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KYDEX® is the most impact-resistant thermoplastic slab, chemicals and scratches in existence.
It is a super material and for this reason it has a wide variety of applications in different industrial and technical fields, but also to make holies for firearms and knife scabbards.
Born in the aeronautical world, KYDEX® is an avant-garde material as resistant as metal, workable as the best of thermoplastics, aesthetically versatile and available in a wide range of finishes and surface effects.
Kydex is a line of thermoplastic acrylic materials – polyvinyl chloride produced by Sekisui SPI.
It is an acrylic-polyvinyl chloride composite designed for the manufacture of thermo forming and combines the properties of both acrylic and polyvinyl chloride components.
- From acrylic you get stiffness and formability,
- pvc, toughness, chemical strength and good internal finishing evaluations.
The thickness of the sheet metal varies from .028 to .500 inches and can be thermo formed, post-formed, bent, and laminated.
- The bending modulus is 2,758 MPa (400,000 psi)
- The parts formed by the sheet metal will be rigid and will undergo moderate deformation when loaded. This is of particular importance in deep parts with sections of thin walls.
- Relatively hard thermoplastic, with a hardness of 90 on the Rockwell R scale. This hardness, combined with a grainy surface, increases its resistance to abrasion.
- Low flammability, UL 94 V-0 classification
A similar material in acrylic polyvinyl chloride ( IPK acrylic polyvinyl chloride) is manufactured by Emco Plastics and Interstate Plastics, which has almost identical properties with an added layer for screen printing.
Ps. This is an alternative to Kydex that you can use to experiment!
The history of Kydex
The Kydex sheet was originally produced in 1965 by Rohm and Haas , having been designed for use in aircraft interiors.
In 1987, the product line was purchased by Kydex, LLC, formerly Kleerdex Company, LLC, which manufactures the material under the name Sekisui SPI at a location in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.
In April 2020, the company was renamed Sekisui Kydex, LLC.
Its superlative potential allows us to create absolutely innovative objects and products in many fields.
KYDEX® is a unique material, a special PVC/acrylic alloy that guarantees special performance in extreme applications for long times and great workability.
Depending on the grade, KYDEX® plates are available with classifications:
- UL standard 94V-O,
- UL standard 94 5V; F
- AR 25,853 (a) and (d);
- MVSS 302;
- Class 1/A and
- Other.
KYDEX® sheet complies with the highest standards of chemical resistance for thermoplastic materials, is resistant to different chemical agents from sulfuric acid to carbon tetrachloride.
Depending on the KYDEX version® offers a shock resistance of 960 J/m according to the lzod carving test and is available in thicknesses from 0.7mm to 12.7mm to withstand different stress levels.
KYDEX® is thermoformable very easily, you can get shapes and details with excellent definition without thinning the plates.
KYDEX® sheets can be laminated on wood, metal, plaster, rigid foam and other flat or curved materials using commercially available adhesives and using hot and cold forging methods.
Laminated on other materials KYDEX® gives exceptional properties of resistance to impact, scratches and stresses, does not splinter or crack or break like high-pressure laminates.
It can be cold and hot bent, hot-welded to create edges and corners without joints.
KYDEX® can be attached to other materials with screws, rivets and other common fastening systems.
For some applications it is used as a skin substitute, where it has the following advantages:
- Waterproof
- Scratch resistant ( hardness 90 of rockwell scale “R”)
- It keeps its shape better and will not stretch or shrink under normal conditions
- Lower friction.
Description of how to package a kydex case in your home:
- The first thing to take into account are the measures necessary for the housing of the knife to be protected / transported, how we intend to fix it for example with Tek-Lok systems or always using Kydex loops and the method of locking the blade during transport.
- Then you need to heat the kydex sheet in the oven to 150ºC for about 2-3 minutes, so that you can shape the material.
- When it is hot, insert the object between the two sheets of kydex or in one folded in two, depends on the construction method of the scabbard you want to create.
- Apply pressure, using a wooden press covered with thermo-formed neoprene foam, so that it takes the shape of the object by copying it (it is important to put the knife inside the Domopack so as not to make it dirty and protect it.
- To insert the eyelets / rivets, it is necessary to drill holes of the desired size and perform the beating manually or with a press. These are normalized that are on the market with different sizes.
- After reiterating the scabbard, remove the excess material by cutting out the shape of the object and leaving a constant space between the edge and the rivet.
- Finally, you need to finish the edges to make it clean and free of smudges.
- Insert the knife fastening system to be brought to the belt or by other methods.
Features and details
- Measurements: there are various from A4 format 210×297 mm to 300x300mm format
- Thicknesses: 1.8 mm, 2 mm or 2.5 mm but for knife sheaths use at least the 2 mm one
- Colors: black, light brown and dark brown, orange, blue, with aesthetic motifs, etc.
- Kydex sheet to make cases (knives, guns, etc.), steel holder and everything you can do and imagine that revolves in this case around the knife.
- Extremely durable and durable material for making knife sheabbs.
Conclusions
It is a super material for the construction of knife sheaders.
The variety of colors and patterns allows you to make creative scabbards at a low cost.
Faster to do than leather chainstays that are certainly of greater value but also in this case it also depends on the type of knife and the use of destination.
Are you experience?
Andrea
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