Will this 1/4 eyelet setter work for kydex?

I use one made/sold by Tandy - item #8095-00.
 
Go to USA knifemaker supply and get a set of rivet dies from Tracy. Get the Siska rivets too. Everything else is a pain in the ass and your rivets will have a high probability of cracking and not flaring evenly. Save yourself the cussing and headache and visit Tracy's site. $40 dies for perfect rivets every time. Worth it.
 
I have one of those tandy punches and all it seems to do is smash the back end flat. I just assumed that is what it's designed to do since there is no curve in the anvil piece. The eyelets hold well enough and the pre-rolled sides look fine but the back looks like crap. I was planning to order a set of dies on my next supply order.
I'm using 3/16" eyelets with .060 Kydex.
 
Josh Mason said:
Go to USA knifemaker supply and get a set of rivet dies from Tracy. Get the Siska rivets too. Everything else is a pain in the ass and your rivets will have a high probability of cracking and not flaring evenly. Save yourself the cussing and headache and visit Tracy's site. $40 dies for perfect rivets every time. Worth it.
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+1. This is the setup I use and it works perfect every time. Buy yourself a 1/2 ton arbor press from Harbor Freight for $37 and you're all set. You would have to drill your own holes for the die and set screw but if you have a drill press it's rather easy.

Eta- you would need to drill one hole in the base plate and one in the ram for the die. These are both 3/8". Drill the hole in the ram first and put your die in it. Mark the base with a sharpie or dye and let the point of the die rest against the area you marked. Rotate the base back and forth to get a scribed curve. This line is where you need to drill the 3/8" hole in the base. Theoretically the hole in the base is optional but I like it. Next drill a hole in side of the ram perpendicular to the die shaft for the set screw. This should be 1/4" with a hex head but it's really up to you. You would also need to tap the hole for the set screw. The alternative is to buy a pre-drilled arbor press which is the exact same thing but costs like $100 more. I'm sure there are YouTube videos to work you through it but if you are making knives this should be as easy a project as it gets.
 
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Josh Mason said:
Go to USA knifemaker supply and get a set of rivet dies from Tracy. Get the Siska rivets too. Everything else is a pain in the ass and your rivets will have a high probability of cracking and not flaring evenly. Save yourself the cussing and headache and visit Tracy's site. $40 dies for perfect rivets every time. Worth it.
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Another vote for this.. get a arbor press and the dies. If you want good work and will use even every so often, it saves you tons of time, resources and puts out a professional looking product. Good tools are never a bad investment. I got the HF arbor and drilled my own hole for the dies.. real easy. You can do with a hand drill if you don't have a press. Just go slow, it doesn't need to be precise. I drilled the hole a little larger than the die so there was room for the dies to self align.
 
I press my eyelets with my bench top drill press. I chuck the female end in the press, and I put the male end in an old heavy machinists vise that I put on the drill press table. Doesn't take alot of pressure to get them to flare.

I'm sure you could put the male die in a cheap drill press vise on top of your table and get the same effect. Put a piece of 2x4 or something underneath the table for support.
 
I have a hand setter like the one bonafide talked about...I hate how they come out. And want to upgrade to dies and press ASAP.

Josh Mason said:
Go to USA knifemaker supply and get a set of rivet dies from Tracy. Get the Siska rivets too. Everything else is a pain in the ass and your rivets will have a high probability of cracking and not flaring evenly. Save yourself the cussing and headache and visit Tracy's site. $40 dies for perfect rivets every time. Worth it.
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I may be having a failure in searching or reading, but I can't find the dies on USA KM...can some one provide a link?
 
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