Data Hacking

Chapter 5 — Protecting and Mounting Your GPS
These materials can be purchased in a variety of sheet sizes, thicknesses, and colors. The best
thickness for our purpose is 0.06 or 0.093 (measured in inches).
The best way to buy it is to search the web for a nearby retailer or a mail-order supplier.
You are now ready to start making the holster for your GPS. Because Kydex and Concealex are
both thermoplastics, the plastic needs to be heated in order for it to become supple enough to
be molded. The following table shows the typical temperatures to which you need to heat the
plastic in order to make it moldable.
Thermoplastic Celsius Fahrenheit
Kydex (0.06) 154 310
Kydex (0.093) 163 325
Concealex (0.06) around 70–120 around 160–250
Concealex (0.093) around 70–150 around 160–300
You will have to experiment with the temperature to get it right, and you should expect some
failures.
Kydex is easier to work with than Concealex, and as such, I would recommend that you start off
with that, rather than Concealex. However, if you plan on using your GPS in cold conditions,
Kydex can become brittle at temperatures below 32 o Fahrenheit (0 o Celsius).
Here’s the procedure for creating your own thermoplastic holster:
1. Gather all your materials together. Make sure that you have a clear access from the oven
to your work area. Remove any clutter and give yourself a clear work area.
After you have done that, set the oven to the right temperature and let it heat up. Oven
temperature sensors are notoriously inaccurate, so if you have access to a temperature
probe, use that in conjunction with the oven temperature gauge. Figure 5-37 shows a
multimeter that also has a temperature probe.
Heating thermoplastics releases minute quantities of hydrofluoric acid, so I wouldn’t recommend
cooking anything in the oven while it is being used to heat up the plastic.
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