Kydex in the kitchen stove?

March 28, 2015 4:53 PM

Should I heat Kydex in my kitchen oven if I don't have a toaster oven just for this?

I know that my (gas) oven can easily handle the task of heating up Kydex, evenly and gently. But I am afraid of the smell permanently making my oven stinky, and also about the possibility of toxic fumes in my house and specifically in my food-prep machine. So with framing in place that suggests I already know that I should go buy a cheap toaster oven for this…

Have any of you used your kitchen oven for Kydex? Can I use a pot of boiling water, like I have done with styrene and Insta-Loc? Can I use a hair-dryer? I am just getting started, and I don't want to double the cost of entry for a job I may never do again.

Thanks for any suggestions!

posted by wenestvedt to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

Response by poster: (Apparently I am the only person on the Internet who is NOT using Kydex to make a pistol holster or knife sheath. I am going to make a hard shell for my car remote, which triggers my wife's car's door locks several times a day because I carry it in my pocket. I already made on with styrene sheet that is OK, but it uncurls a little and I want something that will stay 100% rigid. I found four sheets of it on EBay for chump change, and I have already figured out how to shape it, but I will bail on this if it's going to ruin my oven or make me buy small appliance that I can't use elsewhere.)
posted by wenestvedt at 4:56 PM on March 28, 2015

Mod note: A couple of comments deleted. Please note that OP says "I already know that I should go buy a cheap toaster oven for this," but is specifically asking about non-toaster oven options.
posted by taz (staff) at 1:31 AM on March 29, 2015

Some people seem to be using a heat gun. I know, more stuff to buy, but it might be more useful than an extra oven.
posted by Thug at 3:44 AM on March 29, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: TBH, I would be grateful to know how many people reminded me what I already know. I can be thick-headed sometimes, so the louder the chorus of common sense, the better!
posted by wenestvedt at 5:02 AM on March 29, 2015 [1 favorite]

This guy does.
posted by kjs4 at 8:15 PM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I got one MeMail strongly advising me that my kitchen isn't a place for working with this material, so I am going to have to figure out an alternative. Thank you to everyone who responded!
posted by wenestvedt at 5:58 AM on April 6, 2015

Response by poster: And as a final update, I decided to use some thin styrene sheeting (that I heated in boiling water, bent into shape, and glued with CA glue) instead. It provided a fantastic fix, so the kydex is on a shelf, waiting until I can score a cheap heat gun.

Thanks again, all!
posted by wenestvedt at 11:24 AM on May 18, 2015