Kydex, kydex, kydex!!!!

[bunnyman666]

I just bought a mess of Kydex sheets. Kydex is a popular material for knife and gun holsters and now NHL skate shot blockers.

I was going to apply to become a dealer for the stuff that is being used by the NHL, but as soon as I said that I was a tiny independent shoppe in my garage, communication stopped. So, I did what every red-blooded entrepreneur who would be rejected in this scenario would do: figure out what is being used and do it myself! I will happily share the knowledge I gain! Of course if a potential customer wants someone else to do this for them, I will happily oblige. 

 The use of Kydex is not unique, as its use for DIY has been around for awhile. Kydex is an odd material. The edges are sharp because it is so hard. I cut my hand whilst handling the sheets. Kydex is pretty heavy for it’s size. Putting two sheets of Kydex to roughly equal the thickness of a sheet of PVC I had lying around was quite a little bit heavier. The density is what makes it a good material for this application. Kydex would make a blocker unnecessarily heavy! I am going to back it with neoprene, as it would transmit shock without something that uses an airy foam. “Gel” foam may be too dense and heavy for this application, and for shot blocking, you are looking for air between the skate and the shielding material; that is the actual concept in a cowl, btw. The material is easily heat-formed, perfect for putting onto a skate. 

My experiment will be on a pair of skates that would be easy to make cowling-free. Yes- a few goalies already are using it on the outside of their skates, but I will experiment on the inside for some of us “hybrid” goalies. I have a variety of attachment methods in mind onto the skate. Whilst this would not supplant my idea for a cowl compatible with the new holders, this could be the “just enough” for some who feel shots just a bit in their skates. Smoothing and blunting the edges is key, as this could cut the crap out of the boot of your pad! 

Stay tuned for my experiments. 

[FrozenPondPro]

I’m interested to see pics of what you’re thinking here. 

[bunnyman666]

14 minutes ago, FrozenPondPro said:

I’m interested to see pics of what you’re thinking here. 

Pix will come with each project.

[BadAngle41]

13 hours ago, bunnyman666 said:

Pix will come with each project.

I used some Kydex V as a blocker board in the thread below... but Lexan 9034 definitely out performed it. Given how easy Kydex is to thermoform though it may be a better solution for other pieces of equipment like C/A beef up.

[bunnyman666]

1 minute ago, BadAngle41 said:

I used some Kydex V as a blocker board in the thread below... but Lexan 9034 definitely out performed it. Given how easy Kydex is to thermoform though it may be a better solution for other pieces of equipment like C/A beef up.

See, I do remember your thread! It confirms what my initial impressions are, as it just feels dense rather than sprightly. Lexan seems very reflective and kydex seems more absorptive. Not only is it heavy and dense, but it feels like on a blocker that it would actually damp a puck rather than bounce it into the next zone. I am almost thinking outer layer of goal jock, as well.

I had thin lexan in one blocker and it cracked. I am thinking it should have a) been thicker and b) had softer foam right behind it. It was on the very face of the blocker under the Jenpro. 

[bunnyman666]

Side armour for skates is DEAD simple. Forming a reinforced toe cap is a bit harder, though I suspect with two pieces, it would be good. 

The pix are rough, but show you what is possible with 315F in a convection oven:

[Deltadre]

I'm certainly interested to see how you make out with this.  I've been eyeing this stuff for goalie skates for a little while and there's very little information on it.  Can't wait to see how progress goes.

[bunnyman666]

A little toe cap:

[bunnyman666]

16 minutes ago, Deltadre said:

I'm certainly interested to see how you make out with this.  I've been eyeing this stuff for goalie skates for a little while and there's very little information on it.  Can't wait to see how progress goes.

Easy to heat form. I cut with a router bit on my Dremel.

[bunnyman666]

Side protection:

[SaveByRichter35]

Interesting idea.  Good luck with it.

[jayluv54]

On 5/12/2019 at 11:24 AM, bunnyman666 said:

I just bought a mess of Kydex sheets. Kydex is a popular material for knife and gun holsters and now NHL skate shot blockers.

