Handle wrap or foam suggestions?

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Ironhand

Ironhand

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Oct 13, 2011
Messages
156
Location
VT
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?
 

benp

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
2,219
Location
Northern MN
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.
 
Warped5

Warped5

WingNut
Joined
Dec 6, 2010
Messages
5,732
Location
Northwest Indiana
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.
 
Ambull

Ambull

OCD Muscle Saw Collector
Joined
Sep 9, 2010
Messages
8,531
Location
Honesdale, PA
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.

007-6.jpg
 
Warped5

Warped5

WingNut
Joined
Dec 6, 2010
Messages
5,732
Location
Northwest Indiana
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 .....
 
Last edited:
Ambull

Ambull

OCD Muscle Saw Collector
Joined
Sep 9, 2010
Messages
8,531
Location
Honesdale, PA
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 .....

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.
 
stihlrookie

stihlrookie

ArboristSite Guru
Joined
Nov 17, 2008
Messages
616
Location
Northrun Iderho
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.

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.
 
Urbicide

Urbicide

Addicted to ArboristSite
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
May 29, 2006
Messages
3,852
Location
Just west of SC
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.
 
Ambull

Ambull

OCD Muscle Saw Collector
Joined
Sep 9, 2010
Messages
8,531
Location
Honesdale, PA
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.

005-6.jpg
 
Philbert

Philbert

Chainsaw Enthusiast
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
Messages
19,723
Location
Minnesota
I've never tried it, but do they make a heat shrink tube that big? Always thought that would be perfect.

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
 
beelsr

beelsr

ArboristSite Guru
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
626
Location
NE PA, USA
I've never tried it, but do they make a heat shrink tube that big? Always thought that would be perfect.

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....
 
Little Al

Little Al

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
3,159
Location
Midi pyrenees FRANCE
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.

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
 
Phil_C

Phil_C

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Dec 24, 2009
Messages
449
Location
Australia
I've never tried it, but do they make a heat shrink tube that big? Always thought that would be perfect.

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
 
Stihl Wielder

Stihl Wielder

ArboristSite Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2012
Messages
87
Location
Central PA
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!
 

Latest posts

Top