Anotherpower.com Forum
Off Grid Living / Camping => Off Grid Living / Alternative Housing => Survival Skills => Topic started by: tomw on March 12, 2012, 01:11:53 pm
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Well, I got some Kydex sheet and am going to try to DIY a couple holsters. And Some battery holders for my solar charger for AA and AAA rechargables. Cannot seem to find anything built very tough on the market. I built a smallish (1 foot square) vacuum table but I don't think it will get the nice fit the book press and foam method gets. The vacuum table works treat for milk jug plastic forming but Kydex is a lot thicker and from what I see on Youtube the foam press method gets very good detail over the vacuum method. At least in the videos I looked at.
Up to now, I have not heated any Kydex or tried to form it. No good controllable heat source. The wood stove worked OK for the milk jug plastic but had a few oopses and at 8 bucks a square foot I want good thermal control of the .060 thick Kydex so there is an IR thermometer on the way, too. Need to scout the Goodwills, etc for a used toaster oven to do the heating. Got strict standing policy, no "shop" work in the kitchen which stems from heating a motorcycle chain in a pan of grease to get it in the nooks and crannies real good that went very badly. :o Building the book press later today I hope.
I cannot find a suitable commercial holster for my mid 1970's Colt so I am going to try making one. I already mentioned battery holders for the charger.
Anyone with experience in this kind of thermoforming with foam and a "book" press please chime in.
More as I get at it.
Tom
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tom-
i don't have any real advice on the forming process, but can't help but chuckle every time i hear about one of us guys getting in trouble with the missus for doing things in her oven.
sounds like we all need a full domestic kitchen in our shops!
adam
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Using the kitchen is worst than using the living room to rebuild a VW motor or so I have found out.
:-)
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OK so, is it bad to admit I built a small working kitchen into my shop, along with a bathroom *in the garage basement*
Just for these things :-\
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Oh, everyone thought was moving out of the house when I first started planning this.
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I would never get into trouble for working on stuff in the house. No, not me.
* covers the Sherline lathe sitting on the dining room table. *
- still a bit sore about the Nickel plating in the kitchen, then theirs that whole pewter volcano incident, and of course brass turnings don't vacuum up very easily from carpet so I heard - many times . . . . . . . .
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Yep.....pretty plastic tablecloths don't last too long on
my end of the table either.....
Norm.
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I pretty much keep the projects out of the house, since the Briggs and Stratton in the dishwasher
episode. :o But it did work very well. ;D
Norm--you were thermoforming tablecloths?
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Hey Tom...
I've dabbled some with the Kydex sheets in making a couple neck knife sheaths for me and the sons. I used a heat gun and found its really
handy because after you get your initial shape in the mold, you can go back to specific areas and do it better/different if ya want without
screwing up the whole thing. I initially used the "foam press" (home made) to do the initial molding, but found just using the heat gun worked
better for me. I guess it just depends on the size of the project?
Here's a pic of the first sheath I made. Even used a bicycle inner tube to make "Ranger" bands to hold the striker and a mini-keyhole flashlight.
I was pretty much satisfied with all of it when done.
Just my input on the small stuff.....hope it helps....
Bill
ps...don't forget to wear gloves when you're playing with that stuff!!
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Bill;
Thanks for the feedback!
I watched every youtube video I could find and after that decided on the press method.
Kydex is interesting stuff! I have a commercial holster (Fobus) for my tiny P-11 9 MM. I ran into the DIY videos looking for ways to soften the retention on it. I ended up using the heat gun to relieve some sharp edges on it so I could more easily draw it without bringing the holster with it. It works treat now.
I am cursed with the "how do they do that?" gene so need to try stuff and see.Seemed a perfect opportunity to make one for the revolver I cannot find one ready made to fit.
Probably too expensive for making battery holders but I am bound to have some scraps and leftovers to use for that out of the 3 one foot sheets I got.
Thanks again.
Tom
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I tried it with a heat gun (giant over powered hair dryer from HF).
May as well have been a cutting torch.
The plastic went from solid to liquid where the heat was.
The best results were giant see-through bubbles where the plastic colapsed from its own weight, while the surounding areas were factory fresh.
