DIY KYDEX® Project : How to make a 1-Piece Holster (Feat. Christian Green)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- In this HolsterSmith.com DIY video, Christian Green of www.GreenForceT... offers a wealth of holster making secrets. During the DIY holster making instruction, he shows us his personal method for designing and forming a basic 1-piece (taco-style) holster for a M&P Shield. Watch Christian as he demonstrates the steps necessary to plan and construct a thermoform holster for a modern handgun. Included in this presentation are segments on material layout, forming prep, scoring-and-breaking, toaster oven material heating, press-forming, eyelet installation (including flaring), profiling, trimming and edge sanding.
This is a great video for beginners to intermediate holster makers who want to learn the basic procedures of professional thermoform holster making.
Information about mounting attachments to a holster can be found at the following video playlist:
Attachment Mounting Tutorial Playlist: • Attachment Mounting Tu...
Quick Links:
www.GreenForceT... (Christian Green)
Supplies Link:
www.holstersmi...
CKK Industries, Inc.
www.holstersmit...
www.knifekits.com
Your instruction method is awesome. I will definitely be subscribing!
Informative and very well done production. Thank You Sir.
Thank you, Frank!
Well done thanks for your time greatly appreciated 👍
well done
Muito bom. Parabéns pelo trabalho e pelo vídeo.
Christian is a wizard! A very smart man who can relay his knowledge while explaining why he thinks how he thinks. I love Green Force!
Cool!
Can you use an actual firearm to make your holster, or is the heat from the kydex a problem?
Hi Alexus. You can use the actual firearm to make the holster with. Some people wrap it with blue tape before doing it to prevent scratching, etc. It's not required, though.
depends, with enough heat / pressure/ time , you can "bananna" a polymer frame... i haz seen me do it... in any case, one of the DIY molds for your pistol is a safe investment, both for holstering, and for practice that does not involve shooting..
Hey you sound a bit like Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman)
Crushonius I picked that up right away also!
thank you.....
ron is my spirit animal....
Anyone ever tell you that you look like a hipster Khal Drogo? Also great vid. Best kydex vid I've seen so far.
no, but thank you...
about the heating level..
325 Fahrenheit degrees ? Or 325 Celsius degrees?
325 Celsius would fuck shit up
Great but how do you attach it to a holster?
This video was holster-only. Here are a couple with attachment mountings.
th-cam.com/video/3jsQP_w4RaY/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/xyUqTwkzmp8/w-d-xo.html
What if you don’t have the thermometer thing
Thermometers are nice, but you can do it without one. Make sure your KYDEX® material is heated enough to be evenly pliable, similar to the sheet in the video coming out of the oven. You're better off bringing up your temp., rather than overcooking by setting initial temp. too high.
For a quick temp reference: If you can boil water at your current temperature you're above 212F (100C).
How many times can one rehead and reshape kydex?
As many times as you need.
can you use a microwave to heat the Kydex ?
No. Do NOT use a microwave.
please no
What material is this foam? Press?
All of the options for presses as well as the descriptions can be found at www.holstersmith.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=548_524.
The guys says kydexs over 30 times i think he really likes kydexs
Let me add one, "Kydex"! ;-)
Kydex, i would like to thank my sponsors, Kydex, and have a happy kydex day...
no audio
I hear the music from the intro but than it stops. Video is fine. Just no audio which is weird. No issues with other video or audio.
I don't know I can solve all my computer issues just this one stumps me.
On my headphones, the right channel cut out. The left one has audio. Tested my headphones on other audio and they both work. FYI.
No sound to video dude
Nice Stache. I highly approve good sir. Making my first holster today! Full kydex followed by hybrid if it goes well. I have only done full leather thus far so this will be exciting!
Great video,Being a welder Fabricator of 30 years I enjoy hands on video's I just had one question would It help to put like a pizza stone in the oven because when I anneal knives I notice It will hold an even and more constant heat and temperature and would be a benefit If you are doing multiple holsters one after the other.. Just a suggestion. I'll be buying my first ccw holster I'll be looking forward to doing business with you. Looks like you have a great product.
Wow, I hadn't thought about doing that. That's a great idea. If I try it, and it works, we'll name the technique "The Arcturus Stone"!
