Shop upgrade helps with big Kydex

Stormcrow

Well-Known Member
I daily peruse knife forums and YouTube looking for techniques and tooling that I can integrate into my own methods, as well as inspiration from all the amazing blade makers out there. I came across a video on YouTube a few months ago showing a T-shirt press being used to heat Kydex prior to molding. After a bit more research, I added it to my list of future shop upgrades. I've been using a toaster oven for small Kydex and an electric griddle for long Kydex. Both of them would end up with a usable sheath, but they were inconsistent in heating and I ruined more Kydex than I was happy with through scorching or melting since the toaster oven would fluctuate and the griddle would overheat in the middle.

A few weeks ago, a customer agreed to pay me for his bush sword and sheath before I started on the sheath (I usually only charge when everything is ready to ship) so that I could afford to buy my T-shirt press and use it to make his sheath.

Boy howdy, am I happy with the results! Much more even heating, and I can set the temperature higher without worrying about it melting from temperature fluctuations, so the Kydex molds better. And since I got the press with a 16" x 24" clamshell surface, I can very easily heat big pieces for making bush sword sheaths. Once the press is up to temp, it takes literally a minute to have the Kydex nice and noodley and ready to mold.

Here's the press. You can see the griddle sitting on the bottom shelf of the rolly cart.



So, the various blades that came back with me from the Gathering have all gotten sheaths since then and most have gone on to customers.

Here's the one that paid for the press, with a retention strap and shoulder sling. That's an 18" blade.



Another 18" blade.





Blades that widen toward the tip are particularly tricky to make sheaths for that have decent retention yet can still be easily withdrawn. I made these two for cleaver-type blades with open backs and retention straps. Credit to David Brown for the idea of the open-backed Kydex sheaths. It's one of his signature designs, but I talked with him and am doing them a bit differently.





Works great for small sheaths too.





So, definitely worth the money for the increased control and ease of working long pieces. I'm happy. :)
 
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That is a great solution. I used to have a really nice press with auto-open and the whole shebang back in my t-shirt making days. I wish I still had it.

I'll definitely file this away for future reference. I don't do any big kydex right now, but you never know.


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It works great with small stuff too, and you don't have to get one of the big 'uns. :) Lots of smaller T-shirt presses out there. I got this one and an IR thermometer for less than $400 off of Amazon.
 
Thanks!

It seems to be fairly well-known among the guys building Kydex pistol holsters, but I haven't seen it mentioned too much in knife circles. One reason I posted was to get the idea out there. I got this and an IR thermometer off of Amazon for under $400. If you do many sheaths at all, it pays for itself in short order, and is by far the best tool for heating Kydex that I've tried.
Here's what I use to actually mold the long sheaths:





I have plans to build a press that uses a scissor jack and electric impact wrench. This setup works well, but in Kydex, quicker is better.
 
Brad - If it's stout enough. I've had some from another brand, and they ended up cracking the plastic under heavy pressure. The foam in the press is stiff enough that I'd say it might be iffy.
 
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