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Old April 11, 2013   #76
CapnChkn
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Here's what's evolved over time:

Take an Aluminum soda or beer can, cut the ends off. Trim the ragged edges so you don't cut yourself. Flatten the sheet of metal by pulling the bend opposite over the edge of a table, or something similar.

Cut the shape and size of labels you want. If I'm doing a graft, I cut them sort of "dog tag" shape and tie that on with a loop of copper wire. If I'm putting them in pots, I cut them long and thin so I can stick them in the soil, with a pointed end.

Find a good ball point pen. Make sure it has a metal collar around the point so it will last. First I make sure to scribe a line down the point to hold it stiff on an old newspaper. I use the newspaper because the inner tube has too much give.

Using a piece of old Tractor/trailer innertube (ask for dead ones at your local Tractor/trailer repair shop), I hold the aluminum down and write, pressing hard, the name, when it was started, and how many days to maturity.

Turn it over and run the round part of the pen over it to flatten. The great thing about this method is the metal holds the shape of the letters forever. It doesn't rust, it's light and I can make them any size I like.
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Old April 11, 2013   #77
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Thats a great idea Capn!
I wonder, if after you write what you want to write, you could take a fine brush, dip it in some dark enamel paint and paint over your writing. Then quickly take a small rag and rub it all off. The rag wont reach into the impression left by the ballpoint pen and should make it easier to read. Or maybe a black permanent ink marker would work better to fill the impression? Maybe I will try it in the morning.

Aluminum cans are pretty useful items! I used to make birdhouses and would make little shingles out of aluminum cans.
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Old April 12, 2013   #78
CapnChkn
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Quote:
I wonder, if after you write what you want to write, you could take a fine brush, dip it in some dark enamel paint and paint over your writing
YES! It would work for a while. The latex would fall out, the black marker will fade. The reason I started using this method is because the weather would fade anything I wrote with besides carbon ink; then the paper would rot.

I actually don't have any trouble seeing the words without the coloring, the light is dramatically different between the depressions and the "mirror" of the smooth surface. Writing with the rubber underneath allows it enough "give" that the letters are pretty well embossed...

This photo doesn't do it any justice, you can see in the lower half the date I scribed. I try to get photos of hot compost and other stuff but the shine just takes the fun out of it...
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Old April 14, 2013   #79
ArcherB
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Default Aluminum foil over cans

Quote:
Originally Posted by CapnChkn View Post
Here's what's evolved over time:

Take an Aluminum soda or beer can, cut the ends off. Trim the ragged edges so you don't cut yourself. Flatten the sheet of metal by pulling the bend opposite over the edge of a table, or something similar.

Cut the shape and size of labels you want. If I'm doing a graft, I cut them sort of "dog tag" shape and tie that on with a loop of copper wire. If I'm putting them in pots, I cut them long and thin so I can stick them in the soil, with a pointed end.

Find a good ball point pen. Make sure it has a metal collar around the point so it will last. First I make sure to scribe a line down the point to hold it stiff on an old newspaper. I use the newspaper because the inner tube has too much give.

Using a piece of old Tractor/trailer innertube (ask for dead ones at your local Tractor/trailer repair shop), I hold the aluminum down and write, pressing hard, the name, when it was started, and how many days to maturity.

Turn it over and run the round part of the pen over it to flatten. The great thing about this method is the metal holds the shape of the letters forever. It doesn't rust, it's light and I can make them any size I like.
I do something similar, but rather than cutting up aluminum cans, I just use aluminum foil. You fold it over four or five times to the width you want (mine are about "stick of gum" wide), cut them into the length you want, write on them with a ball point pen with something soft underneath them (like a newspaper), and then trace with a sharpie. The ball point pen makes an indention in the foil and the sharpie makes it easier to read. The sharpie fades by season's end, but the indention stays forever. The next year, you can just trace them with the sharpie again and they are good as new.

I did this yesterday. I wrote the plant names on the foil with the pen and had my daughter trace over them with a sharpie. She loved to help and it worked on her handwriting skills (that's what she does in school, right?). I then drilled a hole in them, although a hole punch also works, and hung them on the cages with twine or twist ties that I pulled from last year's tags. When the tag becomes too wrinkled, toss it and replace. Should last forever if you store them right. I just make new tags every year.

To me, this works better than cutting up cans as you can choose your thickness. Also, almost no chance of cutting yourself.