;-)
Well spoken, clear, and good flow
Brother I hope You still make holsters! I’ve been dealing with the guys that started just like everyone else. Now they ONLY want to make cookie cutter holsters. They come right out and say it’s about the dollar. Had We known this before, They never would have gotten so big and smug. I want a kydex holster for my Beretta APX combat with a mini Baldr and a Burris fast fire three. I don’t even think the Burris is a problem! The lights have been out forever. I know some of these vids are years old but quality never goes out of style. And Yes I’m willing to pay. Thank You for Your time. God Bless.
like this video for the mustache, also good infpormation
Excellent tutorial, thanks. Considered GFT doing a few holsters, but the prices on the site are about double what I expected, so I'll do my own. Thanks again.
its cool man.. thats how i started... but workmans comp and taxes, they take a bite..
I've been wanting to get into the custom kydex holster making business for a while. Could you give me around about number on what it'd cost me to get into this business? I live in the country and have two big shop buildings one big enough to store all the finished products an the other to do all the work in plus I have almost all the tools I'd need it looks like from the video besides the press an couple other things but just curious if it'd be worth trying to get into or not where I live (Oklahoma) everyone is big on guns an I'm pretty sure I'd be the only kydex holster maker around in the state to be honest.
Hi Austin. Just give us a call at 877-255-6433, and we will be happy to talk you through what you need to get going!
Ps. Probably not a good idea to use your normal toaster oven, that you use for cooking your food. Just really not a good idea. Just fyi.
I can smell the second smell...hummm, wonder what compound those are…
Davis Cynthia Gonzalez Richard Lewis Deborah
Truly awesome video. Great job! You have a gift for patiently and precisely explaining the process. Not everyone can do that. This video makes the entire process crystal clear and understandable to all. There is no longer any mystery to the process, and most folks can do it. You also have the neatest shop area in the world. Kudos to you!
finely a complete video from start to finish
great vid, but what about the clip? where/how would you attach it to that holster?
We will be going over that in future videos. There are hundreds of different attachments, and the blocking will vary by attachment. The blocking for various attachments can be found at www.holstersmith.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=548_744.
Here's another one, "clip"??!!! I don't support ignorance. please provide genuine info/correct terms PLEASE DUDE!
@@patrickholcomb9628 pretty sure the guy means a clip for fastening to a belt
Shoot before you read! ;-(
@@KnifeKits There nothing funnier than some idiot jumping on someone else and not having a clue what's going on. Hilarious! I guess I should add some exclamation points and capital letters to show my anger :)) Hahaha! Gotta love patrick.
Great instruction! Christian should be a teacher, he communicates very well.
A Very Nice video. Professional. Clear. Concise. No BS. Thank You.
Could you make this without a press
Can you heat the KYDEX? If so, you can press it with something as simple as plywood and molding foam. Here's a link to the kind of foam to use. www.holstersmith.com/vcom/molding-presses-foam-molding-foams-c-548_524_810.html
Great instructional . I want to learn more about that press..
You can find out more about our presses at www.holstersmith.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=548_524.
hello bro super video I just subscribed I think it's INCREDIBLE what you do but I have a question and is if instead of Kydex I could use PVC sheets???? since I don't have the possibility to acquire the kydex... thank you!
El horno lo calientas antes y a cuantos grados
Wow. Fantastic tutorial!
Bud we can’t see anything inside that little toaster oven 😂😂😂 “you can see here” “as you can see in here”... no we can’t 😂😂😂
Thank you for watching! I know you can't see inside the oven, but there's a lot of hot action going on in there... :-)
Great video. Well taught.
I'm hoping to get some material to make a few holsters for myself. I also want to get a few white kydex sheets to put my own design on. I have everything to do custom designs on kydex. I just need to do it. Great video.
That grinder made my skin crawl...
It sounds like fingernails on a chalk board...
Other than that GREAT VIDEO!!
Jesse Martin I didn’t know a chalk board and a grinder make the same noise
you should hear it in person... these were tools set up brand new for the filming.... it was quite rowdy
Cuantos minutos, dejas el Kydex en el horno eléctrico
No hay tiempo establecido. Deje que el kydex llegue a alrededor de 300 grados, donde verá que comienza a hundirse en el estante (o se vuelve flexible al tacto - cuidado, no queme su mano.) Espero que esto ayude.
"Always be Awesome!" Words to live by, love it💯
great video Chris. I love the commercial within the video!!
