Kydex holster making problems

[cranduit]

Hi all,
I've been working on making my own holsters and mag holders but it never quite turned out right. I used the cheap camping mat foam method and I was never really getting any side definition. I decided that I should just spring for the good stuff and maybe that would help. It did help some, but I'm still having some problems.

Basically, I'm getting ok definition in my mind, but the sides slope down slowly rather than fit tight. I have some pictures and I will try to explain what I mean.

In this first picture you can see next to the trigger it just kind of lays there, sloping way out and even making my rivets sit crooked.


The slide side is a lot better, but I'm still not seeing what I would like.


Top view showing that the definition is ok, the holster grips the gun well enough, especially with a belt wrapped around it.


By comparison (a Crossbreed SuperTuck) I know I'm not a pro so I'm not expecting anything perfect but this is more like the results I want.


I have a Raven Concealment, a Comp-Tac, and several other random holsters so I know the pros can do it right. I'm just looking for some advice to step me in the right direction. I tried a Raven style double mag pouch earlier (2 pieces of kydex sandwiched) but the sides didn't meet up well at all, so bad that I just re-heated the kydex and made some other trinket instead. Any help is appreciated.

For now I'll just make mag holders like the ones found on the Brian Enos Kitchen Kydex thread. I can at least nail together a jig to make those look nice!

 

[rjstew317]

you could try using a heat gun and manually manipulating the sides in for a tighter fit after the initial formation.

 

[BlueEagle]

Thats what I do. If I want a tighter fit, I just hit it with a heat gun for 15 seconds or so, and then press it down with my fingers, (wear gloves,) and hold for 15 or 20 seconds while it hardens.

I generally leave it alone on the slide-side, though; I like having that extra room there, saves me from having to make sure I have room for the sights.

 

[amhenry]

Temperature and clamping pressure will have an effect on how steep an angle you can get off the edge of the gun. When I first started working kydex I used a toaster that I bought from Goodwill. Temperature was set by a poorly marked lever, not a dial. Getting the temp just right for maximum pliability w/out scorching took some trial and error.

Tucking it in with a heat gun is also a perfectly viable option. I would recommend blocking out a sight channel instead of trusting the the drape of the kydex to give you enough clearance. I use a small square pieces of ash with a V notch cut in the end so that it fits forward onto the front sight. This keeps the piece from slipping around under clamping pressure.

Overall, the holster looks good.