Handle wrap or foam suggestions?

Occasionally, I run into an older saw without any rubber, foam, etc. on the handle. Is there something else out there you all use to replace worn grip material?

I have used electrical or hockey tape.

BUT my new road type pedal bike came with a puffy and comfy tape wrapped around the handle bar. I just dont know how durable it would be. Its something your local bike shop can hook you up with.Might be worth checking out.

Something I will try before too long is the spray-in bedliner stuff (no, not the crap they sell at AutoZone). The place that did my pickup said ".. sure, just mask it off and bring it in. We can shoot it when we do a truck."

Have to be sure to wear gloves when using that saw .... the stuff is pretty grippy.

I have had success with rubber tubing from McMaster. You need to put a lot of oil on the tubing to slip it on the handle.

JP, you have a part number for them? I know someone that works there ..

You sparked another idea ... in a previous lifetime, I'd re-grip golf clubs by stripping the old one before wrapping with two-sided tape. A quick spray with gasoline and the new grip slides right on ... let it dry for 24 hours and you're good to go. Now, if I apply this toward 're-gripping' a chainsaw handle .....

Warped5 said:

JP, you have a part number for them? I know someone that works there ..

You sparked another idea ... in a previous lifetime, I'd re-grip golf clubs by stripping the old one before wrapping with two-sided tape. A quick spray with gasoline and the new grip goes right on ... let it dry for 24 hours and you're good to go. Now, if I apply this toward 're-gripping' a chainsaw handle .....

Click to expand...

It is rubber tubing, can't remember the part number. It is expensive, but you must admit the results are worth it. Tape looks like crap. Can't imagine bedliner is much better.

benp said:

I have used electrical or hockey tape.

BUT my new road type pedal bike came with a puffy and comfy tape wrapped around the handle bar. I just dont know how durable it would be. Its something your local bike shop can hook you up with.Might be worth checking out.

Click to expand...

Electrical tape in my experience just gets all gummy after a while. However the bike stuff sounds promising, bar tape its called. You can get it in foam or leather and it is quite durable. Try your local bike shop or google for bike parts - performance bike, nashbar - just to name a couple places.

Stihl sells their handle bar tubing. You have to buy a fairly long piece of it, & $tihl is rather proud of it too.

Some of the old McCulloch handlebars appeared to have been dipped partially in some sort of rubber or vinyl compound. How McC made the finish come out perfectly even is something I would like to know.

Not all handlebars have the same diameter, so be careful with the tubing. Get the size that exactly matches the handlebar OD. Don't worry about it being loose.

automotive heater hose.

and you need the air compressor trick to install it.

I've never tried it, but do they make a heat shrink tube that big? Always thought that would be perfect.

Go to a dive shop (as in SCUBA). They have all sorts of cool stuff. Compressed air is your friend when installing wraps on tubing.

50blues said:

I've never tried it, but do they make a heat shrink tube that big? Always thought that would be perfect.

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They make COLD shrink tubing that big (Google '3M cold shrink tubing'). Thick and padded. Get it from an electrical wholesaler. Heat shrink tubing is usually pretty thin and hard.

Old, low cost, bicycle handlebar tape: slit an old bicycle inner tube into a long strip and wrap it spiral style around the bar (back to the front, and bottom to the top). Then OVERWRAP that with some adhesive backed cloth tape (e.g. hockey tape).

Philbert

50blues said:

I've never tried it, but do they make a heat shrink tube that big? Always thought that would be perfect.

Click to expand...

heat shrink tubing ends up too brittle. first time you drop the saw or something on it and it cracks. especially in the cold.

and it's too thin, no padding to it at all....

Well I used the Bedliner spray paint on these, its better then a bear handle.
About 5 or 6 coats.

stihlrookie said:

Electrical tape in my experience just gets all gummy after a while. However the bike stuff sounds promising, bar tape its called. You can get it in foam or leather and it is quite durable. Try your local bike shop or google for bike parts - performance bike, nashbar - just to name a couple places.

Click to expand...

You can buy bike handlebar tape with a GEL padding,it was brought out for the PRO bikies for riding events in parts of France & Belgium most of the race ridden on [PAVE/ COBBLESTONES]it has very good anti vibe qualities & is pretty hard wearing, bit more expensive than the standard stuff

50blues said:

I've never tried it, but do they make a heat shrink tube that big? Always thought that would be perfect.

Click to expand...

I have seen heat shrink tubing big enough to wrap an entire saw in There is some heavy walled heat shrink tubing that is also lined with glue. Not sure how they go in the cold but I know some AS members have used it. Stihl sells the liner for their saws and I have some but I have never felt the urge to try to put it on as it looks like it would be PITA to get it on the bar.

Regards

Phil

I use heat shrink tubing, I don't need the padding.

beelsr said:

automotive heater hose.

and you need the air compressor trick to install it.

Click to expand...

Great thread. Do you have a link to using the compressed air trick?

I use high voltage, self vulcanizing electrical wrap. It's orange, and it matches my Stihl saws, too! I'll take a pic and post later. I like it because gasoline does NOTHING to hurt it, and it doesn't get 'sticky'. It goes on easily, and if you want to take it off and replace it, it comes off easily. Stays where you want it to while it's installed. But I gotta say, after seeing the 'bedliner' handles, I like that idea alot!