Great video, very well put together and easy to follow. Thank you for posting and disregard the comments about your mustache, it's absolutely brealyant!
i look back and also think "Man, that moustache was outta control!!"
Belt clip attachment would have closed the video out nicely.
Hi Danny. Thanks for watching. I agree with you. We've started adding clips and mountings to all of our newer holster making videos. Thanks for the suggestion.
Cool video but by the time I buy all that equipment it doesn't make sense to DIY. You can get a kydex holster for less than $20 online.
You're right. If you only need one, and you're cool with one basic color (black) and texture (haircell), you can buy a holster for less than you can make one for. The problem is, most of us need more than one. We also produce over 300 styles of sheet color, thickness, graphic prints, sizes and textures. ( www.holstersmith.com/vcom/materials-c-546.html ) Options, baby!
Just getting into making Kydex and my brain is cooking up many ideas on what to make custom for my applications for weapons, knives, handlebar mounted cup holders for my fathers motorcycle ( he is an iron butt long distance motorcycle rider ) and the list goes on.
I will check out your website for supplies. Thanks for the well done tutorial.
Good job guy! Can you tell me the list of equipments of this DIY? Thank you very much in advance.
Just give us a call at 877-255-6433, and we will be happy to help you.
top congratulations amigo. BRASIL tmj
Hi Anderson, Thank you!
Anyone know the intro song? I wanna hear the rest of it. It's like Linkin Park meets Dethklok!
can the cutting be done on a band saw? if wood or metal blade?
Thanks for watching, TC! Yes, we cut KYDEX with bandsaws daily. You can use any type of blade. Some will leave a better edge than others.
How does it stay hooked on your pants and what are the holes for
That's done with a mounting attachment, like a belt loop or IWB strap. The outer holes are eyelets that hold the Kydex together, but you can also use those for assembling your mount on, depending on what type you use. Here's a link to all of the different types that you can use: www.holstersmith.com/vcom/mountings-c-547.html
Let us know if you need more help!
you are amazing! gr8 work
I've been looking for a holster for my Taurus 740 slim and 2 mags was looking for a way to email you no luck can you help this look good thanks
Do you ever have issues with the foam retaining the shape of the project and transfer if it to the kydex
Not unless the foam is in really bad shape, or it's exceptionally cold when you start the next pressing. Generally the marks from the previous pressing will smooth out when you apply pressure to the next job. We recommend that you make sure your foam is at room temperature, or slightly higher when you start. (not too hot, though!)
@@KnifeKits ok thanks
Very informative great job
Sweet stache dude 👍🏻
Enjoyed the video and gained some knowledge. Thank you very much
Do you have a video on how to make the press?
Here's everything we have: www.holstersmith.com/vcom/tools-molding-presses-foam-c-548_524.html
Now ! For the rest of the story.
Very good sir
Great tutorial, thank you for the guidance.
Thank you!
Everything is quite instructive and understandable. But why spend so much material, and then cut off half? And in my opinion, it is better to press the grommet at the very end, otherwise it is more difficult to remove dust after processing.
if you don't eyelet before polishing, you end up with an edge composed of 2 rounded surfaces coming together, like the front of a "B" instead of a seamless edge, its a preference thing, and if you eyelt them clean, then nothing that wont rinse out can get in that gap
does that help?
This is excellent.
Thank you for watching, Doug.
What is the difference of presses with the mega foam versus without
Where does one get that forming press?
You can get all of the tools at www.holstersmith.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=548.
What’s the press made of? Internals
This page will give a good explanation of our presses: www.holstersmith.com/vcom/tools-molding-presses-foam-c-548_524.html
Would Kydex be an appropriate material to make a "scabbard" for an hatchet? For me, the important part would be to cover the sharp edge of the hatchet so that nobody is injured while the ax is in transport. IF Kydex is a good material, would the important issue to be to heat the material and then fold it over the sharp edge and then rivet the remaining sides (and perhaps include a snap to keep the hatchet contained in the sheath? Lastly, for those of us whose spouse would kill if we used our toaster oven for such a project, would a heat gun soften the material sufficiently to allow for a permanent bend?
Hi Tom. Thanks for watching. You can use KYDEX®, HOLSTEX®, or Boltaron. All will work fine using the same method as the holster made in the video. Look at the 3rd image below the main image here ... www.truenorthknives.com/vcom/product_info.php?cPath=668&products_id=8683
The above is a good design model as a starting point.
