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Posted: 5/17/2007 5:22:48 PM EDT
| Anyone here know how to or how hard it is to work with kydex? I would like to make some of my own custom magazine holders. |
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I work with Kydex all the time in 3/16 inch thickness. The thinner stuff should be pretty easy to thermo form in you oven on a low temp. Google Molding Kydex or such quiery and you will find a couple great tutorials on making mag carriers, holsters, ect using the actualy mags, pistol or knife for the form and extremely low heat, flat strips of wood and sand bags the form the shape. Karsten |
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I work in kydex. you can buy rivits, belt clips and kydex at www.knifekits.com/store/s-pages/kk_store_1mainframe.htm?kk_products_sheath_main.htm~smain you can use a punch and hammer to crimp the rivits, use an AR mag to form the kydex. a heat gun works best, just go slow. i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/northman111/IWB-OWB.jpg |
You can use your existing mags as a mold, just keep in mind that the kydex will shrink some when it cools. Wrapping the mag in a layer or two of tape usually works well. If you're going to copy the blade-tech style pouches that have a screw to adjust the tension on the mags then you'll find it easist to attach a small piece of wood that will allow you to mold that section as well. ETA that for AR type mags you have to remember to leave a groove for the "bump" at the mag catch hole when the mag is inserted and removed. You can build up a ridge of tape to handle this. |
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also, if you fold the kydex over the mag like a taco, put something on the front of the mag to create a sharper ridge on the front of the holder. If the kydex conforms too closely to the mag it won't slide in and out very smoothly. I like to use Bladetek Tek Loks on all the holders I make. I believe you have to heat kydex to about 350 to get it to a nice moldable point, I use a $20 toaster oven and keep an eye on it to make sure I don't over do it, it gets pretty nasy if you do. A heat gun is a cheap and easy way to do it. I picked up a cheap one at Harbor Freight. Cut your pieces big before you mold them, the plastic will stretch when heat is applied, then after you mold them shape them with a belt sander. |
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