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Beginning Kydex Projects: Tips and Tricks

This is likely going to be the largest article I’ve attempted, as it’s been repeatedly asked for. I’m not a video person, so if this stuff interests you, check out Phlster. This is a success story of how a regular guy started making stuff out of Kydex, posting the “how to” vidoes online, and became a “pretty big deal” in the land of Kydex. It’s a safe bet that nearly everyone who tinkers with this stuff owes at least a small percentage of their knowledge to this guy. There are plenty of makers out there, but very few show how to do it. If you’re seeking knowledge, go to the best.

Having said that, let’s also say this- there are literally tons of Kydex makers out there. In my opinion, it’s because Kydex is far easier to work with than leather. Leather crafters are amazingly talented people. If you don’t believe this, try to make a leather holster just 1 time, and their talent will become evident. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands (?) of videos out there for you to study, if you feel that working with Kydex is something you want to pursue.It’s important to ask yourself this question, though- do you really, honestly believe that this will save you money? If you’re not committed/prepared to spend substantial time, effort, and money, this is not for you. If you have doubts, don’t do this. Many products are indeed expensive in the shooting sports, but sometimes the smartest thing to do is grin and bear the expense.

The main reason I started doing this was for something to do when I get fidgety.There is no way I would try to make a living from this- people tend to want too much without realizing how much time/effort some projects can take. This explains why Kydex stuff can get so expensive, and take so long. Here is one more disturbing bit to ponder- people trust you to make a tool that their life may literally depend on. No pressure in that, is there?

I’ll do my best to break this into understandable chunks, but again, I’m no wizard. Everything I’ve learned was from videos, and making LOTS of mistakes. The good news is that Kydex is pretty forgiving material, you can screw up 2 times (on average) and still have good material. However, you can also render it useless, but we’ll get to that.

For me, here’s how it began. Like every shooting enthusiast, especially with pistols, you’ll feel a perverse need to buy accessories, like holsters. Chances are high, if you’re on this site, that you have a drawer, or box of “mistake” holsters. I had so many that I traded them all in for a pistol. I don’t know about where you live, but gun dealers hereabouts don’t match you dollar for dollar against what you paid for something, so yes, that was a lot of holsters. At this point, I’d been studying how to do things myself, and purged all of the mistake holsters, which were primarily leather.

My first polymer holster came from 2 sources- back in the day, Glock slipped in a free “sport” holster, and 2 mag pouches. These things are actually pretty handy, but at my job they were deemed unfit for use. What WAS determined to be adequate were holsters made by Fobus. Go figure. This meant that when I was allowed to wear soft clothes, I could sport gear from Fobus. They had cuff pouches, as well as light pouches, etc., so a guy could put together a matching ensemble of stuff pretty cheaply. Sometimes when in a refletive mood, I think of a quote from CQB School- “Why are most people alive? Because no one’s decided to kill them yet”. Yes folks, Fobus is not exactly hard use stuff. In the early days of the Internet, there were some pretty disturbing videos of how easy it was to take a gun by breaking the Fobus holster.

Also, at this time, Kydex was also known as “Concealex”, or “Holstex”,for whatever reason. Oddly enough, this was when Kydex started sprouting up, literally everywhere. The leather holsters were being touted as passe, and what was really needed was this new “wonder plastic”, especially if you carried “combat Tupperware”. Which brings us to the next point.

Kydex is marvelous, but it’s pretty limited, in my opinion, and I’ll give you some reasons why. If you have a job where space on the Bat Belt is at a premium (if you’ve worn a uniform, think back to say, 1990, and how little was on it) Kydex can take up a lot of room, fast. If you have a job where you may have to ninja about, now and again, Kydex isn’t so good. In these scenarios, you’re far better off with nylon gear. Kydex can be very noisy, especially if crawling. If you slither around on your tum tum, you will gnaw up Kydex pretty fast.

The same holds true for polymer stuff, like Fobus holsters. I know this is true because I’ve done it, more than once.It can become brittle in frigid cold, and crack or break. I’ve been told by many true professionals (I’ve not experienced this one) that if left in a hot vehicle for extended periods of time, it can lose definition/retention, and this seems completely plausible. This is a case where Boltoron is superior, and we’ll cover this stuff, as well.So, for EDC, great. For wearing around while chasing Bad Guys- there are better alternatives.

So, status check for what we’ve covered so far- You may want to try your hand at this stuff. This is one case (perhaps the only one) where You Tube videos may actually contain useful knowledge.You understand that it can cost quite a bit of money for all the tools/materials you may need. Tinkering around is not for the faint hearted, it will take awhile to become proficient. You need to have a patient understanding Significant Other, or you may wind up separated. If you decide that this will make you rich, you need to go through the process of legally becoming a business so you don’t get in serious trouble(BTW- it will NOT make you rich). Expect to fail, that’s how we learn. Remember, if you’re making things for others, ask yourself this- would I risk MY life with it?

