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  • mongoose

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    I had a Kydex holster tear just below the belt clip. Does anyone know of a good way to repair Kydex? I’m waiting for a replacement for EDC.( life time warranty ) However, I was wondering about fixing the old holster just to wear around the house while working.
    On a side note, I brought out my 9 year old Crossbreed Super Tuck while I await the replacement holster. Some saddle soap and a bit of Neets Foot oil brought it back to life. I had forgotten how comfortable and concealable the Crossbreed was. Been a pleasant surprise.
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    Sasquatch

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    I had a Kydex holster tear just below the belt clip. Does anyone know of a good way to repair Kydex? I’m waiting for a replacement for EDC.( life time warranty ) However, I was wondering about fixing the old holster just to wear around the house while working.
    On a side note, I brought out my 9 year old Crossbreed Super Tuck while I await the replacement holster. Some saddle soap and a bit of Neets Foot oil brought it back to life. I had forgotten how comfortable and concealable the Crossbreed was. Been a pleasant surprise.

    Kydex cracks with repeated flexing over time. There's not really a good way to fix it. Kydex is a form of ABS plastic, and while you can get stuff to weld ABS - its not going to be great. A new holster is honestly the only good solution, unless you have enough material on the holster to drill new mounting holes for the attachment.

    I've been making my own holsters for close to 15 years now, I've gone thru what you're going thru before. What brand / model holster is it that broke on you? There may still be a way to salvage it by using alternate hardware.
     

    mongoose

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    Kydex cracks with repeated flexing over time. There's not really a good way to fix it. Kydex is a form of ABS plastic, and while you can get stuff to weld ABS - its not going to be great. A new holster is honestly the only good solution, unless you have enough material on the holster to drill new mounting holes for the attachment.

    I've been making my own holsters for close to 15 years now, I've gone thru what you're going thru before. What brand / model holster is it that broke on you? There may still be a way to salvage it by using alternate hardware.
    It is a RDR holster. I’ve thought about using a large soldering iron and melting it back together. Not enough room for new hardware.
     

    Sasquatch

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    It is a RDR holster. I’ve thought about using a large soldering iron and melting it back together. Not enough room for new hardware.

    Soldering iron isn't going to cut it. You'll melt the outside, won't even warm up the inside.

    Kydex gets formable around 350 degrees, depending on thickness. If you get it hot enough to melt, it burns and gets brittle.

    You could *try* some of the ABS glue from a plumbing store, but I have not had success with the stuff working well.

    Which one of these holsters is it?

     

    mongoose

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    Soldering iron isn't going to cut it. You'll melt the outside, won't even warm up the inside.

    Kydex gets formable around 350 degrees, depending on thickness. If you get it hot enough to melt, it burns and gets brittle.

    You could *try* some of the ABS glue from a plumbing store, but I have not had success with the stuff working well.

    Which one of these holsters is it?

    It is the IWB holster.
     

    Sasquatch

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    It is the IWB holster.

    Ok, I looked at it on its website. How handy are you with a drill? I have a solution that would let you continue using it - but not with that Foami clip attachment. The solution I have in mind is drilling a third hole between the two tension screws, adding a tuckable injection molded strut with a soft snap loop.

    It may require new Chicago screw bases (longer than what is there) or screws to accept the thickness of the strut assembly.

    It would add a third retention adjustment to the setup, and you'd wind up with something like this:

    bFiITVR.jpg


    You could rock JUST the single attachment point using the tuck-strut, which a lot of AIWB setups run, or you could run it like the holster on the right shows, and bolt a soft loop into the good hole (assuming there IS a good hole, and assuming the crack isn't too severe)

    Really do need to see a picture of the damage to see what the best solution would be.
     

    mongoose

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    Ok, I looked at it on its website. How handy are you with a drill? I have a solution that would let you continue using it - but not with that Foami clip attachment. The solution I have in mind is drilling a third hole between the two tension screws, adding a tuckable injection molded strut with a soft snap loop.

    It may require new Chicago screw bases (longer than what is there) or screws to accept the thickness of the strut assembly.

    It would add a third retention adjustment to the setup, and you'd wind up with something like this:

    bFiITVR.jpg


    You could rock JUST the single attachment point using the tuck-strut, which a lot of AIWB setups run, or you could run it like the holster on the right shows, and bolt a soft loop into the good hole (assuming there IS a good hole, and assuming the crack isn't too severe)

    Really do need to see a picture of the damage to see what the best solution would be.
    The clip is entirely torn off the body of the holster.
     

    Sasquatch

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    The clip is entirely torn off the body of the holster.

    Unless its exposed the trigger - you can probably still save it and rock the holster as a single soft loop using a tuck strut. PM me your info, I'll drop a strut in the mail to you, with a hunk of material to cut to size for a spacer, and a long Chicago screw base if I have it laying about if you want to give that a try.
     

    mongoose

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    Unless its exposed the trigger - you can probably still save it and rock the holster as a single soft loop using a tuck strut. PM me your info, I'll drop a strut in the mail to you, with a hunk of material to cut to size for a spacer, and a long Chicago screw base if I have it laying about if you want to give that a try.
    Thanks
     

    mongoose

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    I may attach the clip to the opposite side and convert to an OWB holster
     

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    deemus

    my mama says I'm special
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    2” x 1/2” brackets (2)
    #6 screws, washers and nuts

    Don’t drill the holes too big in the holster.
     

    Glenn B

    Retired & Loving It
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    I may attach the clip to the opposite side and convert to an OWB holster
    Wow, you'd really try to repair that and maybe put your life in jeopardy by keeping your handgun in that after what probably would be a Fugazy repair at best. Almost all holster repairs, when it comes to trying to fix catastrophic failures like that, are Fugazy in my estimation.

    As for it being 100% reliable after a repair, you'll never know that until the life of the holster has ended and that ending event may be the one that let's you know it turned out to be unreliable and it may happen at a very bad time. I think you'd be doing yourself a favor to just get a new holster to be on the safe side.
     

    Sasquatch

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    I may attach the clip to the opposite side and convert to an OWB holster

    I wouldn't do that. Those Foami clips don't hold up to the weight of a gun when used as an OWB mechanism, they're not terribly great for IWB with a gun in most cases either. DCC clips or UltiClips are the only one's I personally trust, I've had the Foami clips like that pull free way too often. The only thing I use foami clips for these days are mag carriers, they do work fairly well for that in either IWB or OWB fashion (OWB it kind of makes it a paddle style carrier)

    IF you have a heat gun and a dremel and you're adamant to use the foami clip again - you can use a ruler, some popsicle sticks, or a small wood block to help mold out a section to drill new holes - you'd want to go about 3/4 of an inch from the now top edge, and make the space about 3 popsicle sticks thick. You would make that holster an extreme forward rake IWB. Drill a pair of 3/8's" holes the proper spacing apart using the clip as your guide and reattach.

    If it were me, I'd just go the tuck-strut option if you're sure you want ot continue using that holster. It would keep the belt mount about the same as the old belt clip, which means ride height and draw remain the same.

    I'd sand the edge down to eliminate sharp spots. It doesn't look like the integrity of the trigger guard is compromised at all, but it does look like the new outer top edge is below the top of the belt - which increases the risk of clothing finding its way into the holster. Looks like you're carrying a Sig Pro in it? At least you have that going for you if you ride the thumb on the back of the hammer when holstering, and you are anal about looking and ensuring there's nothing in the holster on insertion of the muzzle.
     
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