Use this hack to make your wiring projects next level!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- In my constant evolution to make wiring cleaner, easier to troubleshoot and more reliable I have started labeling as many wires in my harnesses as reasonably possible. It may take a little bit longer but the clarity and ease of diagnosing problems later on make it a no brainer for me.
I have been asked several times how I go about labeling and thought I would put a video together highlighting the process.
The label maker I use is a Brady BMP21-Plus and can be found here: (apparently there is a newer model that is cheaper, I have linked it too)
amzn.to/4bJXozA
www.amazon.com...
This is the clear heat shrink I use
www.amazon.com...
heck out my Patreon Account. I post behind the scenes, early uploads, Q and A and more. Help me keep the lights on and buying more shop and camera gear!
/ merricksgarage
Gear, merch, and parts all over on www.merricksga...
If there is some item or product you saw in this video, it is more than likely to be found in either my Amazon Store or if it is a Milwaukee Tool over on Acme Tools
www.amazon.com...
shareasale.com...
Daily updates on the Instagram:
bit.ly/Merricks...
Link to the seat bracket mounts for late model GM third row for your Blazer!
www.merricksga... - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
I labeled thousands of newtorking and communication cables and equipment. It is important to cover the cable labels with the clear heat shrink tubing because the tape adhesive will probably fail inside a year. Especially in a hot engine compartment. I covered labels on a flat spot on equipment with clear packing tape.
You are correct the adhesive on the label will eventually let go, especially in the bends
I have used Scotchlock markers and yes after a few years they unwind from the wires. Clear heat shrink is the answer.
Rather than shrinking over labels, you can just get printable heatshrink for labellers...
YES! I ran over 160 Cat-5e (this was done back in 1999) UTP drops when I pre-wired our house.
I was in a rush since I had to do my “real job” of electrical rough-in, so I used the fabric number labels.
The “old style” white cloth labels that you wrap around the cable.
I have been using the Dymo Rhino 6000 labeler for a decade or so and decided to re-mark all of the cables at the termination point with heat shrink labels. It turns out that many the original fabric type labels had fallen off, leaving adhesive residue on the cable.
Lesson learned. And… this is a very easy and economical way to ensure your labeling will hold up.
I wish they had that when I was still working. @@intercity125
I've made a TON of harnesses in my 45 years in the industry and have used all the major brand label makers to print out labels. What I finally found I liked best was to just print in handwriting with an ink pen on the shrink tube before you shrink it. This make a very nice, small legend for your wire and sooo much faster and less waste. You have to have fairly decent hand writing to make these nice but I like it much better. No label maker needed.
Just a standard pen?
@@robmespeedy You probably need an indelible marker pen since you are writing on rubber/plastic.
You can avoid the razor blade hassle by using two pieces of scotch tape to pull the backing off and the tape stuck to label makes a good handle for placing the label. Great tip video BTW!
That’s a good idea. I was gonna suggest plastic razor blades because they are thin but not as dangerous. :)
As I watched that part of the video, I thought "I've seen a neat way to do this more easily... somewhere! I wonder what it was?". NOW I REMEMBER! 👍
I did a lot of HVAC Control Panels. A step I used to take, was to Color the screw terminals, with Paint Markers, to match the Color of the Wire. That way if a Wire Fell off or someone was messing with the controls, it would be easy to put the wire(s) back. Also I got very efficient with Microsoft Paint, on making full color wiring diagrams.
We used MS PowerPoint (not using it for slide shows) for diagrams and other documentation.
yea I need to pick up some paint pens for this and other reasons. I love all the tips I have picked up cruising the comments section here.
Nail polish also works, but obviously isn't as convenient or portable if you need lots of colors.
Or use DIN rail terminal blocks, which are available in a ton of colors! :)
Yeah, right. "IF A WIRE FELL OFF!". "ALL BY ITSELF?" a You're so full of sht, you stink when you burp.
We at the shipyard have a typewriter that types metal labels. 20 + years that label can be read with paint, grease, crap stuck to it.
yea, I would love to have access to something like that
Strips of soft drink can stamped with a metal set of letter/number stamps perhaps, low budget, but it'd work, I think.....
@@michaelsimpson9779but sharp edges will cut the insulation.
Dog tags for wires! 😀
@@MerricksGarageYou can still buy them.
This will really shine in a situation where the wiring has been around an engine for some years, and the color coded wires are not easy to decipher. Great method.
Great video! Thanks for the tip. If I can add one little piece of advice: when choosing a labeller, beware some brands (Brother) insist on having a long tape path meaning you waste half your tape feeding to the cutter before and after. The label maker used here looks to have a shorter path, which is much better, less waste. Look for distance between exposed area on tape (print section) and cutter.
yea, aint that the truth. I have found that smaller text and multiple lines (I can get up to three lines on smaller font) help minimize waste. But yea, they do seem rather unneccessarily wasteful.
