Labels

     Anyone interested in a cheap and not too unsightly label that will
last as long as the plant?   The method I use has evolved gradually, with
my latest improvement probably the most important.  For several years, I
have been stopping off at my local builders supply to get 10'length
thinwall 4"drainage pipe.  I take a saw along to cut it in two for ease in
transportation.  I rip it on my bandsaw into strips from 5/8 to 1 1/4".  I
then pile up the strips and crosscut each pile into any length I want.
Final step is sawing off two corners of each short pile to sharpen.  I had
been using a marking pencil but it usually washed off after 2-3 years.  I
tried an elctric engraver, but found it unsatisfactory and too laborious.
This spring I bought a Craftsman 30 watt Wood burning tool, part #954032
and found it to be just dandy for burning names into these plastic markers.
You can even smear black paint over your work and wipe it off to highlight
the names even more if desired.  Until this spring I have always bought
white pipe because that was the way it came.  This spring they had aqua and
I went home without it. Then I thought hey-maybe there will still be enough
contrast and this will lessen my wife's complaint about the mouse graveyard
in the garden. Brown or green might be better than aqua but you can't have
everything.  This tool, comes with 7 different tips but I find the sharp
pointed one works best.  After making about 50 labels, I go to the
grindstone and reshape the tip. It will eventually wear out but no problem.
This afternoon, I went out to my shop, hunted up some 5/32" copper rod, and
made 5 new tips in 1/2 hour. I just cut them into the desired length with a
bolt cutter, tapped them with an 8-32 thread cutter, screwed them into the
tool and sharpened them on the grindstone.  If you don't have a bandsaw, a
table saw will work, but is more wasteful.  If you have a good pencil
soldering iron it would probably also work, especially if it has a
removable tip.

Lawrence Lacey
Sioux City, IA
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