Here’s some more free advice for you- the way I make things is outdated. I’m sure that there are a few like me still plodding along, but realistically the most efficient way to make Kydex stuff yourself is with a vacuum press. If you have a tool shed, or pole barn, something like that, vacuum forming is far superior to my methods. Perhaps this is a better way for you to start. I’m completely ignorant of the workings, but when you look at the DIY videos of people using vacuum formers, it’s far more precise.If that is your intention, there is little to be gained past this point, but you should at least stick around for the safety/temperature part. Having mentioned that part, let’s just move into it, shall we?

Becoming extremely aware of temperatures
Okay, here’s what I use- a simple toaster oven, from a big box store. It was around 65$(?) when I first got it like 6 years ago. This toaster oven will not ever be used for food prep, the same way our oven won’t be used for Kydex prep. There are things you need to learn about working with Kydex, and I’m no expert, but I studied it to be certain I’m not slowly killing my family trying to make holsters and stuff. Use this info as a guide, but do your own research as well.

With your toaster oven, DO NOT EVER go above 350 degrees. To be certain this won’t happen, buy yourself a digital thermometer. Harbor Freight or Menards will have them, they’re pretty cheap. What you will learn is that temperature dials and ovens are not sympatico all the time. If there is something worth developing OCD about, it’s using your thermometer while working with Kydex, or Boltoron. According to spec sheets, the optimal temperature for Kydex work in an industrial type application is 380-390 degrees.

The 350 temp is considered “cold forming”, but I’ll accept that, and here is why- at 400 degrees, Hydrochloric gas vapor can be released. This is very bad- you don’t want this. That’s why I stay below “optimal” temperature. The idea that 350 is “cold”, I understand. For a comparison, however, handle the material at 350 with no gloves on, and “cold” is a relative term. Another heating device you will need is a heat gun. Again, these are not super expensive, and you’ll need them for bending curves into holsters and stuff as they near completion. I’ve read that people use blow dryers for hair, but find it hard to believe that these are effective.

So, while we’re covering all of this- we need to cover timing. The next detail is this- just forget that any Kydex thickness below .080 exists. Do yourself this favor, and save the money and headaches. The thickness of .080 is more than adequate for holsters, cuff cases, knife sheaths, etc. If you get fancy and start making things like thigh holsters, you will want .093, or .125 to serve as your base plate to affix the holster, mag carrier, etc. to. This takes us back to timing. Before we cover timing, however, we need to cover making the press.

Presses
If you do this, go to Menards, and they typically have scrap wood for sale. Be certain to use plywood, as it’s flexible. If you use rigid wood, you will break it, guaranteed. I know this is true. My press is 16×16 inches, and is more than adequate for all the stuff I’ve made. I bought scrap 2×2 boards and made 4 feet at the corners of the press. This gave me a gap to hook my clamps at the bottom of the press, and squeeze everything together, tightly. When I’ve got the clamps holding everything together, I like to let everything cool for at least 30 minutes. If you take your stuff out too early, it can deform, and this equals more work later. You can also lose retention on this newly pressed piece, and that’s bad. Retention is our friend. You can look at places like www.diyholster.com, or holstersmith.com, or knifekits.com, and purchase metal presses, but why?

I try to make stuff on the cheap whenever possible. Here is another thing that I personally avoid- hinges on the press. You will see hinges used on a lot of presses- imagine if you will a waffle maker. In essence this is what your press is. However, the hinge can cause all sorts of issues- like pulling your material as you close the press and clamp it down. I tried one early on, but removed it- more trouble than it’s worth.Having said that, use the above vendors for your material, screws, loops, hooks, etc. They are all very good at helping us normal guys out.

Since we’re on the subject of presses, there are 2 other parts to consider- your foam, and clamps to mash everything together. I use ratcheting bar clamps to squeeze everything, and personally prefer them to be at least a foot long. There are clamps that screw down on the press, but here’s my opinion- they take too long to apply. When you get the pieces in the press, you need to move with purpose- if the material gets too cold you start over again. You want a finished piece to have good clean lines- that lets you know everything worked correctly.

With Kydex or Boltoron, you will note it has 2 sides- one is matte, the other is shiny. You want the matte side to be outside, and the shiny to be inside. You need to plan all of this BEFORE you start buzzing away, or you’ll get stuff reversed. Here’s an example- say you’re making a holster with a red inner side, black outer, for a righty. If you don’t have yourself squared away, you’ll have a red holster for a lefty, with black interior. This is true- because I’ve done it. I’m sure it’s only happened to me though…

Foam- this to me is a trick. There is “official” foam if you will, and if you look at it on kydex supply sites, it’s expensive. I tried the light blue yoga mats when I first started out- no go. It’s not good for me, anyway. Again, at Menards, I found what I’ve been using since I started- hunting seats. They’re made by a company called Guidesman, and they’re an olive drab color. They measure 13×14 inches, so they fit in the press quite handily. A lot of times after hunting season is over, you can score 4 for like 10$. I have a tote full of these as you will want to rotate them. After being compressed dozens of times, they get beat up. I’ll use some new ones, throw the used ones in the tote, they regain shape, and find themselves in rotation a few weeks later.