Best Way To Modify Kydex?

[Navy87Guy]

I recently picked up an older Blade-Tech holster for my CZ 97B. The front of the holster is solid, not "relieved" to provide for quicker clearance from the holster. It looks like it would be easy enough to cut a notch to make it match the front profile of a Stingray or DOH holster.

Here's my question: what's the easiest/best way to cut Kydex? Dremel tool? By hand? Using heat?

I've never tried it before but I don't want to screw up a usable holster by experimenting. If anyone has any experience, I'd appreciate your recommendations.

Thanks!

Jim

[vluc]

Heat - hot air gun or a hair dryer. Take your time, know what you want to do. I've modded several mag carriers from one type of gun to another with sucess. Just be patient.

[Larry White]

If you are trying to remove material, dremmel it, to reshape use heat.-----Larry

[TBF]

I have dremeled on Kydex with the replaceble sandpaper cylinders .

This was just to smooth and contour stuff , might be a little slow for your use.

Staying in one place too long will heat the Kydex and make it stick to the sandpaper roll.

Kydex is cool stuff , heat it with a hairdryer and you can make " adjustments " , heat it with a torch ( be careful it scorches and burns easily ) and you can make radical changes .

When heated enough Kydex gets as easy to bend as rubber , hold it in place until it cools and it becomes just like it was , only in a different shape.

Travis F.

[shred]

The Dremel metal 'spiral bit' (looks sorta like a drill they cut wrong or a high-helix mill-- a long spiral flute) is awesome on Kydex, eats through it like mad. Goes all sorts of places you don't want it to as well unless you are careful to control it.

[stingerjg]

The Dremel metal 'spiral bit' (looks sorta like a drill they cut wrong or a high-helix mill-- a long spiral flute) is awesome on Kydex, eats through it like mad. Goes all sorts of places you don't want it to as well unless you are careful to control it.

Like over your thumbs and fingers if it catches on the material.

[vincent]

A small hand jigsaw wth a fine tooth blade also works well. Clean up with a dremel. I also like the "polish" the edges with a clean cloth buffing wheel on a dremel. At high speed you're really kinda melting the edges but it comes out nice.

[Navy87Guy]

Thanks for all the advice. I ended up using my Dremel with the spiral bit. It was kind of like using a roto-tool on wood or drywall. The bit did melt the Kydex, so the edges came out pretty smooth. I dressed them up with a conical sander and it turned out pretty nice. Now I have enough clearance to get the gun out without having to draw it all the way up. A pretty good solution for now!

Jim

[SRT Driver]

since you are done this is moot but..

When Kydex melts or the temp is raised to 400+ degrees it emits hydrogen choride. HC is bad news in a closed area!!!

When you heat/cut it, don't get it too hot. When the edges look shiny..that is too hot.

[Garrett]

When Kydex melts or the temp is raised to 400+ degrees it emits hydrogen choride. HC is bad news in a closed area!!!

Hmmm. You saying the time I made/formed some kydex mag pouches on one side of the BBQ grill while cooking dinner over the other side was a bad thing?

I bet I've got the only mag pouches that smell like chicken though!