One of my old favorites of pliers, the handles disintegrated. What material do you use to give them a bit better then the metal grip (they are for electrical work so I would prefer not to be the ground)?
I use the heat shrink tubing method. Inexpensive, fairly durable, easy and cheap to replace when needed. Plus you can double it up for thicker handles.
what diameter do you use for those? TIA
I like the heat shrink idea. I never thought about doing that.
Just an opinion, I think the plastic self-desingrating handles. Was and are useless; I can't call it an upgrade, because it was not.
Oh, sure, it eliminated half of the metal used for the handle. Did the user benefit? I don't think so. Repairs and the time spent say no, I am thinking.
Just my .02
Pep
Quote from: SteelWheels on Jul 09, 2025, 08:59 AMJust an opinion, I think the plastic self-desingrating handles. Was and are useless; I can't call it an upgrade, because it was not.
Oh, sure, it eliminated half of the metal used for the handle. Did the user benefit? I don't think so. Repairs and the time spent say no, I am thinking.
Just my .02
Pep
So do you wrap your electrical pliers with electrical tape, or what do you use? (the ones I was thinking of dipping I tend to use with fuses and such)
I tend to agree with SteelWheels about not liking plastic handles. Not my favorite but I do have a few. OK, maybe more than a few.
I also think the best way to cover or recover them is shrink tubing never had good luck with plastidip. Three or four layers more if you like a little thicker. It's tough, inexpensive, easy to apply and fairly easy to remove if the need arises. It's available in several colors and a lot of diameters up to about 8" but it does start to get expensive over about 2". For best results use a heat gun not a flame or hair dryer.
In my experience tape is not ideal. It tends to shrink a bit and leave adhesive residue or maybe it just leaks adhesive but either way I always end with a sticky mess.
Plasti-Dip is not very durable. It looks and feels great for a short time, but quickly degrades and flakes off.
Also, once you open the can you need to use it quickly, as no matter how you try to seal the can, the stuff dries out.
The heat shrink idea is interesting. I'd like to try it.
I would never use tape, as I have attempted to clean that adhesive residue off plier handles (my dad's lineman pliers and my grandfather's lineman pliers) and that stuff must have a nuclear half-life of about 75 years.
I don't like plastidip,I tried doing 10 coats on a pair for extra thick durable grips but it was a waste of time because I could not stand the satiny surface it had and they were still easy to tear off.
I haven't tried heat shrink yet because I don't have a local source of heat shrink in various sizes and colors, but will eventually.
Air hose works great but doesn't fit all pliers and doesn't look the most professional.
Have any of you tried Klein Koat replacement grips ?
https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/pliers-grips/replacement-handles-6-inch-pliers
These hard plastic handle covers by Klein have worked for me. You heat them in boiling water to soften them for installation, then as they cool they harden to the shape of your handle. Not soft, but adds bulk for an easier grip on tools.
https://www.cityelectricsupply.com/p/klein-plier-handles-replacement-for-8-9-pliers-tenite-plastic-red-89
Recently I faced a plier grip dilemma of my own. I picked up a large set of SK Channelock clone pliers at the local flea mkt for my son. While in great condition they had no grips at all. I prefer grips on my pliers but found few economical options. Traditional Plasti-Dip in the cans were too shallow for consideration. Shrink tube in the diameter needed for the project was not available at hdw stores and anything found online far beyond consideration cost wise. The grips would have cost nearly as much as a new pair of pliers online or through electrical supply outlets.
Finding no viable alternatives I opted to try Plasti-Dip spray. Most of $10 a can, but the most reasonable option I could figure out so I gave it a try.
I was very satisfied with the visual results. Pre cleaned the steel prior to application with brake clean. I applied 4 coats which used about 2/3 thirds of the can of spray. The final results were smooth with no bubbles.
I have doubts about how durable the grips will be as the material thickness strikes me as too thin to stand up over time to punishing use, but time will tell.
As luck would have it, this very day, work took me to a high end travel trailer manufacturing company. While conducting my safety audit in the shop I noticed a large pile if various sizes of shrink tubing each in approximately 3' lengths. The employer graciously shared one length of each diameter they had so I am set now. Like as not I will use some of the appropriate sized over the spray coated pliers I gave the son about a month ago to improve durability to those pliers.
I really lucked out. I now have shrink tubing up to about 2" diameter and a half dozen or so smaller sizes.