Electrical panel parts source

[mijmoto]

Hi All,

I have an electrical panel vintage around 2001 and have changed a few things around. I want the panel to look professional and not like a number of different people with different ideas have been mucking about. I am looking for a source for the little engraved labels and the indicator lights. The indicator lights are .25" in diameter. I have looked at Blue Sea and Paneltronics but haven't really seen what I am looking for. Thoughts or ideas? Jim

 

[SailorGreg]

try Wards in Ft Lauderdale

 

[STB]

I've always ordered them from Petersen Specialty. They make them exactly for electrical panels, self-adhesive, or with holes for screws or rivets:

https://www.petersenspecialty.net/category/Plastic

Mine have been 1/2" x 1-1/2" black-and-white.

 

[oguidry]

https://newwiremarine.com/
843-258-4007

 

[tiltrider1]

I bought a Brother labeler. I can change fonts and type size. I can get white on clear or white on black tape. I then turn the little placards backwards so I have a nice flat surface for the label to stick to.

 

[STB]

I bought a Brother labeler. I can change fonts and type size. I can get white on clear or white on black tape. I then turn the little placards backwards so I have a nice flat surface for the label to stick to.

I used a label maker for my current boat's main panel, also. But I did use the engraved plastic panel plates for my old boat and I'm about to order them for my flybridge switches and lights.

One difference is that on my old boat I only needed to adjust/add a few labels. So I didn't want to use the label maker or they would be inconsistent, at least unless I did all of them, which was 20x the work, and I didnt want to do. Using the engraved ones gave a consistent look.

The other difference is that the engraved panel plates seem to last much longer than the label maker made labels outdoors. Even when protected from sunlight, thebheat and moisture seem to bleach them with a year or two. The engraved plates seem to last decades.

The main panel on my current boat was almost entirely mis-labelled when I purchased it. The prior owner installed a new panel, but didn't put the circuits where they were engraved to be. So, rather than move a bunch of breakers (different breakers have different trip current) and wires, I just relabelled everything with the label maker.

I remember the place above charging about $4/label and shipping out same day or next day. For a whole panelnthst $4/each does add up. But for a few it is negligible in both time and money. I got tue self adhesive ones vs drilled ones and they went on faster than tape labels.

My memory is that I could just email them the dimensions of the labels, the colors of the labels, and the mount option of the labels, to save having to use their form and I did thst when I placed the order for the flybridge lights and switches. I think they also told me they can do any dimension up to some huge size, nor just the dimensions listed on their web page and all they needed was an email with the details (size and text specs) to send over the price, but I never did that.

 

[SIBERNUT]

Engraved labels

A while ago, I bought the original label engraver used by Owens factory here in Baltimore. Haven't figured it out yet, because Phelps happened and took all my time. Another thing on the project list.......

 

[jgwinks]

The other difference is that the engraved panel plates seem to last much longer than the label maker made labels outdoors. Even when protected from sunlight, thebheat and moisture seem to bleach them with a year or two. The engraved plates seem to last decades.

The engraved labels do last but the red ones will fade. Red anything will fade. One of the commercial boats I ran had different color labels for whether the switch was to be "On Always", "On U/W", or "On Moored". Slick idea. The red ones were faded but you could still tell they were red.

 

[Larry M]

We had the same issue with labels on our 1987 KK42. I replaced them all with labels from Blue Sea. They covered the small attachment holes and never pealed off after the 13 years we owned the boat. I bought their standard pack(s) and also ordered some custom.

https://www.bluesea.com/products/category/8/66/Labels/Large_Labels

 

[STB]

The engraved labels do last but the red ones will fade. Red anything will fade. One of the commercial boats I ran had different color labels for whether the switch was to be "On Always", "On U/W", or "On Moored". Slick idea. The red ones were faded but you could still tell they were red.

On my last boat I used different colors for iinvertable and non-invertable loads. But that panel was indoors, so I never got to see how the colors aged.

I do think I remember the fading effect you are discussing on the flybridge before I redid it. I seem to remember using a red sharpie or paint pen to add color back to the red engraved labels.

 

[mijmoto]

Thanks for the Petersen reference. Ordered the labels this AM. Mine are the same size as yours, 1/2" x 1 1/2". Jim

 

[mijmoto]

try Wards in Ft Lauderdale

Thanks, Greg. Looking at their catalog.

 

[jgwinks]

On my last boat I used different colors for iinvertable and non-invertable loads. But that panel was indoors, so I never got to see how the colors aged.

I do think I remember the fading effect you are discussing on the flybridge before I redid it. I seem to remember using a red sharpie or paint pen to add color back to the red engraved labels.

These were in the pilot house but the light through the windows was enough to bleach them. They were maybe 10 years old so I guess that's not bad.
With multiple captains and deck hands and multiple boats in the fleet the color coding was really helpful.

 

[OldDan1943]

try Wards in Ft Lauderdale

They do custom work too

 

[Caballero II]

I bought a Brother labeler. I can change fonts and type size. I can get white on clear or white on black tape. I then turn the little placards backwards so I have a nice flat surface for the label to stick to.

Can you post a picture of these, with some sort of ruler in the picture to give a indication of scale? This sounds interesting, if even just for a mock-up. TIA.

 

[STB]

Can you post a picture of these, with some sort of ruler in the picture to give a indication of scale? This sounds interesting, if even just for a mock-up. TIA.

The only picture I can quickly put my hands on of the electrical panel in my present boat, which uses label maker labels, vs my old boat that used engraved plastic labels, is a few years old and poor quality. But, it still looks about the same, except that I added a guard on the 12v main (aintjink ai was actually in the process of doing that when ai took the picture)

FWIW, I attached it.

 

[Bmarler]

I don’t know if it wasn’t mentioned already, but nearly any trophy shop will do engraved labels.

 

[jgwinks]

I used a P Touch to relabel my panel. The panel itself is white so I used black on white tape but you can also get white on black or clear for a black panel. With the tape background the same color as the panel you have to look pretty close to see that they're P Touch labels. I've done similar with contrasting colors, if you cut the labels so they're all the same length regardless of how many letters in the word they're not as obvious. Getting them lined up and even is tricky in any case.

 

[Circumnavigator]

I have used Carolina Laser
https://www.legend-plates.com
for eight years and several hundred labels on Fintry and Morning Light.
Wide variety of sizes and colors -- also custom panels. Very easy to use web site. One or two day turn-around. Reasonable prices.


Highly recommended.


Jim