Wire markers

[lockie]

Hi there;

I am looking for a diy method for wire marking that doesn't cost the earth. For a few years I have used small tags of electrical tape hand-marked with a Sharpie, and they work well except that after a few years the adhesive goes gooey and the writing tends to fade. It would be the perfect system for if it was longer lasting.

My boat and my budget are both small and I don't want to buy a proprietary system that will leave me with lots's of unused characters.

Any suggestions?

Cheers, Graeme

[Mike OReilly]

I hope I'm understanding you correctly. I use a portable label maker to create labels. They are printed on adhesive tape. I wrap the label over the wire and adhere it to itself. I haven't seen one turny gooey or come off, although sometimes the printing can fade if it is exposed to moisture.


Something like this:

[Kelkara]

I just printed out the labels I wanted on plain paper with a printer, then cut them out and put them inside a piece of clear adhesive heatshrink

[Spot]

Over on page 12 of this thread we discuss 2 types of labeling, one with a machine and one with DIY materials: printed paper, double sided tape, and clear heat shrink tubing.
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...236747-12.html

[Dsanduril]

In my bag I have a small clipboard that has flat metal “fingers” of varying sizes along one edge. Slide a piece of white heat shrink on a finger so that it is just barely taut. Write on it with a Sharpie. Shrink on wire, over-shrink with a piece of clear to protect. Time consuming, but for small jobs it gets used quite regularly.

[mlydon]

Panduit makes self adhesive cable labels for various wire gauges -

https://www.showmecables.com/by-cate...asurement=2953

Matt

[vaporware]

There are a number of heat shrink labels which fit the Brother P-Touch label makers, both genuine Brother and other brands. Brother says they require expensive label makers, but they'll work in cheaper ones too. See, for example,



https://amazon.com/dp/B078Y4GSJV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_bFT3Fb2156894

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

I just printed out the labels I wanted on plain paper with a printer, then cut them out and put them inside a piece of clear adhesive heatshrink

Grreat idea, think I'll steal it

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

I just printed out the labels I wanted on plain paper with a printer, then cut them out and put them inside a piece of clear adhesive heatshrink

Indeed.

[LostDog88]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

I just printed out the labels I wanted on plain paper with a printer, then cut them out and put them inside a piece of clear adhesive heatshrink

This is brilliant!

I was gonna suggest the wire marker wheels we use in LV wiring:

Wire Marker White Tape Dispenser
https://www.gordonelectricsupply.com...8aAvCgEALw_wcB

But I way more like this idea better! :-)

[mimijane]

I've just been using white heat shrink + sharpie. Yea, it might fade a bit over the years but I can always get a new sharpie Labels under clear heat shrink work well also.



Cheers,
Mark

[Jerry Woodward]

The various heat shrink methods are great, but they only work if you label the wire while you are making the connection, i.e. you have a cut end of the wire to slide the HS onto.
I need a good method to label wires already installed.

@mlydon: these labels look good, however I wonder how long the adhesive will last per the OP. What has been your experience?

[LostDog88]

In the end I settled for these. We use them in the outside plant world to mark cables so that we can see where they are or where we want them to lay.

https://www.amazon.com/Swanson-MWOR6...65134238&psc=1

I ordered mine from another place, but you get the idea.

There are a billion ways for sailors to mark their rode/chain. I use a simple system of Red/White/Blue

Easy to remember for the wife as well. And clearly marked.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by lockie

Hi there;

I am looking for a diy method for wire marking that doesn't cost the earth. For a few years I have used small tags of electrical tape hand-marked with a Sharpie, and they work well except that after a few years the adhesive goes gooey and the writing tends to fade. It would be the perfect system for if it was longer lasting.

My boat and my budget are both small and I don't want to buy a proprietary system that will leave me with lots's of unused characters.

Any suggestions?

Cheers, Graeme

Yep, for a low budget and simple solution - just don't mark the wires at all.

But do permanently mark all the interconnection points i.e terminal strips, fuse strips etc. Work out a code that suits you. It could be as simple as TS1, TS2 (Terminal Strip 1, 2 etc) or more complicated such a SER1, SER2, PER1 etc (Starboard Engine Room 1, 2; Port Engine Room 1).

Now make up a list (spreadsheet etc) that names the wire function of each interconnect point. Keep the list in a notebook or part of the electrical drawing. This might be something like

TS1-1: VHF radio +ve
TS1-2: Sounder +ve
TS1-3: Anchor Light Switch +ve

etc

You get the idea.

To do it properly, the various interconnect points designations should be shown on the schematic drawings.

To know what the wire is, refer to the drawing or the list or both.

I could show you systems that use this method which have dozens and dozens of white wires all with different functions and zero wire marking. It is very easy to do, to follow, to understand and best of all, dirt cheap.