On to the kydex forming.....
I start out making the leather loop so I can dye it and have it be dry when I'm ready to fit it to the kydex.
Using a strap cutter I cut a strip of heavy (8-10oz) leather a little over 2" wide...
Beveling the edges with the number 3 edger...
Cutting the decorative groove with a stitching groover...
Using the back of an old teklok I mark off three holes. This allows the loop to be removed and a teklok to be put on for different mounting options...
Then I punch the holes out with a 1/4" hole punch...
Finally I dye it black and hang it to dry while I form the kydex....
I place strips of masking tape on my cutting board 3 layers thick in one stack and 4 layers thick in the other. Then I trim them into two even length pieces.
I stick these on either side of the knife then trim to the shape of the knife..
Laying the knife on a sheet of kydex I draw a square around the knife. Lean towards cutting this bigger than you think you need. You can always trim off the excess after forming.....
Scoring the lines with a razor then breaking the piece out by hand...
Kydex in the oven at 300 degrees and knife laying on the press ready for forming....
Wrestle the knife into the press and chain it down to keep pressure...
A couple minutes later I open it up to see if I got it right. This time I did....
Using the same teklok back as earlier I mark the rivet holes in the sheath....
Holes marked and rough shape I want drawn on the kydex.....
Drilling the rivet holes with a size F bit.....
Trimming the excess off on the bandsaw...
Now to the KMG to smooth out the shape, first on the 120 grit, then 220 then a scotchbrite with some WD40 sprayed on it
Next I chamfer the inside edges of the opening with the dremel...
Then I smooth everything out by hand sanding with some fresh 600 grit paper...
Blow it out with compressed air, wipe the inside with WD40 and blow it out again before riveting. I also use acetone to wipe off all the sharpee marks at this point....
Riveting the sheath closed with the rivet press...
Using the heat gun, I heat the area where I want to form the push off ramp. When its formable I use the body of a sharpee marker to raise the ramp.
Next I heat the throat of the sheath and use an piece of plastic (in this case the plastic leather folding tool) to open the mouth up a bit to aid in re-sheathing (gives it a funnel effect).....
Checking the fit....
after I get the fit right, I rub the edges with a cloth soaked in acetone then lightly wipe some WD40 on them for a nice smooth finish.
Next up....I'll install the leather loop.
Thanks for looking!
mo
