If You Were Buying a Heat Gun Just For Kydex...

redsquid2

redsquid2

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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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...what would you buy?

I came across this thing in Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/ECG-HG-300D-M..._9?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1321022267&sr=1-9

I have never worked with Kydex, but I like the idea of using a heat gun, and forming the kydex around the knife, using wood blocks, while wearing cotton gloves. There's a thread on here that says you can do it that way, and get a closer fit, as opposed to using a press.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/438215-Kydex-sheath-making/page5

I don't have any other use for a heat gun, so I don't want to buy some $100 thing. Basically, I am asking if a little unit like the one above would put out enough heat.

Thanks, knifemakers.

You are my heroes.

--squiddy
 
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It will get hot enough, but the cheap units have what is essentially a self-deteriorating internal fuse that will give out after a few months of use. Mine now has no fuse....
 
There are always uses for a heat gun. How else would you change the blade in your hockey stick, or set the heat shrink tape on your 6' tall model rocket?
 
I'm not a maker, but I have played with kydex a good bit. I would reccomend a bigger heat gun. You can always put a wet rag on pieces you don't want to heat if you are looking for more precision. I think I paid about $20 for a cheapie at an auto parts store, it has worked great for me. That said, you can build a press for next to nothing out of scrap lumber/plywood, and use a cheap blue camping pad for foam. The press saves a lot of time, and you can always fine tune the sheath afterwards with the heat gun.
 
Harbor Freight has a large selection of heat guns. I was on their website yesterday looking at other items and came across their heatguns. Check em out. I'm a leather guy so no advice on the kydex.
 
Honestly.... I'd say buy a toaster oven and go with pressing instead of hangover forming. If you clamp hard enough you will get as tight a fit as any other method.. I've found it very hard to get consistent heating throughout the kydex with a heat gun, leading to only some parts of my sheaths pressing well and others being too stiff and not conforming well at all.
 
I agree with the toaster oven, or flat griddle for heating - salvation army $5

but I still heat gun to tweak small areas.
 
wolffbite said:
Honestly.... I'd say buy a toaster oven and go with pressing instead of hangover forming.
Click to expand...


LOL

Moderation helps with hangover forming :)

Post related:
I'm starting to get the urge to try some Kydex now...doesn't seem like it's extremely hard to work with and can make for some awesome sheaths.
 
LOL wow I should really check what I'm actually writing.

I still DO use my heatgun for kydex work, but only for tweaking openings as count said.

That's not to say people haven't made really nice sheaths with just a heat gun... I just sure as heck can't get it right ;)
 
I got a cheap one from Harbor Freight for about $15 3 years ago. It still works.
 
I got one from Grizzly. Works great. I think it was ~$20, but that was a while back. I also use a toaster oven to heat the Kydex. I got mine at a garage sale for 97 cents.

As with a lot of my knife making tools, I always find other uses for them.


Ric
 
Heat gun on the lowest setting can still be too hot for kydex. I use my wife's hair dryer to tweak my kydex holsters. I have burned kydex with a heat gun before so be careful.
 
I tried the heat gun (Harbor Freight) and couldn't get a consistent temperature over enough of the material to get it to work well. Used a toaster oven and that worked much better for initial forming, and much faster.
 
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