Gluing Kydex?
- Thread starter Godspeed
- Start date
You can use most any contact cement to bond kydex to leather. Bonding kydex to kydex just isn't going to happen with glue.
Coat the kydex with contact cement, coat the leather with contact cement. The leather side tends to soak it up and may need a second coat. You want the contact cement on the leather to have a shine look to it. Allow both to dry to a tacky feel. Carefully position and apply and rub it in. You can reposition it slightly if you are quick but you just want to get it right the first time.
Coat the kydex with contact cement, coat the leather with contact cement. The leather side tends to soak it up and may need a second coat. You want the contact cement on the leather to have a shine look to it. Allow both to dry to a tacky feel. Carefully position and apply and rub it in. You can reposition it slightly if you are quick but you just want to get it right the first time.
leatherman
Sheath Forum Moderator
To add to our fearless leaders excellent advice....... :5:
The kydex needs to have some tooth for the glue to adhere to. Take some very rough grit sand paper and really take it to the plastic till you can feel a nice toothy texture to the surface, both sides if your both lining and covering the plastic. Make sure you are confident in where your putting the leather as it will NOT be easy to remove once you get in on there. You'll have to go through the whole gluing process once you rip the leather off the kydex as there will be a nice fuzzy nest left on the plastic. Dont remove this nest as it gives you a really nice base for the re-glue.
The tooth on the plastic is the key for good adhesion.
I've been gluing leather to plastic for nearly ten years so please feel free to ask any questions you have. I had to do the trial and error (many error) process to get the formula I have today. :9:
Good luck!!!!!
The kydex needs to have some tooth for the glue to adhere to. Take some very rough grit sand paper and really take it to the plastic till you can feel a nice toothy texture to the surface, both sides if your both lining and covering the plastic. Make sure you are confident in where your putting the leather as it will NOT be easy to remove once you get in on there. You'll have to go through the whole gluing process once you rip the leather off the kydex as there will be a nice fuzzy nest left on the plastic. Dont remove this nest as it gives you a really nice base for the re-glue.
The tooth on the plastic is the key for good adhesion.
I've been gluing leather to plastic for nearly ten years so please feel free to ask any questions you have. I had to do the trial and error (many error) process to get the formula I have today. :9:
Good luck!!!!!
EdCaffreyMS
"The Montana Bladesmith"
Darn it! When I saw the title of the thread, my hope soared that somebody had found a method for gluing kydex. 
I've been trying to do it for years, and to date have never found any thing that will bond kydex to kydex (at least nothing that will hold for more than a day or two). I agree with Tracy on the leather to kydex....contact cement works very well, and has proven it be surprisingly durable, with reasonably long life.
I've been trying to do it for years, and to date have never found any thing that will bond kydex to kydex (at least nothing that will hold for more than a day or two). I agree with Tracy on the leather to kydex....contact cement works very well, and has proven it be surprisingly durable, with reasonably long life.
Justin King
Well-Known Member
Can't speak on adhesives but it is possible to get the kydex to weld itself together in the press if you get it a pinch too hot and press it nice and tight.
Godspeed
Well-Known Member
Thanks guys... I had looked all over and figured if anyone would have an answer I would find it here.
I'm thinking i'm gonna make some kind of 4 piece deal and use eyelets or rivets to hold it all together.
I'll try experimenting with the welding and Wayne's idea first though.
Adam
I'm thinking i'm gonna make some kind of 4 piece deal and use eyelets or rivets to hold it all together.
I'll try experimenting with the welding and Wayne's idea first though.
Adam
Justin King
Well-Known Member
Try cleaning the inside surfaces with rubbing alcohol before putting the kydex in the oven, then play with the temp. until the halves start sticking together when they come out of the press. It's usually pretty easy to pop them apart but I had one recently that was welded tight enough that one half almost broke when I tried to seperate them.
A couple of years ago I tried using some of the Hot Blue PVC adhesive. I clamped it in a vise overnight. It held pretty good, but I could still rip it apart. Haven't really played with it to give a good assessment. My thinking was that the solvent in the adhesive would work sort of like solvent welding acrylic with methylene chloride.
One of these days I may try it again.
Ric
One of these days I may try it again.
Ric
Diamond G Knives
Well-Known Member
Ive seen "Plastic Welding" used in heavy grade PVC Piping, would somthig like this work? I have no clue of the process they use but Im assuming its a heat fusion technique.
God Bless
Mike
God Bless
Mike
Pieter
Well-Known Member
Mike the plastic welding that you have seen on the PVC pipe is going to be way to hot for the thin material of the kydex sheath, what might work is an ultra sonic weld but that is going to be to costly.
Church & Son
Well-Known Member
Kydex is an Acrylic/PVC Polymer, at realjob (trade show exhibits) I glue a bunch of polished acrylic using acrylic primer and glue. The primer is the kicker, it slightly etches the acrylic without losing the polish. Mostly Methyl Ethyl Ketone, real nasty stuff. I have never tried Kydex, actually hate the stuff but it should be basically the same procedure. Here's a link to the product I use. I would suggest the IPS #4707, it is for irregular surfaces, more gap filling...
http://www.eplastics.com/Plastic/ABS-Glue
http://www.eplastics.com/Plastic/ABS-Glue
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