# Making Kydex Holsters - What's Involved?



## Scorpion8 (Jan 29, 2011)

You see "kits" nowadays to make Kydex holsters as a start-your-own-business kind of like the way we sold Burpee seeds as kids. What's all involved? What equipment do you need? Does anybody on here make them? Where do you get the sheets of Kydex?

Any information would be much appreciated.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I guess that you could Google "Kydex" for supplies.
I did, and there were lots and lots of links.

I had a friend who made Kydex holsters. I've made bits and pieces from the stuff.
Kydex is best cut with a scroll saw ("jigsaw") or a band saw. It can be cut with a hot knife, too, but that leaves a ragged edge that needs to be cleaned up.
Even sawn edges will need clean-up, but that's merely a matter for sandpaper.
Kydex drills well, if you run the bit somewhat slowly.

The most difficult part of the exercise is making the pattern to guide cutting the basic holster shape.
This will be a process of trial-and-error, and will probably have to be done more than once before you get it right.

Use a hot-air gun to heat the Kydex. If you wear heat-resistant gloves to handle the plastic, it can be pre-heated first, and then hand-molded around a pistol.
Judicious applications of follow-up heat may be required, during the molding process.

Cold, already-set Kydex fatigue-cracks quickly, so try to keep bending to a minimum, once you've made the holster. That thought needs to be part of your design.

Hybrid leather-and-Kydex holsters avoid most of the fatigue-crack problem. Only the belt clips are stressed.
However, designing an effective leather backing that doesn't impede forming a shooting grip before the presentation is another difficult, trial-and-error task.

Were I making a hybrid holster, I might use at least "nine ounce" (about 3/16" thick), oak-tan cowhide or horsehide.
I'd prefer it uncolored, but vat-dyed would probably be OK. Pre-waxed English Bridle Leather might be the best choice, but it isn't cheap.
Leather is more expensive than Kydex. Experiment carefully.

I note that hybrid holster makers use either Chicago screws or T-nuts, to assemble the holster and leather.
The necessary, very short Chicago screws are hard to find. Probably, short-pronged T-nuts are difficult to find as well. Google will probably help.
You will also need a round-hole "drive punch" to fit either the Chicago screws or the T-nuts, plus a mallet to hit it with and a piece of end-grain wood under the work.

That's all I know. I hope that it helps.


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## niadhf (Jan 20, 2008)

I use a toaster oven to heat the cut down kydex sheets. Comes out like taffy. I made my own press out of a piano hinge, camping mats, and plywood. 
There is a good video on how to available from....um....knife kits dot com?
Steve's suggestion of jig saw or band S&W are excellent. Add an inexpensive bench belt/disc sander and you have a small production setup.


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## Scorpion8 (Jan 29, 2011)

Sometimes Google can overwhelm you with results, when all you want is a clear, concise description, which is exactly what Steve M1911A1 provided. The KnifeKits.com™ : Knife & Gun Making Supplies and Tools has a nice selection of parts and tools and kits, and is a great learning resource also.


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