Ratchet Handle Tape

[thinman]

Putting a license plate on my motorcycle yesterday and the socket slipped off the license plate bracket nut. Chipped the fender paint.

Used to have a Wright ratchet with a nitrile grip on the handle. Good grip, not slippery but less likely to ding stuff when compared to a steel handle ratchet.

Does anyone know of a good grip tape for wrapping the steel handle on a ratchet? Needs to be something that will stay on even if it gets a little oil or grease on it. Also, want something that is not slippery.

 

[JJThrasher]

There was a thread about using heat shrink a while back. Also you can check out plasti-dip.

 

[ChevyEFI]

I just did the handles of a pair of channellocks with marine extra-thick adhesive-inside shrink tubing.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206853

 

[CWP1616L]

I put heat shrink on mine. Gives me a real good sticky grip.

 

[rlitman]

The smooth handle SO ratchets are pretty hard to do damage with. I'd be worried if I owned a knurled handle. But then again, I don't have any spectacular paint to be concerned about. If I was that worried, I'd own a composite handle ratchet. They're cheap and good enough that it doesn't pay to wrap something else.

 

[G_P]

Some cheapie HF composite ratchets might be good for delicate work near nice paint.

Sent via carrier pigeon.

 

[CWP1616L]

For a straight knurled handle I'd use an adhesive lined heat shrink.

 

[brokeguy]

There was a thread about using heat shrink a while back. Also you can check out plasti-dip.

^^ yeah i recently did a mac ratchet of mine with about 10 coats of plasti dip.
Worked great! I have also tried shrink wrap.. slipped right off..

 

[imanaddict]

Make your own from an old screw driver whole thread about it here.

 

[deadguy]

You could try Bicycle 'Handlebar Tape' you can get it with a silicone gel backing. It's a little squish for comfort but has a 'cork' like feel to your hand. No sticky adhesive to remove later. Just finish each end with a thin band of electrical tape. You van get it in a rainbow of colors and a few different textures.

here is a link to what i'm talking about. Any bike shop should have a few colors to pick from on the shelf.

http://store.cinelli-usa.com/c/components_bar-tape

 

[reptilezs]

You could try Bicycle 'Handlebar Tape' you can get it with a silicone gel backing. It's a little squish for comfort but has a 'cork' like feel to your hand. No sticky adhesive to remove later. Just finish each end with a thin band of electrical tape. You van get it in a rainbow of colors and a few different textures.

here is a link to what i'm talking about. Any bike shop should have a few colors to pick from on the shelf.

http://store.cinelli-usa.com/c/components_bar-tape

as a bike mechanic i have quite a few tools wrapped in bar tape

 

[cosmik binturong]

bicycle bar tape is good but so is badminton or tennis grip tape, there's even US-made quality leather tape available!

another solution is to use an insulated ratchet when working around fragile paint/surfaces like this old, not fit anymore for live work, Sibille MS85A 3/8" based on a Facom 72 teeth round head ratchet that is now reserved for scratch-prone bike duty:

a more recent one, model MS85, in better shape and with fatter insulation:

here, a few shots of those two generations of Sibille M85 ratchets:

along with a brand new Wright 3490 for an easier size comparison fer 'merkuns: