Engine Room labels that stay in place?

[HeadedToTexas]

My Engine Room has the same sea of wires and hoses as most. I have reached the limit of my memory and have grown tired of tracing down the same wire over and over to be sure it's the right one.

Label printers like this one are neat and inexpensive, but the cost of labels popping off in the heat or vibration or humidity or salt environment and the possibility that they clog a bilge pump and create a disaster makes me believe there is a better answer. What do you guys do?

 

[Gdavid]

I find the most reliable way to a secure labels is wrapping them around the wire and back onto itself. Expecting them to stick onto any other surface in an engine room is hit or miss.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

So print them long enough to wrap around the wire or hose so that the end of the label sticks to itself instead of only to the wire or hose? That makes sense, though it would make most wire labels impossible to read. Rhino makes one that prints on shrink wrap. Perhaps that's the answer for wire?

 

[rslifkin]

Some label makers have a mode to print a label meant to be attached as a flag (around wire and stuck back to itself, so there's basically a tab sticking off the wire with the label text on both sides).

 

[Gdavid]

Some label makers have a mode to print a label meant to be attached as a flag (around wire and stuck back to itself, so there's basically a tab sticking off the wire with the label text on both sides).

This is what I was trying (and failed) to describe.

 

[HTurner]

A piece of clear packing tape over the label will make them last.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

The clear packing tape idea is good, but does the tape adhesive stand up to heat and salt and the rigors being near a diesel engine for years?

Heat shrink or non-adhesive cable tie labels seem like the right answer for an off the shelf solution.

 

[HTurner]

The clear packing tape idea is good, but does the tape adhesive stand up to heat and salt and the rigors being near a diesel engine for years?

Heat shrink or non-adhesive cable tie labels seem like the right answer for an off the shelf solution.

The tape does stand up. I have done a few that are 5 years old.

 

[twistedtree]

I've got a Dymo labeler that can accept heat shrink tubing up to 3/4". Not the 3/4" measurement is with the tubing squished flat as it dispenses out of the cassette. So that would be 1.5" circumference, or about .5" diameter as the biggest wire you could sleeve with it. You also need to be able to get the tubing over any wire connector, or remember to put it on before the connector. Where it works, it's probably the neatest solution.


I have also wrapped labels around the wire, and used them to make flags stuck back on themselves. The Dymo I have can print along the width of the tape when you want to wrap it around the wire. I'd say this is the second best approach, and has the advantage of working on most any size wire, and can be installed without access to slide anything over the end of the wire.


I have also done flags, and they are handy when you want larger labels, but they can start to be a mess when you have a bunch of them in the same area.


The problem I have found with both the wrap-around and flag approach is that the typical label tape doesn't like to bend in a tight radius, and I find the wraps and flags coming apart over time. The solution is to get vinyl tape or something that isn't the typical polyester tape. I have found it available for Dymo, but not Brother. It works really well on tight radii like wrapping around a smaller wire, and creating flags.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

The solution is to get vinyl tape or something that isn't the typical polyester tape. I have found it available for Dymo, but not Brother. It works really well on tight radii like wrapping around a smaller wire, and creating flags.

Is it the the better flexibility of the vinyl compared to polyester, or does the vinyl have better adhesive, or both? Thanks Twisted.

 

[ksanders]

Brady makes industrial label tape for their lablers that does not come off.

 

[twistedtree]

Is it the the better flexibility of the vinyl compared to polyester, or does the vinyl have better adhesive, or both? Thanks Twisted.

Flexibility

 

[Portage_Bay]

To make the lables on wire, small diamter hose or pipe last almost forever cover the label in clear heat shrink. I know of some done over 30 yrs ago and still legible.

If you need heat shrink that won't run through the labler write on the white heat shrink in neat block lettering with a fine point sharpie. Shrink the white down then cover with the clear heat shrink.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Ah-hah, clear heat shrink. Great idea.

 

[High Wire]

At work we used to use yellow rectangular self adhesive labels, a Pilot fine point permanent ink marker, and this stuff in a spray can called fix-a-tif. It all stayed put in an industrial machinery setting.
I also like the white and clear heat shrink solution.

 

[O C Diver]

I've had greater luck with my Brother label maker.









Some of the labels have been there 6 years. Make sure the surface is clean (free of any oil vapor residue). The labels on the plumbing stuck well inspite of a somewhat porous surface. For 2 and 3 conductor cables, a fine tip Sharpie does ok with a little practice.

Ted

 

[FF]

Some labels will come off from work done on their wire or nearby tinkering.

A second label a foot away can solve the hassle.

Using a small label in the item being fed also helps in initial trouble shooting.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Some of the labels have been there 6 years.

Wow, that is impressive. What do you prep or "de-oil vapor" the surfaces with? Thanks Ted.

 

[O C Diver]

Wow, that is impressive. What do you prep or "de-oil vapor" the surfaces with? Thanks Ted.

I use Lacquer thinner or Acetone on unpainted surfaces. The billet aluminum fuel manifolds were cleaned with Acetone and the labels show no sign of coming off. Let it dry for 30 minutes before applying the label. On painted or gelcoated surfaces I decide whether I care about the glossy finish. If not, like a fuel filter, it's acetone, if at all. Other surfaces such as at my helm station, my cleaning solution of choice is water with a little Dawn dish soap.

Ted

 

[HeadedToTexas]

As with so many things, it comes down to the prep. Thanks Ted.

 

[Codger2]

I've had greater luck with my Brother label maker.

Me too! I have used the same P-Touch label maker on my last 4 boats. Engine room, galley, Head, etc. You can't beat this label company! Any size, color, background, etc. I have had the same P-Touch machine for over 12 years and it's still going strong!

 

[ofer]

i also use brake cleaner spray can at times.

 

[GoneDiving]

+1 for the printable heat shrink for wires and cables. Once on, it's going nowhere. Dymo and most other label makers supply it but sometimes the cheaper models of printers will not work with it. Check specs.

My scuba tanks are labeled with Brother labels. I'm amazed at how durable it has been. They stay on, in and out of the water, being banged and rubbed by hoses and regs for years at a time. Absolutely no surface prep. Just peel and stick.
FWIW, it's the OEM, black on yellow tape, and the tape has a shiny metallic sticky side.

 

[C lectric]

I have not read all of this so I',m sure someone else has beaten me to this.

If the area the S.A. label is to be stuck to is wood then I varnish the wood surface, 2 or 3 good coats. That presents a surface the labels will adhere to. Usually for terminal strips, busses, and so on.

I have seen far to many so called good labels fall off wires after a few years. I now use CLEAR heat shrink tubing as a permanent cover whose cost is reasonable.

I have used other systems at work that were very nice and presented excellent labels but they were not cheap and required a good running stock of special holders, markers and so on.

THe clear heat shrink can turn even a piece of masking tape marked with a felt pen into a good, long lasting label.

 

[Reef Wanderer]

I use these ethernet cable tie labels on my electrical wiring, just write on them with a small permanent marker. The text stays on them for many years.
https://www.amazon.com/Amgate-Write...net+Wire+Zip+Cable+Ties&qid=1633408145&sr=8-3
Jeff