Saturday, September 05, 2009

How to repair wheelchair hand rims

Controlling health care spending begins one person at a time here at Po’ Patrick’s Wheelchair Repair Shoppe.

Problem: Rubberized coating on Patti’s Quickie LXI Custom wheelchair hand rims was beginning to crackle and peel after five years.

Internet searches and telephone calls revealed a range of repair and or replacement options from over $500 to a low of $77 + shipping and handling.

Po’ Patrick’s Wheelchair Repair Shoppe solution cost a total of $10.66: buy one (1) 4.5 oz can Goof Off @ $3.98, one (1) 11 oz can Performix Plasti Dip spray @ $5.98 plus Pennsylvania sales tax.

Cut off the aging rubberized coating with a pair of kitchen scissors.

Remove the hand rims with a screwdriver and clean with Goof Off.

Hang hand rims from ‘something’ and spray with rubber coating as directed. (For example, I used our backyard birdfeeder.)

Less than an hour of work for you and a couple hours for the hand rims to just hang out and dry.

Reattach the hand rims with a screwdriver and you are done.

No, the result is not rubberized tubing which neither Patti nor I could remember why it was there in the first place. However the result is a spanking-new, non-slip and comfortable surface for her hand rims.
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*****UPDATED 9/17: For unknown reasons, Performix Plasti Dip spray rubber coating has begun to tear and nick where Patti's hand rims bump into surfaces such as door jams, etc. ... I removed new rubber coating, it was not difficult to peel off. Hand rims are now just base metal until I work out the kinks in this idea.


Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer
web site: http://caregivinglyyours.com/
videos: http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer
musings: Patrick Ponders ...

7 comments:

  1. good for you, Patrick! perhaps a new "career" is on the horizon?

    enjoy your weekend

    betty

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  2. Very cool and very MacGyver of you. My husband is the same way.

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  3. BRILLANT!! Thank you! I have same cracked problem, couldn'r afford repair, now I can!!! Woo Hoo

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  4. I just read the update to your entry. It could be because the coating you put on the pushrim is attached directly to it so when you hit a door frame there is no flex to it. It just moves with the pushrim and tears.

    I have foam coated pushrims and they do the same thing. They are completely destroyed since I've been in the UK because doorways here are slightly narrower than in Canada or the US, but I'm not replacing them until I leave here. They are way too expensive. I've been looking for something for awhile that will add extra grip and last myself.

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  5. I saw someone use a linerless rubber electrical splicing tape. Just wrap it around the rim until it's covered. if it gets bad, just re-wrap it.

    Or a friend suggested liquid tape.


    Stan

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  6. Very Nice, Wheelchair repair must be given an import role in our home specially if we have person with disability in the family

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  7. I would like to say that this blog really convinced me, you give me best information! Thanks, very good post.
    Wheelchair Solution

    ReplyDelete

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