Last edited by ArcherB; April 14, 2013 at 10:54 AM.
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Old April 14, 2013   #80
Tracydr
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I use colored duct tape and just write on it with a sharpee pen. If the ink starts to fade, which I haven't had a problem with, you can just rewrite it.
The colored duct tape is easy to use and comes in all sorts of pleasing colors at Home Depot. I have blue, pink and red. I tape above each plant to the the concrete reinforcing wire that I use for support. ( I use it more like a long trellis or fence than cages). For smaller types of plants like lettuce or chard, I use bamboo skewers that you can buy in huge packs from the grocery store. Just take the tape and double it over itself.
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Old April 15, 2013   #81
dice
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These don't fade:
http://www.costco.com/Sharpie-Indust....11508605.html

(Just remember to put the cap back on after using it, so the tip
does not dry out.)
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Old April 15, 2013   #82
GoGayleGo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CapnChkn View Post
YES! It would work for a while. The latex would fall out, the black marker will fade. The reason I started using this method is because the weather would fade anything I wrote with besides carbon ink; then the paper would rot.

I actually don't have any trouble seeing the words without the coloring, the light is dramatically different between the depressions and the "mirror" of the smooth surface. Writing with the rubber underneath allows it enough "give" that the letters are pretty well embossed...

This photo doesn't do it any justice, you can see in the lower half the date I scribed. I try to get photos of hot compost and other stuff but the shine just takes the fun out of it...


Do you guys write backwards on the back so the lettering is raised on the front?

I have a die-cutter (from the craft store, ~$60 when on sale), I can punch out shapes from soda cans, and the edges are bent down in the process. It's still a bit dicey to cut up the can carefully in order to get it through the press, but I made snowflakes at Christmas and hope to make plant tags using this method.
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Old April 22, 2014   #83
walt456
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This is an old thread but may be useful to the newbies like me. I've been cutting up my son's old vinyl school folders. This time of year the kids are cleaning out their desks. I cut them into strips and write on them with a sharpie or grease pencil. I've used them for the seedlings and when I put them in the garden I'll hole punch them and use a bread tie to fasten them to the cages. When school supplies are on sale you can usually find these for less than .50. I can get about 30-40 labels out of each folder.
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Old April 22, 2014   #84
heirloomtomaguy
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Current labels zip tied to the posts would work
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Old February 24, 2015   #85
EBCIII
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Thanks for all the ideas Guys and Gals! I am going to have to try at least one of these! Beale.
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Old February 24, 2015   #86
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I've been using the cheap Venetian blind strips (an idea I got from this thread, i think) with "weatherproof polyester for laser" printer labels (I got them from Onlinelabels.com) and they look good (for plant sales) and last about forever, it seems. Last year I attached them to both my Florida weave strings and my vertical string supports with large plastic-coated paper clips. While I did lose a couple during a thunderstorm with winds that flattened my sweet corn and blew down trees, by then I pretty much knew what was what and found the blown-off labels and just refastened them. At the end of the season I recovered both the tags and the paper clips for use again this year, if winter ever goes away. (-37 degrees last night! Ugh!)
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Old February 24, 2015   #87
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"I haven't had a problem with sun yet. But I could just hang the tags I have on the stakes, and turn the printing towards the stake (keeping the sun off it). Twist it to look at it when I want to, then turn it back."

--Just write the name on both sides--

"This is an old thread but may be useful to the newbies like me. I've been cutting up my son's old vinyl school folders. This time of year the kids are cleaning out their desks. I cut them into strips and write on them with a sharpie or grease pencil. I've used them for the seedlings and when I put them in the garden I'll hole punch them and use a bread tie to fasten them to the cages. When school supplies are on sale you can usually find these for less than .50. I can get about 30-40 labels out of each folder."

--This is what I did last year, writing on both sides. I got 3 heavy duty folders, wrote names on both sides, and even with a Sharpie there was little fading.--
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Old February 24, 2015   #88
EBCIII
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I have a Viral Cat in my farm. She came inside for about a month. 3 torn up Blinds later and She is back outside! Guess which method I am going to use? Beale.
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Old February 27, 2015   #89
Catherine+twin
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Quote:
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I have a Viral Cat in my farm. She came inside for about a month. 3 torn up Blinds later and She is back outside! Guess which method I am going to use? Beale.
LOL I have a formerly Feral cat, too. Now she's an old, lovey lap-cat. But she isn't the one who tore up my blinds. That was a kitten from a rescue cat's litter. I still had some blinds with a looped string, and the kitten managed to get his neck into the loop and fell off of the window sill. His struggles to get free brought me running (good thing he pulled this stunt on a weekend rather than when I was at work!!!). I managed to save the poor kitty, but the blinds were shredded! I used the slats as plant labels for years. Kitten lived a long, fat life, and always helped in the garden by flinging himself on new transplants as I put them out.

I think we will be trying the aluminum can labels this year.

Catherine
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Old February 27, 2015   #90
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I'm trying something new this year to identify my plants. I purchased 100 "Racetrack Numbered Aluminum Tags" from Forestry Suppliers for $11.20.I will list my plants and assign them a number .I will put the tag in the plant cup then hang on the garden steak. Can be used year after year.
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