I was going to apply to become a dealer for the stuff that is being used by the NHL, but as soon as I said that I was a tiny independent shoppe in my garage, communication stopped. So, I did what every red-blooded entrepreneur who would be rejected in this scenario would do: figure out what is being used and do it myself! I will happily share the knowledge I gain! Of course if a potential customer wants someone else to do this for them, I will happily oblige. 

 The use of Kydex is not unique, as its use for DIY has been around for awhile. Kydex is an odd material. The edges are sharp because it is so hard. I cut my hand whilst handling the sheets. Kydex is pretty heavy for it’s size. Putting two sheets of Kydex to roughly equal the thickness of a sheet of PVC I had lying around was quite a little bit heavier. The density is what makes it a good material for this application. Kydex would make a blocker unnecessarily heavy! I am going to back it with neoprene, as it would transmit shock without something that uses an airy foam. “Gel” foam may be too dense and heavy for this application, and for shot blocking, you are looking for air between the skate and the shielding material; that is the actual concept in a cowl, btw. The material is easily heat-formed, perfect for putting onto a skate. 

My experiment will be on a pair of skates that would be easy to make cowling-free. Yes- a few goalies already are using it on the outside of their skates, but I will experiment on the inside for some of us “hybrid” goalies. I have a variety of attachment methods in mind onto the skate. Whilst this would not supplant my idea for a cowl compatible with the new holders, this could be the “just enough” for some who feel shots just a bit in their skates. Smoothing and blunting the edges is key, as this could cut the crap out of the boot of your pad! 

Stay tuned for my experiments. 

I've sandwiched it in between some Shocktec for a bulletproof throat collar

[BadAngle41]

On 5/13/2019 at 8:25 AM, bunnyman666 said:

See, I do remember your thread! It confirms what my initial impressions are, as it just feels dense rather than sprightly. Lexan seems very reflective and kydex seems more absorptive. Not only is it heavy and dense, but it feels like on a blocker that it would actually damp a puck rather than bounce it into the next zone. I am almost thinking outer layer of goal jock, as well.

I had thin lexan in one blocker and it cracked. I am thinking it should have a) been thicker and b) had softer foam right behind it. It was on the very face of the blocker under the Jenpro. 

Kydex is certainly more malleable than Lexan yes. My intention was to improve the pop off my blocker... and I would say that Kydex V was slightly better than the stock material (polypropylene i believe)... but certainly not the performance I'm getting off of Lexan 9034. I'm not sure I would go as far as to say Kydex dampens an impact though. 

I'm not sure what thickness you're using but because Kydex is malleable using it alone against a skate may not yield what you're after. As it doesn't have the hardness of Lexan to push back on an impact... nor does it dissipate the impact across a larger surface that was it being impacted (as evident by localized dents in my blocker testing) you'd probably have to laminate it with some sort of thin foam or use a fairly thick piece of Kydex. 

Just my thoughts. But fairly certain that the Custom SkateWorks shot blockers employ something similar.

[bunnyman666]

31 minutes ago, BadAngle41 said:

Kydex is certainly more malleable than Lexan yes. My intention was to improve the pop off my blocker... and I would say that Kydex V was slightly better than the stock material (polypropylene i believe)... but certainly not the performance I'm getting off of Lexan 9034. I'm not sure I would go as far as to say Kydex dampens an impact though. 

I'm not sure what thickness you're using but because Kydex is malleable using it alone against a skate may not yield what you're after. As it doesn't have the hardness of Lexan to push back on an impact... nor does it dissipate the impact across a larger surface that was it being impacted (as evident by localized dents in my blocker testing) you'd probably have to laminate it with some sort of thin foam or use a fairly thick piece of Kydex. 

Just my thoughts. But fairly certain that the Custom SkateWorks shot blockers employ something similar.

At this point, I am merely experimenting. I will be making a puck hammer and putting these through their paces.

I am certain that there is nothing different than what CSW is doing. Kydex is dead simple to work with. I think the more you mess with it using heat, the harder it becomes. I ordered too thick  of neoprene, but super thin Kemmler foam or even neoprene would be a good backer for this. 

The crazy thing is that you can wrinkle it pretty well and heat can return it flat. 

[Netnewbie]

I love working with this stuff for my knife sheaths.  easy to cut heat and mould.  any word on how the impact durability is yet?  got a couple applications in mind i might try.