I tried it a LOT, and I can say a heat gun is not a good idea. :-\
G-
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I tried it with a heat gun (giant over powered hair dryer from HF).
May as well have been a cutting torch.
The plastic went from solid to liquid where the heat was.
The best results were giant see-through bubbles where the plastic colapsed from its own weight, while the surounding areas were factory fresh.
I tried it a LOT, and I can say a heat gun is not a good idea. :-\
G-
Whats the deal with that HF heat gun? 2 temperatures? Hotter than Hades and thermonuclear core temp?
Mine is very adjustable from barely warm to melt aluminum. It worked well reforming my holster set for 400F and kept it moving. My old one was either on or off no temp control and was kind of hard to do anything precise with. Some of those youtubes showed guys using those pencil type butane torches but they keep it moving. Maybe some other tricks to using hot sources?
Thanks for the feedback.
Appreciate the info.
Tom
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Yes, the $12.99 with a coupon 2/dual temp gun.
"1100F and 1300F"? 1100 & 1500? Not that I believe the temp setting, just thats something around-about what it says on the box.
It will blast a hole through the Sams Club 5-gallon pail lid quicker than you can say "Sams Club 5-gallon pail lid".
OK, not THAT fast, but by the time I could tell it was warm, it turned to liquid with no stopping it (even if sprayed with water).
I had a few pics I maybe sent to someone... cough-cough-ped-gen-cough-cough?
From the side, it looked like ___n___ and that was if the bubble didn't break.
The material was rated for recycling (I cant remember the #), and I asked someone who knows more about those numbers than me about the issue. He replied "There are more than 1 kind of '#X-Triangle', and they are different."
I tried other materials too, but the result was always the same.
G-
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I pretty much keep the projects out of the house, since the Briggs and Stratton in the dishwasher
episode. :o But it did work very well. ;D
Norm--you were thermoforming tablecloths?
Solder dropped on plastic tablecloth puts holes in 'em....
Hey no over here ....supposed to drop on the cardboard ....
whoops ....(as the soldering iron accidently brushes against
the tablecloth also)....another job for the scotch tape !
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"1100F and 1300F"? 1100 & 1500? Not that I believe the temp setting, just thats something around-about what it says on the box.
It will blast a hole through the Sams Club 5-gallon pail lid quicker than you can say "Sams Club 5-gallon pail lid".
OK, not THAT fast, but by the time I could tell it was warm, it turned to liquid with no stopping it (even if sprayed with water).
I had a few pics I maybe sent to someone... cough-cough-ped-gen-cough-cough?
From the side, it looked like ___n___ and that was if the bubble didn't break.
The material was rated for recycling (I cant remember the #), and I asked someone who knows more about those numbers than me about the issue. He replied "There are more than 1 kind of '#X-Triangle', and they are different."
I tried other materials too, but the result was always the same.
G-
I got mine from big lots worked fine for CD disks Hi setting held about a foot 'n a half
from the disk....with the disk draped over a metal coffee can warmed it slowly and evenly
.....didn't hold it in one place too long and watched it soften and conform to the curved
shape of the coffee can ....fun....made about a dozen curved 'blades' altho the curved
shape didn't seem to work any better than the flat ones....
Unfortunately one day I was using it and the little motor decided to short out....
Burn Out.....Woowhee !
That was one day I was doing my best work out in the shed.....
.....I figured....weelll guess that does it for that motor....no sense bothering to rewind it.
LOL !
Norm.
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Well, I got some Kydex sheet and am going to try to DIY a couple holsters.
Tom
Plastic for holsters...for fine weapons?
What's wrong with leather.....Like in the old westerns.....
"Fill your hand...slap leather....er plastic ? " :)
Norm.
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Well, I got some Kydex sheet and am going to try to DIY a couple holsters.
Tom
Plastic for holsters...for fine weapons?
What's wrong with leather.....Like in the old westerns.....
"Fill your hand...slap leather....er plastic ? " :)
Norm.
