Moulding plastic - for a knife handle or holster ???

Hi ... I would like to ask fro help to find the proper ENGLISH word/name for what I'm looking for.

I would like to make a plastic handle (for a knife) and a holster. My grandpa had a stuff for this, where he moulded it, put the metal part of the knife handle inside and left it to become hard.

I have found something like the POLYMORPH but I'm just a little bit concern - wouldn't it be to soft ??? Or the low melting point ???

The stuff that my grandpa used became hard as a rock. And when you wanted to remove it, you had to break it ... and it breaks exactly like rock, glass (it wasn't soft).

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

Comments

[steveastrouk]

Epoxy resins, or polyurethane resins are the things to use.

Steve

[aeray]

I believe you are looking for Kydex, like this: http://www.instructables.com/id/Fun-With-KYDEX/

[zholy]

Thanks for this as well. I didn't thought that KYDEX is so easy to work with. This would be definitely better way to do a holster.

Now, there is just a question where to get it from in UK. I have found only one shop (maybe I didn't try enough) and that seems to be more expensive than shipping it from Canada (on ebay) al the way here, to UK.

Thanks again.

[aeray]

Kydex is mostly PVC and CPVC, materials most easily found in plumbing piping. Instructables member Thinkenstein is the undisputed master of PVC here, so I'd suggest checking out some of his stuff.

[kelseymh]

There are three brand names that I know about, Polymorph, Shapelock, and Friendly Plastics. They are low temperature (about 55-60 C) softening, which you prepare by simmering in water, and they harden quite rigid at room temperature. They're reusable, so if you just reheat it, you can remove it or reshape it as needed.

A recently featured Instructable uses Shapelock; you can find comments and sources there.

[zholy]

I've read that - thank you. But I can't get rid of the feeling, that in summer if you would left the knife out on the sun (it's an outdoor knife) that by using it, it would serve its purpose.

I really don't know, but it's just a thought. It was even mentioned on one of the manufacturer web site (Shapelock or polymorh or something beginning with "I").

[rickharris]

polymorph sets hard - you can drill it etc after it has set.