All the materials begin here: www.knifekits.com/vcom/holster-making-materials-c-1071.html
Enjoy.
Nice project mate!
How would you put on the belt clip?
Hi Louie. It depends on what kind of belt clip you're attaching, but you basically drill mounting holes and use slotted post assemblies to attach. This link will show you some of the assemblies: www.holstersmith.com/vcom/hardware-mounting-assemblies-c-553_560.html
You belong on PBS with your own DYI show!
Stay tuned. ;-)
i dont think i could fill Bob Ross's Shoes
Great
Here’s a small tip for those that want to try this
Before cutting, take a white crayon or something you can make marks for the shape, was cut you can’t replace material, once you’ve done this a few times you might. It need to do this anymore
i like a good old pencil, it comes off easy, and doesnt go in the pores that open up in the plastic when heated, think tattoo
Blaster scabbard... I'm going to use that term from now on. Also great video, thank you!
Hi Sir Woolly! Thank you for watching!
When making a kydex holster for a pistol, how thick should the kydex be?
Hi James. Thanks for watching. We recommend .080 on small to mid-sized pistols and .093 on larger ones.
How to you add the holster clips to attach it to a duty belt with outbtje screws scratching the frame of the fire arm.
Hi Duffchaser. Use a spacer to create the recesses between the frame and Kydex. That's what the mounting templates here (www.holstersmith.com/vcom/mountings-mounting-templates-c-547_692.html) do. You can use stacked washers, wood, just about anything to create them with. Check out this video to see a similar idea. I've clipped it at the time where the template is being mounted ( th-cam.com/video/xyUqTwkzmp8/w-d-xo.html ). Let us know if you need more help.
Is there another video where you show how to attach a clip or belt slide?
I’m interested in seeing that process.
We're filming them now. We'll have them posted after the next knife kit build-out video. I believe the first one includes the combat loop - > www.holstersmith.com/vcom/belt-loops-dcl-combat-loop-holstersheath-mount-large-p-5323.html
My left ear learned a lot
Your headphone connection may be an issue. I hear it from both sides.
Where does the belt clip go
Hey Jimbo,
The placement of the belt clip on a holster is mostly based on personal preference. The determining factors are ride height, cant, and more importantly comfort. If you want to know more about a specific belt clip and how to mount it, call us. We will be happy to help. www.holstersmith.com/vcom/contact_us.php
CKK Industries I've tried to contact you all no luck can you help please
Cracking presentation. Kydex will save me time instead of fibreglass.
Do you have a Steyr S9 1st gen molder?????
I agree with many comments, great instructions, well communicated.
I found this video doing research on holster creation. My family is full of gun toting biker veterans and this year after seeing some of their choice sidearms I decided to make them all customized gun holsters. Personally I love appendix carrying a wide variety of arms and don't remember making a lot of home crafted kydex goods so this video piqued my interest. I'm glad it contained useful information in an entertaining fashion. Most of the fam uses big 1911s with giant hammers though so a different type of holster might be what I'm looking to make or will end up settling on. Some of my Texan relatives are on the tall/slim side and should be fine with whatever I send as long as it fits their weapons. Embellishment will be an issue because they already have a ton of holsters each and might be a bit selective on their picked gear. However some of my gun toting maniac relatives have become rotund in old age much like yours truly. I wonder if you have any additional holster creation/tailoring/wearing/fitting tips and tricks specifically in regard to custom fitting gear to oddly shaped people. One part of holster creation I remember being challenging for me was planning the fit of someone's gear specifically for comfort of extended wear. People let their holsters scar them. Folks have different hips and all of them move differently. There is no uniform size to people or stride. Surprising people with a custom piece that fits well and doesn't chafe over greater periods of time is quite complicated and becomes tougher the more factors there are to build for. Figuring out how to cut down on a holsters tendency throughout the day to day wear and tear to gradually break firearms over time is a gear engineer's nightmare in itself. There were more weapons in my first two years inspecting others' holsters and tactical pistols in junior high that busted just from resting in their holsters on the belts of furious law enforcement men than in all the time I spent fixing or tuning infantry rifles for active soldiers, vets, and police since. Believe it or not once upon a time I had military rifles that had been shot by heavy sharpshooter's precision rounds through the magwell so violently that the actions warped severely. Though the mag had dropped out of the magwell when shot the rifle