Wheel Barrow handle splinters

[Stormin Mormon]

Today at someone else house, I got a splinter in my thumb from a wooden handle wheelbarrow. The woman there had got a splinter, also.

I may be back in a few months, or I can contact them by mail. I'm curious some ideas to make the handles safer.

The wheelbarrows are for moving fire wood, in front of a store. They are outdoors all summer. This is in NY state, USA.

I'm thinking coat of polyurethane, wrap in electrical tape, sports tape, the wide stuff with the zigzag edges, spray clear spray paint. Who has this knowledge? Tried and true, please.

[Robert Green]

-- Bobby G.

[Malcom "Mal" Reynolds]

One word: duct tape

[Jon Danniken]

Two words: leather gloves.

Jon

[mm]

I love this tape, but for wrapping a handle there are smoother tapes that will feel better to grip and I think dirt will stick to the this make it feel worse as time goes on.

Norman, worth buying for sure, but try an inch or two before doing the whole job. It's expensive too, imo.

[Dean Hoffman]

There is specialized tape for baseball bats and such. What about good old fashioned friction tape?

[Bob Villa]

Agree with others about using gloves. If you're loading the wood...you might as well use gloves to protect your "mitts" through the whole process!

[jw]

Go to a doctor immediately and tell them the pain is so severe that you can not stand it. Request some powerful drugs. Next, contact your attorney and file a law suit against the owner of the wheel barrow. You will be unable to work for at least one year due to the pain, so you should sue for one years salary plus medical costs, and emotional pain. You must not do any work from now on, or you will lose the case in court.

Personally, I'd blame Jesus for this. He's the wicked son of a bitch who caused this by making a defective tree, which was the one used to make the handles. I'd sue Jesus too......

[Baron]

To help prevent the splitting to begin with, you might suggest oiling the handles with an outdoor oil each year. I used Watco once a year. I also lightly sanded it in to help generate a smooth surface. I have had very good success with the wooden handles on a tool I left outside all year round. This worked for a long as I oiled the handles. The one year I stopped doing so, it split after about 1 year 3 months.

Good Luck.

[Steve Barker]

and don't forget to vote the Obummer back in so you can continue being a freeloader.

[hrhofmann]

Love the heat-shrink idea. Will have to try it on some of my weather- worn tools.

[notbob]

Not anytime, lately!

There's this invention, probably a few mellenia old, called gloves. Not jes fer yer proctologist to pull yer head outta yer ass.

nb

[Steve B]

Sand smooth with a jitterbug and coarse paper, then slather with linseed oil, repeat as wood absorbs oil until it stops absorbing oil.

WARNING: Linseed oil left on rags can spontaneously combust.

Steve

[larry moe 'n curly]

Epoxy and smooth the handles, then cover with big fat heatshrink tubing. Tape comes off or becomes a bit messy from the adhesive. Self-fusing tape isn't tough enough to stand up.

[mkirsch1]

Bush 43 did nothing to stem the tide of frivolous lawsuits and abuse of welfare. Bush 41 did nothing to stem the tide of frivolous lawsuits and abuse of welfare. Reagan did nothing to stem the tide of frivolous lawsuits and abuse of welfare.

Frankly, I don't think it'll matter who gets elected.