Sharpie on garden labels

I've made some garden labels from hardwood. Then I carved the names of the plants with a rotary tool.

I plan to finish them with a mineral spirits + linseed oil + paraffin wax solution. (Plus a creosote type product for the bit that goes into the soil.)

The names need to be darker to be legible. I tried a pyrography pen/tool, but it took far too long.

I'm wondering if I use a Sharpie (texta/marker) and cover it with the proposed finish, above, will the ink bleed over time when exposed to the elements.

(I did a couple of test pieces and the ink didn't bleed at all -- like I thought it would -- but I'm not sure how it'll hold up over time.)

I've got a hundred or more to do and I'm trying to avoid having to re-do them in six months.

Whaddyareckon?

A Sharpie is likely to fade in the sun - paint markers are likely to handle the UV better.

can you just use a normal exterior paint and a small brush?

other option that may take a little bit longer (or shorter) would be to spray paint the whole label after you've cut the lettering and then just quickly sand it again to expose the wood

3rd option would be to make all the signs up, lay them down, mix up a batch of the cheapest epoxy you can find and dye it black and just pour it into each letter, at least it would level out in the lettering and a jumbo syringe would avoid spills and probably go pretty quick

Hi TryingItAtHome,

While I agree with the other response about exterior paint in that it will be less likely to fade. May I humbly suggest the somewhat maligned (and forgotten) art of pyrography?

Since it burns/writes into the wood, you know it won't fade, and doesn't really need any additional carving steps. Obviously, you also won't have any paint/brushes to buy. If you have a lot of labels to do, it may actually come out cheaper, easier, (and less messy) than buying paints/brushes/cleaning stuff. Carbatec sells pyrography pens for as little as $80 (probably even cheaper on AliExpress/eBay) and with a little practice, should have little difference from writing with a sharpie.

Anyway, just some food for thought...

Hamish.

I think that you have found the perfect justification to lash out and buy a small CNC to engrave your labels.

If you engrave slow enough the cutter will burn the timber and the label is ready. :U

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Originally Posted by Bohdan

I think that you have found the perfect justification to lash out and buy a small CNC to engrave your labels.

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Ha, ha! Bohdan, my man, i couldn't agree more! I've looked at 'em, believe me. Unfortunately, 'Er Indoors (as Arfur Daley used to say) wouldn't go for it. "They're garden labels. Just use a pen" :U

i appreciate all the other suggestions, too; they're awesome! I'll see how I go. I might combine two ideas: apply exterior paint with a small brush and then give it a light sand anywhere I've coloured outside the lines.

(I'll also check out the pyrography kits from Carbatec. The one I was using was just a cheapie so perhaps that was the issue.)

Thanks very much! :D

I'm sure you need some kitchen items engraved.:roll:

Try oiling your timber first before carving out the name; then you can daub paint into the carving and immediately wipe off the excess with a cloth wrapped around a firm-ish block of rubber or cork. This will work best if the wood has a smooth flat surface such as gained by planing rather than sanding unless you were planning to sand to about 400 grit! Once the paint has dried slap on another oil coat.

If you have a cheap and nasty block plane that you care little about you could skip the initial oil coat and simply fill the carving with paint then give a couple of swipes with the plane after it has dried; but this will likely smear hardened-but-still-softish paint over the sole and blade requiring frequent removal.

TIAH

In post #2 mpot mentioned a Sharpie would fade and that you could try a paint marker. I fully agree that the Sharpie would not last any time at all (I think even rain would dissolve it). I am not sure how paint markers would go long term, but there is another pen that farmers use to write on the ear tags for their livestock. My experience of these is that they last for longer than the animal itself (assuming that it is a cow rather than a steer :wink: ) and are more indelible than even the paint markers. However, they are used on a polythene type plastic and I don't know how they go on timber. Possibly one of the forum farmers could offer some experience here.

If it works, it would be both quicker and cheaper than almost any option so far made. They can be purchased from the farm supply stores or stock and station agents. I am sure Gympie would have several (agents not pens :rolleyes:).

Regards
Paul

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Originally Posted by Bushmiller

TIAH

In post #2 mpot mentioned a Sharpie would fade and that you could try a paint marker. I fully agree that the Sharpie would not last any time at all (I think even rain would dissolve it). I am not sure how paint markers would go long term, but there is another pen that farmers use to write on the ear tags for their livestock. My experience of these is that they last for longer than the animal itself (assuming that it is a cow rather than a steer :wink: ) and are more indelible than even the paint markers. However, they are used on a polythene type plastic and I don't know how they go on timber. Possibly one of the forum farmers could offer some experience here.

If it works, it would be both quicker and cheaper than almost any option so far made. They can be purchased from the farm supply stores or stock and station agents. I am sure Gympie would have several (agents not pens :rolleyes:).

Regards
Paul

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they're just paint pens
Allflex Tag Pen | Black or White, Broad & Fine Tip | Specialist Sales

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Originally Posted by havabeer69

they're just paint pens
Allflex Tag Pen | Black or White, Broad & Fine Tip | Specialist Sales

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HAB

It is now more than twenty years since I used those pens, but that was the brand I remember. They seemed different to the paint markers in the way they performed as I did use the paint markers once when I ran out of the Allflex thinking it was the same stuff. It seemed different, however, I can't be sure of my assessment.

It would certainly be relatively easy to try, but it would take a couple of years to see if they retained their clarity.

Regards
Paul

Stupid idea that may work well.

Paint the labels a dark colour and leave the lettering unpainted.

The hard wood over time even with your finish on it is going to go silver to grey in colour making it harder to read the letters anyway.

Cheers - Neil :U

PS they're plant labels, how long do you expect them to last. I doubt the finish you propose to use will last very long.

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Originally Posted by ubeaut

Stupid idea that may work well.

Paint the labels a dark colour and leave the lettering unpainted.

The hard wood over time even with your finish on it is going to go silver to grey in colour making it harder to read the letters anyway.

Cheers - Neil :U

PS they're plant labels, how long do you expect them to last. I doubt the finish you propose to use will last very long.

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just when you think that cat's been skinned 1000 ways.... along comes someone with #1001

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Originally Posted by ubeaut

Paint the labels a dark colour and leave the lettering unpainted.

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Thanks, Neil. I like this contrarian way of thinking.

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Originally Posted by ubeaut

I doubt the finish you propose to use will last very long.

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I'm keen to know more about this; it's the reason I originally posted this in the Finishing board. I know diddly about finishes and the "recipe" I have is:

• 4L mineral spirits
• 1L boiled linseed oil
• 200g paraffin wax. Melt using double-boiler. Mix in 10L bucket with other ingredients.

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Originally Posted by tryingitathome

I'm keen to know more about this; it's the reason I originally posted this in the Finishing board. I know diddly about finishes and the "recipe" I have is:

• 4L mineral spirits
• 1L boiled linseed oil
• 200g paraffin wax. Melt using double-boiler. Mix in 10L bucket with other ingredients.

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I think the question was asked but never answered.... how long do you need these to last?

like most "oil based" finished left out in direct sun and elements you'll be reapplying the finished every 6months to a year to keep them looking great (plus will yellow up a bit). if you don't want ongoing maintenance to 100 signs I would strongly look at a painting option.

Ohhhh.... now that's interesting. I would have thought the oil-based finish would last longer than that, but there ya go!

In answer to the question of how long I want them to last... in an ideal world, years without any maintenance.

If painting them is, therefore, the only (or best) option for achieving three, four, five years (or more) of service before they need a touch-up, what kind of paint would you recommend I use (and not use)? Does it even matter? Would any old external paint do the trick?

Thanks very much for your help.