to a certain extent; however, if you have all of the pressure on one spot at the point where a narrow vice's jaws meet, you could have quite a bit less pressure the farther away from the meeting point. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. After about ten minutes you can remove the sheath from the mold. This is one side repeat for the other side. My personal experience working with KYDEX is somewhat limited and there may be others here with more experience and knowledge on the subject, so feel free to add your thoughts. Be careful if you do, too much force on the buff will melt the kydex. An avid outdoorsman, shooter, fly fisherman and fellow connoisseur of BOSS Coffee! Kydex Rotating Knife Sheath : 17 Steps (with Pictures) - Instructables For longer knives, add a few more. But for those who are unsure about which knife will be Swiss Army Vs Leatherman: 6 Astonishing Differences. Notice the Aluminum is sandwiched between for rigidity. You have almost everything you need to make this in your house! Now, im making what im going to call a 'hamburger' style sheath, theres a layer of kydex (bun), the knife (patty), then another layer of kydex (other bun). 1 1/4" Hole saw or drill bit Weather strip Big cardboard box Aluminum foil Caulk Garage Heater Shop Vac Plastic of your choice (ABS, Lexan, Polystyrene.) Do the gloves come free with purchase?,.. Now, mark out the spots for the rest of the eyelets. As you can see I drilled 3 holes and placed the tee nuts and screwed the pieces together tightly. I like doing this one half at a time, just to make sure everything lines up properly. Alright, youve got 2 halves now, time to stick em together to make a whole! Remember, the shiny side of the kydex should be touching the knife, the rough side should be facing outward. You are using an out of date browser. If you are more advanced, you can switch to using the more advanced presses from above. To make the decoration sheets, I used leftover hot glue and cuttings from plants. The hot glue kept it in place well! Shop the ITS Store for exclusive merchandise, equipment and hard to find tactical gear. Color wise, there are some colors that do not work with each other. Kydex needs to be heated up before it becomes pliable enough to shape and mold. Cut the template 2. Step 1: Heat the Kydex Until It Has the Consistency of Wet Leather, the Griddle Does a Great Job of Heating the Kydex Evenly. Place your Kydex sheets in at 250 degrees for ten minutes. I leave it there until it softens enough for me to bend it around. How to Make a Kydex Sheath - Knife Life - Blade HQ Time to mold! This will morph the flat sheets into the shape of the knife. Now you have the location for 2 holes in the right general place. If your knife is short, 5-6 should be enough. While the back side with the belt loop is fairly flat. Click here to view the full KYDEX photo set on Flickr. The 2x4's will act as feet for the bottom. Eyelet Setter. You made it so simple and that jsut cleared up all my questions. It will continue to soften up to about 390 degrees, but it will burn at 400 degrees. Step 1 Heat the Kydex. Seriously though, kydex is a great choice if youve never made a sheath before because of how easy it is to work with. Personally, i wanted a smoother look, so i turned to my 2x72 belt grinder and refined the shape a little. The Aluminum is acting as a skeleton and giving structural support. You will love it! glad you enjoyed it mate! Did you make this project? Place your leather in the hollow space and wrap it securely in place with more leather. Often I use a goodwill toaster oven. Knowledge Base. Make sure you can center the knife in the piece of kydex, with a generous border around it as shown in the pictures. going to build that tomorrow. Something I have noticed gun guys is that we all have a box of old holsters. 1 year ago. The tape will give a little breathing room for your knife in the finished product. Kydex layer numero dos. 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. 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. Wrap it and press in another piece of metal to form the bend. Whats kydex you ask? This rod will be the base of your press. Scribe a line around the outline of the knife, with about a 1/4" offset, like the picture. The disk must be struck with enough force to break, or fold over. It's difficult to explain how hard you need to press the Kydex. [flickrset id=72157625796975779 thumbnail=square overlay=true size=large]. In addition to this you will need a drill and a few drill bits. Making a $21 Kydex Press (And my first kydex sheath) - YouTube 0:00 / 6:22 Making a $21 Kydex Press (And my first kydex sheath) The Bolt and the Beautiful 7.72K subscribers Subscribe 13K. Ive seen that. Yes, this is necessary. Homemade Kydex Press? | BladeForums.com This time around, im going to show you how to make a basic sheath from a material called kydex, so you actually have a place to store your stabby new toy. When you press the tip of the knife into the kydex, it should be grinded to a point. 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. Editor-in-Chiefs Note:Please join us in welcoming Justin Spindler as a contributing author on ITS Tactical! I will in a few weeks. Just make sure you dont burn your Kydex in the process! The Kydex can be placed either directly on the rack or on a cookie sheet if you prefer. Shape the kydex 5. Luckily, we have a few tips to make your second press perfect! Fun With KYDEX!!! : 7 Steps - Instructables What the devil is that?!" I want the special protective taped index finger and thumb vent kind . Now that you have the locations marked, time to make some holes. Made right, your knife press will feel like a butter knife in your hand. I went a little more complicated, as I put a set of hinges to connect the top and bottom pieces. Here is the back of the sheath with the clip mounted. That way, you can stop walking around with it in your hands constantly, you creep. You need to heat Kydex using a home oven or heat gun before you can begin to mold it to whatever shape you choose. However, it is a lot cheaper and easier to make a sheath with. Now, technically, if you work the saw right, this is your last step. I made mine to follow the profile of the knife, pretty easy to do. You should also have your Vice/C-Clamps and Foam Press within arms reach. The material itself is available for $3-4 a sheet, the fasterners are about the same for a bag of 100, you get the point. Tip They are quite pricey. Ive owned several types of knives and sharpeners over the last few years and have become obsessed with everything to do with knives. Can a 7-Year-Old Vehicle Bag Stand Up to Texas Heat? We carry a full line of KYDEX presses and vacuum forming systems. 