Looking at a different post, and knowing that some of you have tried your hand at working your own leather, I got to wondering if anyone here has experimented with working with Kydex...

I did a brief search and discovered that sheets of Kydex can be had with minimal strain on the pocketbook. ...And from what I've read, it seems that it would be pretty simple to work with.

I'm now seriously looking at ordering up a few sheets to see what I can do with them. Anyone care to encourage/discourage me???

GO FOR IT.....

If you're married, make sure you don't use the kitchen oven for warming up the kydex. Trust me on this

Use a toaster oven out in the garage.

Squib, would that be due to the mess, smell, or both??

I would guess both but if I had to pick one I would say smell.

e5usmc what is your source?

I googled "kydex" and "working with kydex"

Found this site that sells it (I'm sure there are plenty more places to buy it, but it was late when I searched and didn't dig too deep):

http://jantzsupply.com/cartease/item-detail.cfm?ID=KY201

Got the the site above from this one, that describes how to work with kydex (albeit for knife scabbards - I assume one would go about it in a similar fashion to work a holster):

http://ajh-knives.com/miscellaneous.html#misc5b

Like I said, I did a very basic search. I will obviously try to dig deeper if I decide to go ahead...

YES you should try your hand at Kydex. Use the tools that are associated with sheet metal in order to turn edges, create site rails, belt clips, et all. You can thermoform Kydex by heating with a blow dryer. Post some pics when you are done.

I saw a home-made kydex made out of transparent / translucent clear kydex that I really liked ... I wish BearClaw Holsters or Dan Hillsman or one of them offered that option.

That would be due to getting the "LOOK" from the wife... Again....

AARRGGHH

If you don't get the time and temperature right, it starts to smoke a little, and it's stinky. Sort of a burning tire smell.

Used toaster ovens are 3-4 bucks at most garage sales. It's worth it for this sort of project.

Forming temps from the Kydex website ( www.kydex.com ):

330 - 350°F (165 - 177°C) for £ 0.060” (1.5mm).
360 - 385°F (182 - 196°C) for 0.060” to 0.125” (1.5mm to 3.2mm).
385 - 400°F (196 - 204°C) for 3 0.125” (3.2mm)

Most sheets will be ready in 7-10 minutes at these temperatures. You need to be able to "read" the surface texture as it warms (use a flashlight) - as soon as the ripples smooth out, give it another 45-60 and pull it from the oven for forming.

OK ... it's been a month ... I want to see some photos of your handiwork

What about how you form it to the pistol? I would have concerns about putting a 400 degree piece of kydex on my pistol? I'm not even sure what it would do to my bluegun?

Generally when forming leather I just wrap my pistol in saran wrap before throwing the cased (wet) leather on it. I somehow don't think saran wrap would help with this.

Yeah ... I think that amount of heat on your gun can be damaging and this is the downside to making Kydex holsters.

If you make leather holsters, any air soft of low quality mold gun is suitable to wrap leather around so you can tool and stitch. Not so with Kydex. First, the tolerances are smaller so those mold guns and their small innacuracies can ruin your craft. Second, I am told that airsoft guns actually begin to melt and have a very short life if you use them as a mold gun. Seems to me I've heard that normal mold guns can be damaged by thermoforming kydex around them.

So, a couple thousand dollars will buy you a full line of mold guns if you do leather but if you do kydex it's possible that only a REAL gun can meet the rigorous demands required of it. So, a couple grand maybe will buy you four mold guns (tops).

People get into making kydex holsters because the stuff is fun to work with but the down side is ... whacha gonna do when all those blue mold guns melt? The answer, you start ruining your own pistol collection.

So, I said all that to say this: Kydex may be inexepnsive, but the real bottom line may be more than you are willing to pay if you do it yourself. I think paying a craftsman like BearClaw holsters http://www.bearclawholsters or Dan Hillsman http://www.hillsmanholster.com is a real bargain.

Anyway ... thought I'd throw in my two cents ....

What are the actual temps required? Enough to melt the low-temperature casting alloys? Enough to melt brass or aluminum?

So - if your mold will handle 450°F, you should be fine.

So cast your own molds - aluminum is cheap, and melts at roughly 750°F.