Body panels for roll cage?

[magnetik]

How are your woodworking skills?
Make a form out of a 2x4 and then go to town with the heat gun.

The extra benefit to having the form is for making panels in the future.
If you tried to just lay kydex against the cage and heat it with a heat gun you would deform the cage very badly.

Kydex really needs to be molded around a form that won't deform from heat.

I actually heat in a press and lay over parts while warm. But yeah if those frames are that sensitive to heat then prob not a good idea to put a heatgun to it.

 

[Branson_Basher]

I actually heat in a press and lay over parts while warm. But yeah if those frames are that sensitive to heat then prob not a good idea to put a heatgun to it.

Have you tried an electric hot plate for heating kydex?

I use one and like how it gives a gentle even heat and prevents hot spots in the kydex

 

[magnetik]

Have you tried an electric hot plate for heating kydex?

I use one and like how it gives a gentle even heat and prevents hot spots in the kydex

Nah. I cheaped out and DIY'd a foam press a few years ago to try out making some holsters/sheaths is about as far as I got into it. I still have a bunch of boltoron and kydex in differing thicknesses and colors/patterns sitting around I haven't touched. Been trying to find other uses for it. heh I'll def check out a hotplate if I do.. it'll be cheaper then a shirt press.

 

[Branson_Basher]

@magnetik I did the same thing. DIY foam press for making holsters etc and now hardly use it.

I'm considering buying thinner kydex in colors that would make good desert buggy body panels.

If you want an inexpensive hot plate check the thrift stores; no need to pay full price on a new one since you're not cooking food on it.

 

[magnetik]

@magnetik I did the same thing. DIY foam press for making holsters etc and now hardly use it.

I'm considering buying thinner kydex in colors that would make good desert buggy body panels.

If you want an inexpensive hot plate check the thrift stores; no need to pay full price on a new one since you're not cooking food on it.

heh looking again at that pic.. it seems I have a hotplate at least somewhere around here. I do need to dig the sheets out and see what I got though. I remember I got a bunch of crazy textures and patterns as they came out. Had some blood red kydex that I dug a lot.

 

[Branson_Basher]

After a quick look at what colors and patterns I can get from Amazon I am thinking I should make panels out of kydex. The aluminum is cool but it's been done how many times?

Guys, check out all the cool camo patterns you can get. Plenty of kydex desert colors too.

Kydex is durable as heck and it'll flex but return to shape, probably add a good bit of strength to the chassis as a whole.


Man, we're good at ideas around here.

 

[slick2500]

After a quick look at what colors and patterns I can get from Amazon I am thinking I should make panels out of kydex. The aluminum is cool but it's been done how many times?

Guys, check out all the cool camo patterns you can get. Plenty of kydex desert colors too.

Kydex is durable as heck and it'll flex but return to shape, probably add a good bit of strength to the chassis as a whole.


Man, we're good at ideas around here.

I was seriously thinking Kydex but I wasn't sure it would work.

 

[Branson_Basher]

I was seriously thinking Kydex but I wasn't sure it would work.

I'm going to do a bit of research but I really don't see why it would be a bad choice.

 

[slick2500]

I'm going to do a bit of research but I really don't see why it would be a bad choice.

I remembered reading someone had tried Kydex for a bumper and it broke almost immediately. But if they make digi camo Kydex and it will work then sign me up ?

 

[magnetik]

it might not be pertinent if you don't have the tools but if you're careful a hot air rework gun does a good job of heating edges of kydex pretty well.

 

[Branson_Basher]

I remembered reading someone had tried Kydex for a bumper and it broke almost immediately. But if they make digi camo Kydex and it will work then sign me up ?

Oh yes, yes they do.

A quick look on Amazon turned up kydex in several digital desert camo, a pattern similar to the old DCU and some generic camo patterns. Several patterns are officially licensed, so they look legit.

The pattern is "infused and thermally bonded" so I guess it'll hold up.

I found kydex in sheets as thin as.060" and I think that's a good thickness for body panels. Bumpers or a hood should be thicker, I think.

So far it's looking good.