Members Red Cent Posted May 31, 2016 Members Report Posted May 31, 2016 I am starting to build a vacuum mold box. Construction is rather straight forward but I need info on the membrane. I believe there is stuff that works well so I thought I would ask the experienced people before I bought any. I will be doing concealed carry and some of them will be the hybrid holster consisting of some kydex/plastic. I need something thin enough to give me some decent detail and strong enough to take the HD shop vac. Opinions anyone? Quote https://www.facebook.com/redcentcustomleather?ref=bookmarks http://www.redcentcustomleather.com/
Members Dwight Posted May 31, 2016 Members Report Posted May 31, 2016 (edited) Go to Joann Fabrics, . . . look at their clear vinyl, . . . that is what mine is made out of, . . I'll see if I can get some dimensions, . . . etc for you. But if you are doing kydex, . . . you DO NOT need a vac box, . . . just get it droopy hot, . . . lay it on the gun, . . . drop a cold wet wash cloth on the kydex, . . . it's molded. Trim and go.................. May God bless, Dwight Edited May 31, 2016 by Dwight Quote If you can breathe, . . . thank God. If you can read, . . . thank a teacher. If you are reading this in English, . . . thank a veteran. www.dwightsgunleather.com
Members Dwight Posted May 31, 2016 Members Report Posted May 31, 2016 Red, . . . the material itself is .0012 thick, . . . I contact cemented a strip about 2 inches wide all the way around the 18 by 26 bag. The seal is made by two pieces of plastic pipe, . . . one has the bag wrapped around it, . . . the outside part is slotted to slide over the bag and the inside piece, . . . makes a good seal. I use the little white cutting board behind flat backed holsters, . . . keeping them from getting folded up. This has always served me well. In fact, I made a reverse fold (sewing goes down the sight track) holster for a 1911, . . . made the mistake of shoving the gun down into the holster when it dried, . . . thought for a few minutes I would cut the thing off. It was one of the first ones I did, . . . made a believer out of me. May God bless, Dwight Quote If you can breathe, . . . thank God. If you can read, . . . thank a teacher. If you are reading this in English, . . . thank a veteran. www.dwightsgunleather.com
Members chiefjason Posted May 31, 2016 Members Report Posted May 31, 2016 Go here and look. This membrane is what I use. Don't really use it for leather though. Not cheap, but if you take care of them they last a long time. I've been using the current one for several months. http://www.ifithermoplastics.com/products/hd-industrial-design Quote
Members Red Cent Posted May 31, 2016 Author Members Report Posted May 31, 2016 Hey Dwight, made me a kydex press a few years back. Use a heat gun if I need to touch things up. Press is a little of a pain. I use a food vacuum bagger at the present. Can't keep the wrinkles from the plastic out of my leather and spend time rubbing them out. Does a decent job. Recently bought a 20 ton shop press that is great at punching leather. Be putting air over hydraulic on it soon. Could take care of the kydex and mold problem. Dwight, do you have a vacuum box? The mold box intrigues me. One could make ten mag pouches or five holsters or whatever, all at one time with a reasonable size box. Chief, do you have a vacuum box? Quote https://www.facebook.com/redcentcustomleather?ref=bookmarks http://www.redcentcustomleather.com/
Members Dwight Posted June 1, 2016 Members Report Posted June 1, 2016 No, . . . no vacuum box, . . . got a vacuum bag, . . . and it works wonderfully. Sometimes it works too good. I'm a "one at a time" guy, . . . prefer that to production, . . . did production in the factory for 30 years, . . . done with it. Pitch the food bagger, . . . it's made for food, . . . not for leather. See the other posts above, . . . no wrinkles, . . . no problems, . . . just a really good mold every time. Takes a bit of "thinking" sometimes to get it to come out the way you want it to, . . . but all in all I prefer it over a press, . . . actually dismantled my leather press, . . . sold some of the stuff off it, . . . never use one again. May God bless, Dwight Quote If you can breathe, . . . thank God. If you can read, . . . thank a teacher. If you are reading this in English, . . . thank a veteran. www.dwightsgunleather.com
Members Ken G Posted June 1, 2016 Members Report Posted June 1, 2016 I use a high temperature silicone membrane from McMaster-Carr. The item I ordered was 8632k51 which appears to have been discontinued. The new number with the closest description is 1460N31. It is 1/32" 40A durometer with a 500 degree max temperature rating. I use it to mold kydex shells for hybrid holsters and have used it to mold some leather also. I originally used a shop vac but get much better results with a rotary vane vacuum pump. Quote
Members Red Cent Posted June 1, 2016 Author Members Report Posted June 1, 2016 aaaaaah, gettin' there. I would suppose the rotary vane pump has some serious power over the shop vac. I was surprised at the reasonable prices also. Ken, did you build a box? And thank you very much for the info. Dwight ol' boy, you are regressing. Actually the food vacuum does a good job. Small area and the wrinkles are the problems. Difficult to get gun and wet leather in that little bag. The ability to have a large area to lay the mold gun down, lay leather on it, drop a frame with the membrane attached and not have to mess with it sounds good. Now the valves and hoses. I am getting a few requests for mag holders an hybrid holsters that I have turned down. Quote https://www.facebook.com/redcentcustomleather?ref=bookmarks http://www.redcentcustomleather.com/
Members klaykrusher Posted June 1, 2016 Members Report Posted June 1, 2016 (edited) Red Cent, here a couple links I found as I am interested in this also, although I will probably go Dwight's route. Didn't really compare items so not sure if pricing/quality is reasonable or not. Amazon Blugunstore Thermapress HD Design - Sells by the foot And a video of Particle using his vacuum bag similar to what Dwight explained. (Ifin you haven't seen this already) Particle's Leather Vacuum Press Forgot to ask: What are folks recommending for the pump? Edited June 1, 2016 by klaykrusher edit Quote ~Dave
Members Dwight Posted June 1, 2016 Members Report Posted June 1, 2016 For the pump, . . . this is what I use...........http://www.harborfreight.com/25-cfm-vacuum-pump-98076.html May God bless, Dwight Quote If you can breathe, . . . thank God. If you can read, . . . thank a teacher. If you are reading this in English, . . . thank a veteran. www.dwightsgunleather.com
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