[SML] Labels for cable, best stickiness? Brands? etc...

[Dale Farmer]

WIth brand new cables, there is still mold release agent on the outside 
of the cable and nothing removable will stick for long.  After the mold 
release agent has worn off the cable, then mmany of the stickers will 
stick just fine, for a short while.

What I've seen work for show specific labeling is to apply a wrap of 
gaff tape around the cable, so the tape overlaps itself.  Then put the 
label with the information on the gaff tape.    I've also seen clear 
packing tape or gaff tape (usually with a courtesy tab) stuck to the 
connector and the label stuck on top of that.  These stick on reliably 
and are easy to remove during the deprep after the show is done.

   FOr a longer term gig, such parts of your house rep plot or for a 
longish tour, I'd invest in those self laminating cable labels that 
companies like Panduit make.   Run them through your printer with the 
provided software for the various labels and they print up nice, and if 
you put in a courtesy tab, they come off easily.

    I'm also a big fan of color coding.  you have a prerig truss rig, by 
using a ring of one inch colored gaff and a ring of half inch color gaff 
on top of it, you have just created 100 unique combinations of colors 
with only ten colors of gaff tape for your multicables.  Adding another 
layer of 2 inch colored tape underneath and now you have a thousand 
unique three color codes.  Wrap the stack of colored tape with clear 
packing tape for a long tour to keep the things from peeling off to 
easily.

  All the crew just have to plug the blue/orange multicable into the 
blue/orange dimmer outlet.   No literacy or common language needed, 
which is important if your tour goes international, or your local hires 
are illiterate.   You do need crew who are not colorblind. Of course, 
colorblind electricians often remove themselves from the workforce in a 
darwinian fashion.

Dale

On 4/26/2017 7:51 AM, Scott C. Parker via Stagecraft wrote:
> With Lightwright 6's labeling tools, I'm looking for the best brand &
> label number to use. The ones we happen to have in the office don't
> stick very well to the rubber jacket of the cable.
>
> What are people using that stick, but also can get peeled off without
> having to goo-gone the cable when done?
>
> Thanks,
> Scott
>
> Scott C. Parker
> Lighting Designer http://scpld.com/ Studio 212-533-3430  Cell 718-757-6661
> http://twitter.com/stageseminars   https://www.linkedin.com/in/lightingdesigner
> USA829, IES, PLASA, USITT, ETCP certified Rigger & Electrician
>
>
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