Holster Part 1 1/2

Sorry that I haven't finished this already, things are taking longer than expected. A few days ago I received my kydex sheet in the mail and it was thicker than I had planned. About two years ago when I got my 1911 I made some kydex magazine holsters and the kydex I used was what I thought 0.093" thickness, which was in fact 0.080". So I ordered 0.080" thick kydex for this holster thinking it would be thinner and it isn't. It is still do-able, but it is harder to mold with that I had planned. So my first trial run did not turn out as good as I wanted. I only used a small section of kydex, so I still have enough to take another stab at it, but the next time I will be doing some things differently. Here are some things that I have learned...

Use a toaster oven or conventional oven to heat the kydex instead of a heat gun.

I thought that because I am using a small piece of kydex I could just use my heat gun, but because of having to hold it in different spots it did not heat evenly. Next time I am going to use my oven set at around 230*-240* and monitor it so it doesn't melt.

Use some sort of foam while applying pressure when molding the kydex

I tried several DIY methods while molding the kydex and because I do not have a press it did not turn out as defined as I would have liked. I was able to get a good shape by applying direct pressure with oven mitts on different areas at a time. It took a while, but I was able to make a solid shape that held the gun, BUT it looked very loose. I am chalking it up to lack of a press and thicker kydex. To remedy this problem I plan on making a foam press out of some scrap wood and foam (either walmart camping pad foam or order some actual kydex press foam online). I have some plans rattling around in my head of how to make one, so when I do that I will have to post my how-to.

Get correct size kydex for your application

What I need is some 0.060" thick kydex. This is by far easier to work with and it is not as bulky. Now, I am not saying that it can't be done with what I have, I would have liked to have the thinner stuff. I try not to waste materials and because what I have is thicker, it is great for my magazine holsters. You want material that can take a beating and not snap when pressure is applied. The thicker material is good for the integrated belt loop that I include in my magazine holsters. You do not want that snapping when ripping the magazine out in a fast reload. Also, these are not concealed, so they need to be able to take a beating like getting snagged on clothing or from personal experience, get snagged on doors (I don't know how this happens to me, maybe I just don't realize how fat I really am). 

Location, Location, Location

After I finished the rough mock-up I realized that my gun sits too high on the holster. At first, I thought that it was just the way I was looking at it on the table, but once I put it on, it was very clear. I thought that I put the kydex mold low enough based on the location of the gun on the leather back, but it needed to go lower. Another reason this happened was that the kydex was too low on the gun itself. I wanted to make sure that I covered the trigger guard completely, but it shifted during the molding process and ended up lower, thus raising the gun's location on the holster. This will be solved by the press and using the oven for even heat distribution.

Plan for problems/human error

Going into this I was a little bit cocky because of my past experience with working with leather and kydex. I found out fast that I need to be open to things not working out as planned and not give up, but push forward. I did have some choice words with my heat gun and kydex, but now I know what to expect and the next attempt will hopefully be smoother and produce a better product. This was a great learning experience.