Kydex help

  • Thread starter RMB Custom Leather.com
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RMB Custom Leather.com

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I have recently started trying kydex but I have a few questions and was hoping you guys could help.

1. How do you smooth out the edges after you sand?
2. How do you cut slots out of kydex and make them look smooth and rounded?
3. Where is the best place to get the hardware?
4. What are the screw looking things I see on some kydex holster and where do you get them?
5. What is the best cutting tool for kydex?

I am sure I will ask more dumb questions when I can think of them....:bud:
 
I can answer a few of these for you.

Smooth edges: I sand with AO belts then with a Scotch Bright belt. Some guys move on to using thier buffer as well. If you don't have a belt grinder, you can easily use a sanding block.
Hardware and Screws: Try Midwest Knifemaker's Supply first. Tracy has most everything you'll want. If you're looking for Tek-Loks, be prepared to pay for them. They're not cheap.
http://www.usaknifemaker.com/store/...7.html?zenid=abee10fb9c511e248cb2f7217a2e32b2
Best Cutting Tools: Tin Snips and Bandsaw

Sorry I can't help you out with cutting slots, I've yet to attempt that one.
 
i just use my metal band saw to cut the kydex. It's pretty fast that way. The edge will buff smooth but the textured side picks up buff compound easy so you want to keep it away from that. I've used the back side of a cloth belt on a slack arm attachment and then seems to be the easiest and cleanest. I am working on sourcing Tek-Lok's but it's going to be a bit.
 
If you hand sand the edges with 220/240 then wipe down real well, you can then take some MEK on a rag and wipe the edges smooth. The MEK will slightly melt the kydex, and give you a smooth shinny semi welded edge.
 
MEK-Nasty Stuff

From the MSDS Sheet for MEK.
Hope your will is current....

Product or Trade Name.... SPI #02850 Methyl Ethyl Ketone

CAS #'s.................... 78-93-3

Chemical Formula........... C4H8O


Section 3: Hazard Identification

Clear, colorless liquid. Flash point -7°C Extremely flammable liquid and vapor.

Potential health effects (acute and chronic):

Symptoms of exposure:

Effects of eye exposure: Causes eye irritation. May result in corneal injury.

Effects of skin contact: May be absorbed through the skin in harmful Amounts. Death may occur without warning.

Effects of ingestion: May cause irritation of the digestive tract. May cause central nervous system depression, characterized by excitement, followed by headache, dizziness, drowsiness, and nausea. Advanced stages may cause collapse, unconsciousness, coma and possible death due to respiratory failure.
 
Any solvent, no matter how its touted as non reactive, is not good to mess with. The long term effects can be drastic, I met a woman that had been a fine art painter for many many years, she used Turpentine as her solvent of choice. Never used gloves. Now the skin on her hands look like fish scales, and under the constant threat of melanoma. Even the newer, and supposedly safer Turpenoid has issues.
 
go 150, 400, 2500 grit, and your edges will shine.

2thumbs
 
Since you mentioned it leatherman does the stain/dyes used for leather have the same harmful effects?
 
Out of all the dyes that I've used and experimented with so far none have had any volatile ingredients. The most popular brands use alcohol as a base/thinner, and the oil dyes use mineral oil as an additive.

Any petroleum based solvents are very nasty to leather, neatsfoot oil compound being one of those treatments that are bad.

MEK, tolulene, xylene, acetone, etc will turn leather into a rock hard brittle corn chip. :p
 
ALWAYS use gloves with paints or dyes or hell anything

Edges??

Prettty much what has already been said

I cut them with a razor knife

I round the edges with a belt sander and polish the edge up to around 120 or so and then use a scotch brite

wipe it off with acetone and all is well
 
Do most of you cut your pattern out, sand/round your edges, heat and then form it? I usally work with leather and on some projects I sand the edges last but it seems that with kydex you should do the edges first.
 
I cut my kydex into rectangular pieces about 25-50% larger than my blade. I then heat and press the sheath. After the sheath cools, I sketch my pattern onto the sheath and drill my retention pointsand place my eyelets (unpressed). I then rough cut it with tin snips or on my bandsaw before grinding it to final shape and polishing the edges with the Scotch Bright belt. After all of this, I take apart the sheath and wash it in order clean out all residue. Lastly, I set my eyelets.
 
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