Wire Labelling

[Chris Patterson]

I concur. God bless the owner, or pro mechanic that will have a comprehensive wiring diagram for the boat. What I facetiously call "the funny papers" in reference to the drawing, a manufacturer gives a whole new dimension to it. When a newbie on these sites ask about directing them toward a wiring diagram from SO many of these boats, I feel like saying, "Man, have I got some bad news for you". They commonly look like a third grader was handed a crayon, and they had at it for about twenty minutes. Tim's diagram almost brought a tear to my eye. And to actually have to go troubleshoot somebodies wiring woes, and they were labeled like Maine's, I think I would about do it for free. I feel like Tim probably made his own drawing, and IF that is the case, why can't a multi-million dollar yacht manufacturer come even close to that.

As it is now, when I get a call about wiring issues, I can almost hear Rod Serling say, "Here we have a scared, angry little man. He thinks it's all over, but it's only just begun; in The Twilight Zone"...

 

[Ray Bowles]

Being very color blind has led my efforts to wire or trace wires in very strange ways to most people. One of my main tools is using various lengths of 16g wires with either probes or alligator clips attached and an ohm meter. Another quick test is to start a small electrical fire and follow your nose to the other end.
My final signature trick is to completly wire a boat or car with white wire or simular color that matches the customers paint job.
Ray

 

[LloydB]

3M STD-0-9 Wire Marker Tape Dispenser - requires no batteries or heat gun and usually available from your nearest electrical supply.
My preference is P-touch as it can also be used for other than wire labels .

 

[Bob S]

I bought the 8668T32 when I redid my wiring works well but my penmanship isn't as neat as the guys from Maine

http://www.mcmaster.com/#wire-labels/=kla7sg

 

[pogo2]

I bought the P- touch, it'll do just what i want on the boat and around the house, and I can read it clearly. Nice machine

 

[Sumner]

I bought the P- touch, it'll do just what i want on the boat and around the house, and I can read it clearly. Nice machine

We bought a P-touch 2730 last summer from one of the big-box stores on sale for about 1/2 price ($50.00) to use for around the house and labeling panels on the boat. I never thought about using it for the wiring until this thread.

I hadn't used it yet but this thread got me interested enough that I pulled it out of the box finally and started using it. It was ok using it standalone with the keyboard, but then I installed the software on the computer and ran it from the computer and wow I'm really impressed. Using the computer you can do about anything on a label including even putting on a picture if you want. Your aren't confined to the line spacing and such that you are using the machine by itself. If anyone has one and hasn't connected it to the computer do so. You can do much more and also do it much quicker via the computer.

The downside was that after ordering different width labels and also the flexible ones for wiring we now have about twice as much in the labels as the machine, but probably enough to last us the life of the machine. The wiring ones we ordered are black on white and all of the rest are black on clear and are suppose to work inside or out.

MS have you tried the flexible labels without putting hear shrink on top of them?

Thanks,

Sum

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[Sail123]

I have been using a 1" Brother Commercial Label machine for over twenty years. The labels are waterproof, reversible on glass, pretty much indestructible if put on a clean dry surface.

Wrap it around a wire, overlapping making a flag, making two labels without cutting them apart as you make the label, makes a flag readable on both sides. Creates a bond on the wire, only a three alarm fire could defeat. I did this to mark my standing rigging to match everything back up in the spring.

This also works to mark dock lines, or many other lines on the sailboat. When I throw someone a dock line , they can instantly tell where that dock line goes to, because the line is marked, and so are the dock cleats.