Data Hacking

116 Part I — Hardware Hacks
FIGURE 5-37: A multimeter with a temperature probe makes the job much easier.
2. Cut the thermoplastic into a shape for the holster. This shape will depend on the GPS
for which you are making the holster, so I would experiment by making a template from
cardboard and seeing how it fits. The thermoplastic can expand or contract after heating,
so make the template a little larger initially because you can always cut it down and sand
it to size.
Figure 5-38 shows a template that I made for the Garmin eTrex Vista.
3. Use your template to cut out a portion of the thermoplastic sheet to the shape you want.
Take care when cutting the plastic, as it is quite dense and hard. The best way to cut the
plastic is to score it before the final cutting, as shown in Figure 5-39.
4. Take the sheet of thermoplastic and place it on a clean baking sheet in the oven or use a
portable toaster oven (which you could take outside to minimize the smell generated
from heating Kydex). This will take several minutes to heat up. Don’t rush this process
because repeatedly heating and cooling the plastic will cause it to thicken significantly.
5. After the plastic reaches the required temperature, remove the baking sheet and take it to
your work area. This is where heat-resistant gloves come in handy. Be quick, however, as
you have about a minute before the Kydex cools too much to mold.