Well, norm, it has to do with specialty uses. The stuff holds things in very well yet a sharp pull releases it with no snaps or other motions. You can form a sheet perfectly to any reasonable shape. It is light, very tough and will last a very long time with no care. Basically it allows a lot of creativity with how you can position it. Space Age stuff. only .060" thick and tough.
Join the 21st century, Norm!
Here is an example of what they make from it:
(http://www.crossbreedholsters.com/Portals/0/mt-238.png)
The tan part is leather because it is against the skin. It is worn inside the waistband and very stealthy.
That pistol will not fall out even if you are rolling around playing with the dog. A sharp pull on the grip will release it and it is simple to adjust how much it grips the pistol. Notice the way it is formed to the shape of the piece..
Make sense?
Tom
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Looks handy Tom
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Yeah makes sense and uh yeah hello 21st century....
I'm still alive and learnin' :)
Stuff is neat on second thought....
thanks Tom.....
gives me some ideas for some of my projects........
Norm.
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Uh... Fobus Roto?
I used a heat gun and found its really handy because after you get your initial shape in the mold,
My experience with the heat gun did not involve a mold.
A mold probably makes a BIG difference. ;)
G-
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I have been experimenting with one sheet on small items..
(http://pics.ww.com/d/445824-1/100_5052.JPG)
(http://pics.ww.com/d/445828-1/100_5053.JPG)
These are Comtech Stingers they are simple personal defence impact tools. Intended to attach to your key chain through that eye on it. Or, if in gentler company they are Accupressure tools designed to apply pressure where it will do the most good ;D
We find them inconvenient on the keychain and if you need it while driving (carjacking or whatever) its locked to the keys in the ignition. Plus if you got in a scuffle and lost the tool your escape vehicle keys are lost, too.
I saw this type "sheath" for them online for $30 plus S&H.
Perfect test of my system.
Neither are pretty. Both work. The bottom one was my first Kydex attempt ever. It got away from me as I tried to handle it with no gloves and a large hemostats which left me with it laid on crooked. Some trimming and it worked but is an odd shape.
The top one is laid on better but too small on the piece I used. I preheated the stinger by leaving it on top of the toaster oven I heated the Kydex with. I used a slow heating process starting at 200F and stepping up the heat as the plastic reacted to the heat. It got a bit too hot I think because it kind of stuck bad to the foam in the book style press. It is functionally better but visually not so nice. It has the tightest fit and best detail inside the sheath
I should be good to go when the IR thermometer gets here next week so I can get precise with temperature which can be critical in the process.
I can see how this stuff can make all manner of tool holders that I don't see available.
Just a share.
Tom
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I linked to large photos and the forum resizes them for display right.
However, when I click on a photo for the full size image it shows as a large photo but only part of it is visible and I can't scroll across it or up or down. Seems to be limited to about the display width of the original??
Seems it used to open it in an area with a scroll bar to move around the photo?
Just wondering if it is just me or others get this.
FireFox (11.0 Mozilla Firefox for Ubuntu Canonical -1.0) on a current Ubuntu 11.10
Tom
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When I click to expand a photo it brings up the photo in another small window. I have to maximize the window, or grab a corner of the window and drag it out bigger to see the full sized picture.
The Forum tells your browser to resize the photo, The entire file is still sent out.
Edit - I just clicked your pics and it did behave in a funny way. Expanded the pic to full size but did not provide scroll bars so I could see the entire pic. I had to right-click the photo and choose View Image to see the Giant Pictures you have.
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Just wondering if it is just me or others get this.
Displays as the "forum sized" image in my FireFox 10.0 on OSX 10.6.8
Clicked the top image and it changed to the full-size image.
Scrolling left and right works, as does up and down.
There is also a scroll bar, but it's at the very bottom of your post, right after the "Just a share." and "Tom".
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Just wondering if it is just me or others get this.
Displays as the "forum sized" image in my FireFox 10.0 on OSX 10.6.8
Clicked the top image and it changed to the full-size image.
Scrolling left and right works, as does up and down.
There is also a scroll bar, but it's at the very bottom of your post, right after the "Just a share." and "Tom".
Ross;
I get the scroll bar but did not notice it until you pointed it out. Not much acreage on my laptop screen. ;)
Thanks
Tom