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Labeling Cables/Wires

6K views 27 replies 16 participants last post by  asdf38 
#1 ·
Interested in everyone's thoughts on that age old challenge of labeling cables.

I've been reading about self laminating wire wrap labels which seem to be labels you print and stick on the wire and then the rest of the label (sticky clear plastic) wraps around the wire to keep the label affixed. Obvious question is, how well do they hold up ? Sticky things don't always stay stuck. :D

The more expensive and professional choice seems to be heat shrink tubing that you print on and then shrink it right on to the wire, but I would think that would only work on cables that didn't already have ends on them, cables you are making yourself. I do make cables, but I don't make all of my cables.

How do you label the wires on your boat ?
 
#2 ·
About two years ago, I purchased a Brother p-touch labeling machine. I also picked up some water proof tape for that machine. I am glad I did it. It is easy to use and easy to see once it is placed on a wire or cable. Worked great on the electric panel also.
 
#7 ·
Great suggestions! Thanks everyone.



On panels and circuit boards when I want to label things with small labels I use pieces of white mailing label - I just write what I want on the label, cut it out, stick it on the surface, and then I cover it in multiple coats of clear finger nail polish which dries clear and hard. The result is really good, cheap too. I don't think this would work for larger labels because the whole reason it works is that the polish dries hard, but if it were drying across a large area I think it would be more like laminating than applying a coat of hard plastic.
 
#4 ·
Cheapo option

The following trick only works if it is convenient disconnect the end of the wire.

I strip the jacket off landlubber Romex wire, and cut it down to one inch bits, which make a perfect surface to write on with a Sharpie. Then, I use that no-shrink tubing to label my wire. It does not look fancy :eek: but, being over 45 years old, I really enjoy being able to write in big, legible letters.

I also use a printing machine that produces neatly printed adhesive labels, but my experience has been that these labels fall off over time (I suppose that, like me, my bilge pump is entitled to crunchy snacks from time to time), and that they can become illegible because of heat/light/chemicals.

Most Electricians will be overjoyed to provide you with bits of unwanted Romex for free.

Cheers,

Y.
 
#5 ·
On our Beneteau, the wires have little pieces of tape with numbers on them. The tape looks kind of like this:

-----------------------------------
| 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 |
-----------------------------------

Two pieces of tape are used for the 2 digit numbers. (And 3 for 3.) Not sure where you can get this tape. I can ask Beneteau if you want. If so, send me a PM so I definitely see your response it.
 
#6 ·
bene you can get a number book at any electric supply, i have even seen them at home depot.

there is a labeling system that uses heat shrink you can right on, once shrunk the ink gets absorbed by some kind of coating on the heat shrink. dont know where to get it but is not cheap and you cant use a lighter it burns the coating
 
#8 ·
You can also get the self-fusing silicone labels for marking wires. They're tough and the writing ends up under the label, and protected by the label itself. One caveat—to remove these labels, you have to generally cut the wire. :)

A quick and dirty way to do it is to use white electrical tape and write on it with an ultra fine tip sharpie.
 
#12 ·
There are so many choices when it comes to labeling wires. Some will work way better than others especially being in the marine enviroment. In the past when I have done wiring jobs for people before I even started the work I had drawn up wiring schematics/diagrams before any work work was done. After explaining the diagrams and how the system was going to be added and approval from the owner I would find a local industrail equipment manufacturer that had the $5K printer that did heat shrink labels. I could typically give em 20 or bucks to print all the labels and a set of spares. This way when I did the job I had the right size labels for the wiring. Most big electrical supply houses will have the printers as well it might cost a lil more but well worth it to have a label that is legible and will stand up to the marine enviroment.

Just my $.02

Jeff
 
#17 ·
In Canada, a marine electronics expert put me on to the Active Electronics Depot stores (10 across the country and a website) for wire numbering and clear heat shrink. Given we can't get coloured wire any more, seems like there is a shift to labelling wires. Numbers for small wires, and text labels and clear heat shrink for larger cables. Can use an Excel spreadsheet to record all the numbers.
 
#18 ·
For the large diameter cables you an print labels with your PC at any font size and then use clear heat shrink tubing to seal them to the cable. Easier done with large cables where you can slip the heat shrink over the lug fitting.
 
#23 ·
you mean something like the way resistor are color coded??
 
#25 ·
P-touch and similar label makers are nice--but they are all thermal printers, and the labels will go to 100% black after six months to a year in any kind of warm location, i.e. engine bay. I've even had them go black simply from the heat of the gizmo they were stuck onto (like a radio or tv).

So all that nice work? Is likely to go to waste. Better to use the professional stickers, although some of them also go gummy and fall off after 5+ years.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Ziptape Rite & Wrap labels: Ziptape® - Smart Cable Management Solutions. Comes in cloth or synthetic tyvek. RW51 comes in a roll of 300 labels, each 3/4 wide by 1-1/4" long, where the first 1/4" is a white write-on space and the remaining 1" is clear; wrap the written-on part first, then wrap the clear portion on top of that. Won't wrap all the way around larger wires through (circumference has to be less than 3/4").

Brothers labeller and clear shrinkwrap for larger cables.

Other options:

ZipTape MityMark: a little kit of 10 tape dispensers, each with a role of one digit (1-9 and 0); tear off a digit and wrap it on the wire, followed by the other digits required to make a number. Keep an Excel spreadsheet key to the numbers.

Home Depot carries some Ideal Industries' wire marker products: http://www.idealindustries.ca/produc.../wire_markers/. Pads of peel-off numbers and letters.

Coloured shrinkwrap is not a practical option, I don't think -- most places do not carry enough colours, and a person would have to find a variety of sizes. Same with coloured tape.
 
#27 ·
Just curious, how a 1.25" label can wrap around a cable that is .75" in diameter??? .75 * 3.14 = 2.355"

I believe you mean .75" in circumference. :) BTW, I use these labels for network cabling setups all the time. :)

Ziptape Rite & Wrap labels: Ziptape® - Smart Cable Management Solutions. Comes in cloth or synthetic tyvek. RW51 comes in a roll of 300 labels, each 3/4 wide by 1-1/4" long, where the first 1/4" is a white write-on space and the remaining 1" is clear; wrap the written-on part first, then wrap the clear portion on top of that. Won't wrap all the way around larger wires through (diameter has to be less than 3/4").
 
#28 · (Edited)
I just bought these and they are excelent. There is a small white square to write on and then a much longer clear section that wraps around to protect the writing. They stick on extremely well but can be removed if you want too.

Part 8668T11

EDIT: Here is the actual part. Looks like it can be cheaper elsewhere.

You can sort of see them in the picture.
 

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