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. When choosing leather for the mold, two main things must be considered. Kit Instructions 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. Thanks a bunch for the tutorial, Tracy. Cutting tool (not pictured). You must log in or register to reply here. As you can see I drilled 3 holes and placed the tee . if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'knifepulse_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_9',170,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-knifepulse_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');To make a Kydex sheath, you will need: With these, you are ready to start making your Kydex sheath. It's a vice with jaws that are padded in order to hold lumber without denting it. This was very helpful to do separately, as some people may not have used glue before this process. What is a cheap wood vise? And great sense of humor. I pre-drilled the holes in the ends so the wood did not split. Easy DIY Vacuum Former : 7 Steps - Instructables Drilling the belt clip. The right foam will be durable enough to withstand the pressure of the press, as well as flexible enough to mold to the shape of your project. DIY Primer on How to Get Started Working with KYDEX - ITS Tactical The Kepler Cardigan from PDW: Versatile Adventurer Insulation What to Keep in Your Aid Bag Can a 7-Year-Old Vehicle Bag Stand Up to Texas Heat? To begin, start by measuring and cutting your sheet. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'knifepulse_com-banner-1','ezslot_5',169,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-knifepulse_com-banner-1-0');But why Kydex? 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. I don't have any foam to sell you today. General Knife Safety Im Ahmed, the guy behind Knifepulse.com. Put the eyelets too far down the blade and the knife falls right out, put them too far up the handle and youll never get the knife out. Use keywords to find the product you are looking for. If you are using an armored leather such as Kydex or a more rugged leather such as tup Olive Dras then it is recommended that the leather is thicker to provide more support. Share it with us! At the very least i recommend using some sandpaper to smooth the rough edges, they can be a little rough from the saw cut. Either way, they must be the same length! Assuming both halfs of your sheath look good, lets get them stuck together! To make a kydex sheath you really only need 7 ingredients: A section of Kydex sheeting Some rivets and rivet punch A Belt fastener (for carrying your knife on a belt) An oven or toaster oven A drill with some bits Hobby saw or Band Saw A foam press for pressure molding the heated/soft kydex around your knife (homemade) This way, its easy to slip your knife in and out of the sheath. There are many ways to use the press, and only a little woodworking experience is needed to make one yourself. More foam. 15 Kydex press & Holster Making ideas | kydex, holster, kydex holster Anyway, now that the kydex is nice and malleable, move it to the press the exact same way as before. Besides a heat source, gloves, and trimming tools, one of the most basic tools to mold Kydex is a press. Not only will this look better, but it will also make your Kydex sheath stronger. 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. 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. Cut off a piece of Kydex 3. Trim the leather 8. I'm starting to make my own kydex sheaths but standing on the kydex to form it onto the blade isn't producing the results I want. The color and texture. Assuming all went well in the dry run, now for the wet run, which involves no water. Im using a toaster oven, but a regular over or a heat gun would work as well, 7. I should mention here, if you dont have my patented Heat-Proof Hands, wear some thin cotton gloves to protect yourself. Disclaimer As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Here are the materials youll need: First you will need to make the molding blocks that you will use to form the KYDEX around your knife. Being a DIY enthusiast, it did not take me long to want to try my hand at molding Kydex. Once youve got that all attached, meet me at the saw! For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Yours doesnt look that way, did the kydex not properly take the shape of the knife? Also, before you press, make sure the shiny sides of your Kydex sheets are on the inside of the sandwich. While the Kydex is still hot, place it in your Kydex press (or makeshift press). Use a couple squeezy clamps to hold the 2 halves together, then move them to different spots on the sheath until you find the ideal point for blade retention. Make sure you can center the knife in the piece of kydex, with a generous border around it as shown in the pictures. Holster Making - Tools | KnifeKits.com Enough food, back to business. I used my bandsaw to make short work of it, here again a coping saw would do. Youve now got a very functional knife sheath, ready for whatever you can throw at it. Specifications Master Series Flaring Press 22 LBS Pre-Tapped Set Screw = Yes (for holding top die) Kinda like spagetti, but, you know, not. 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. Voting on the iOS app is a little weird. You can use any heat source to soften your Kydex sheet. CKK Sheath/Holster Molding Press - Bench Model - (8 x 12) | KnifeKits.com A sheath will give you so much convenience, and also prolong the life of your knife. You could substitute rivets if you like, i like eyelets because they allow easy attachment of belt clips, lanyards, etc. It's what you use under your sleeping bag. Its so cheap and easy, anyone can make their own Kydex sheath. The disk must also be folded over in order for the pressure to apply. Kydex does not have a memory, so that once it has cooled; it retains the shape it was molded to fit. Once you press, keep it that way for about 10 minutes. Top press board. Homemade Vacuum Press Table | LumberJocks Woodworking Forum 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. These are what hold the 2 parts of the sheath together. Anyway, move over to your toaster oven and set it to 250 degrees, then pop both kydex pieces in for about 10 minutes. It is a hard material, one that you cant bend easily. Contrast this to a 'taco" style sheath, which is made like a taco. What I do is cut two pieces of Kydex sheet, then attach them together to form the sheath. To do this, bore holes around the blade.
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