Heat Resistant handle material?

[bullsi1911]

I was given a BBQ set a while ago that had a good set of skewers for shish-kabobs... so we thought until we used them. The metal skewer "blades" were set into PLASTIC! Major design flaw, since the handles melted right quick when used.

So, I like the way that the 'blades' are shaped and work, so I want to set them into a real handle material that will stand the heat of grilling.

What should I use? Metal? a dense wood? And I'm going to pin them, but I would like a backup of some sort of epoxy or glue. What is the most heat resistant?

[Ray Rogers]

If the plastic handles got hot enough to melt, I'd go with a wood handle. Skip the epoxy as it will likely burn too. The wood will probably scorch so something cheap and solid like maple or oak could be a good choice.

Metal would obviously work but you would never have a chance of holding it in your bare hand unless - just possibly - you were able to make a coiled metal spring handle similar to the type used on wood stove doors.

Short of some extremely expensive space age miracle material that's the best I can come up with ....

[horseman1]

There are high temp plastics. We have spoons and spatulas that are plastic and dont seem to melt... Thermoplastic maybe?

Could make some ceramic handles? I've seen some nice ceramic drawer pulls that could be made into a handle easy enough.

I like Rays coiled steel handle like a welders chipping hammer idea. That would be easy to make and weld on.

These things need to be long enough so that the handle isnt actually in the fire .

[mete]

Thermoplastic means it will melt when warm !! Pot handles have long been made of Bakelite which is a thermosetting resin. I have an old set of kitchen tools with thermoplastic handles .I've always been careful but someone else wasn't ! That handle I replaced by brazing on a piece of square stainless steel tubing !!

[horseman1]

My bad!!! But I did put the question marks .

[AUBE]

like they pointed out there are 2 catagories of plastic...thermosetting and thermoforming. thermoforming means when you apply heat it will soften and melt (like kydex). thermosetting means once the product has cured heat will not deform it. micarta falls into this catagory. generally you can heat thermosetting platsics to a higher temp without problems. you may be able to get away using something as simple as micarta, etc. depends on exactly how hot it is getting.

[SBuzek]

Since you are in God's country (Texas) get some good dry mesquite heart simi shape the handle then drill a small hole in them and drive the skewers on also try not to place the wood ahnle directly over the grill let them hang out the edge all you have to do to maintain them is a light wipe of cooking oil and dry

[Mike Turner]

They are making lots of spatulas and other utensils of silicon they say it is good to 500 degrees.

Mike

[NJStricker]

Check this out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ULTEM-1000-375-T...QQcmdZViewItem

[Ray Rogers]

Yeah, the real key to solving this problem is to make sure the handle is never left over the grill no matter what you make it out of. 500 F level of resistance will not survive that. Even if you made the handle from metal, even a coil like I suggested earlier, you could not hold it in your hand if it had been left over the grill for long.

And, if it isn't left over the grill, almost any wood and many plastics would work fine ....

[AcridSaint]

I'm a little late here, but what about teflon? That stuff is good well past 500 degrees. I agree, however, that your handle shouldn't be getting that hot, if it is then the skewer is too short or your grill is too hot

[bullsi1911]

Trust me, the original handles were never directly over the heat. The heat traveled up the blase and melted the cheapo super-soft plastic in the handles.

I'll probably use some of the maple I have from some old cabinet doors. Pinned and probably backed up with JB Weld.