still functioned through the rest of the day as a single shot weapon. One smart, educated looking policeman that I remember meeting in junior high let me inspect his holster and service pistol. It was bent so badly in the holster that at first glance it looked like it had a gentle boomerang curve to it. It was soooo busted... The slide movement was so spastic and loose that upon firing it that black powder residue and smoke came out of the back of the slide above the grips. I remember cringing as the firearm went off, alarmed at the unpredictable movement, and blushing in embarassment with tears welling up in my eyes over how shoddy his firearm was. At first I thought the policeman must have been getting too excited when he drew his service pistol in self defense, and, impassioned, furiously rage gripped his pistol until it broke from the overly strong/poor grip technique he employed. Further inspection later that same day of both the pistol and his daily OWB gunbelt holster proved that his pistol functioned like shit nearly completely because of his holster and only slightly because of his poor weapon handling. Though he claimed that his heavily worn out oven-cured leather holster was "fine" my little kid eyes kept spotting flaws in everything adult made. Not sure how to appease the agitated man in front of me as a child I swore instead to spend a lot of time studying leather holstercrafting technique and perfecting draws for all to learn from me. I would make the perfect carved leather holsters, I had sworn. They would not only improve retention without stressing a sidearm, and draw speed, but rapid drawing would be silent. Those promised items were removed from my to do list with perfect models made before I finished high school. If only I could remember up or down of my crafting days! I only have a basic seven second recollection of carving leather to great definition to reflect upon. Apart from surprising loved with gifts I also hope to recover some of my fine crafting talent through lovingly crafting them personalized (what hopefully ends up being) keepsakes. Good job on the video and god bless.
When it comes to ergonomic curvature, one size definitely does not fit all. Some makers will get their client to form a piece of wire around their carry position (a thick coat hanger wire will usually work, but thicker is better), then send it to them in a oversized shipping box. As long as it doesn't deform during transit, it should give you a basic idea as to their natural curvature. Once you have that, you can make a custom form that will fit them more accurately. Thank you for the compliments!
wow
Drinking game... every time he says kydex...
Lot of chatter from that scroll saw, innit?
Thanks for watching, Jon. Yes, you're right.
@@KnifeKits You bet, I watched the whole thing and that was a great video! Chatter didnt seem to matter in the end 😂
Any one can do it with perfect tools... i havent had a scroll saw in my shop for years... bandsaws.. the cheap disposable ones from homeless despot.. i was also terrified of the scoll saw monster...
what would happen if you use your real firearm to make a mold? does the kydex cause any damage ?
wian vrey
It won’t hurt anything.
I have no sound. Vid looks good but would be great to hear.
The sound works perfectly. Check your volume and speakers.
Same here heard the intro music and that was it
Is the toaster over still safe to use for food?
Good video. I was hoping to see how to attach a clip or loop though. Good basic instructional video though.
I don't have much experience with Kydex, but from other videos I've seen, anytime after forming it you can just put a piece of wood inside the holster to receive a drill bit without marring our deforming the holster, measure, mark, and drill the holes where they will line up with the holes in the pocket or belt clip you have, then attach the clip to the holster with the usual two rivets. You can use pop rivets, or the same kind of rivets used in leatherworking, or the kind with a pan head on one end that you have to peen on the other end. If you're not familiar with the latter two, the ones they use for leather holsters work just fine. You'll have to buy a bag of rivets an inexpensive driver tool to install them, but like I said, they're not expensive and you can keep using it for a long time if you plan on making more holsters.
nice job teaching as well as craftsman ship.
How do you connect it to molle?
Thanks Chris.
BELT CLIP?
What type of clip do you use with this hoster
Hi Jesus,
That depends on your carry style. How do you want to carry?
Very well done----Thank you
Hi D Zack. Thank you for watching!
No sound after intro?
How many degrees do you heat kydex?
There is not really a set temperature. You are looking for the Kydex to sag uniformly. That lets you know that it is heated properly. Depending on the thickness of the Kydex and any potential outside variables it will usually be somewhere between 320F and 350F. The key is to heat it slowly because it needs to heat all the way through.
its Cº or Fº degress
F degree
It's Fº. Thanks for watching!