Yes, the brother tape path is long. The labels are laminated, though, so they are very robust. Except that with heat shrink you are laminating them yourself so it doesn’t matter :)
I usually use my Brother in chain mode. It doesn’t cut the last label. So I can make a lot of labels and then only cut the final one. I usually have a few ideas for generic warning or address labels. So I print all the labels for my project, cutting between each, and then print a warning label at the end. End result is zero wastage.
(Chain mode leaves the last label stuck in the printer until you print the next)
Definitely use chain print mode!
As for printer waste in general: the Brother labels, being laminated, legitimately require a certain “dead space” ahead of the print head.
But if you don’t need lamination - high quality thermal transfer is robust even without lamination - or are using inherently non-laminated media like heat shrink or cable tags, then buying a more expensive label printer will get you better print mechanisms that can feed the media forward and backward, so they can feed forward to index and to eject, then retract the media back to save it.
For example, Wago’s printer costs around $500, and a roll of heatshrink for it is over $100 - but that roll is 15 times longer than the Brother heat shrink cartridge that costs $25, and the Wago printer doesn’t waste any tubing. If you use it professionally, it pays for itself quickly.
@@tookitogo Thanks for sharing those numbers.
I use the knockoff Brother style label tapes. I’ve had very good luck with them so far. What I’d really kinda like is 3:1 or 4:1 printable heat shrink so that I can fit it over connectors. Nobody seems to make that, sadly.
I have been through 2 brandname label makers that have died for no reason (not abused, not over used) and they do that excess label run on.
Clear heat shrink over the label is a great idea! It's a lot cheaper than buying the heat shrink tube labels.
I like to see someone else avoiding the finger prints, it’s usually the first place the labels will start lifting. Another handy tip I use instead of the razor blade is an xacto knife. Smaller blade, sharper point gets under the corner and more direct like a pen. Very Handy tip overall.
I use the label maker but never thought of using the clear heat shrink over it. Genius Level!
Great idea, especially with the clear shrink wrap.
I’m the technical director for a haunted attraction, and we run Cat5E network cameras throughout our facility to monitor group progress, check in on scare actors, etc. Labeling at least ends in their terminal location, then back in my “office” aka Monster Control, lets us track down line issues during run-ups to our haunt season.
Thanks for the tips!!
it is good to see people cable properly. used to be a data and a/v cabler myself. the only cables we didn't label had a plug on the end or was the fibre backbone. this was twenty years ago.
On the Harbor Freight heat guns, disable the high setting, if you're good with rewiring, and only use the low setting. These don't last very long at the high setting but seem to last on low and do most jobs fairly well, especially heat shrink.
Absolutely!! I use a Brother E550 series printer. It makes beautiful and very hardwearing labels and while meant for electricians it's excellent for auto wiring. So far, on auto work, I've been using it to make flag labels but I really like your shink on shrink system. Time spent organising and labelling is rarely wasted. The E550 (and others) have heatshrink label consumables, which I've not yet used. You're completely right that labelling (and wrapping) is just one part of good wiring, which also includes using good wire and terminals and joining everything properly. Thanks for your great insights!
Yes, Brother Recommends their Flexible ID Tape for wiring. Press Menu Key, Select CableRot/Rpt, Press the Cable Wrap Key. To Exit Press Cable Wrap Key Again.
Great video. I had no idea there was clear heat shrink. I used my label maker before but without that cover, it will eventually fall off. Thanks again!
This is much better than those printed heatschrinks that become unreadable overtime.
Using clear heatshrink with glue inside is even better but those can be annoying in some situation because they will add some stiffness to your cable.
Great hack, been doing that for decades!
Great video. Thanks for the tips. Back in the mid 2000’s, I worked at the Deutsch plants in both Banning CA, and Hemet CA after we moved the entire operation to Hemet. We made a billion of those environmentally sealed connectors. Worked there for about five years. The smell of that injection molding process still lingers in some of my old work clothes. Yuk.
Great video, Labeling makes life so much easier chasing wires all over the place. I was unaware of the clear heat shrink. Thanks for sharing.😁
I use a standard Brother TZ 1/2" black on white indoor/outdoor. Find the rolls on sale half-price quite often. Either tape to itself around the wire if in a hurry, or lengthwise on harness then wrap with clear packing tape if long term or visible. Clear heat shrink would also work perfect if you can find a nice clarity brand. I started labeling personally about 30 years ago doing control work as an industrial electrician with a dot matrix printer on vinyl sleeves. Still have some of the blank sheets today.
Everything you demonstrated we use in aviation maintenance. Good job.
Wow! I just happened across your vid and think this labeling will be great for my model railroad electronics. I do R/C decoder installs in model train locomotives and also convert locomotives from track power to battery power. I usually have to record a pair of cheat sheets: 1 to stuff somewhere inside the locomotive shell and another to keep as a record for future updates and reprogramming. The labeling inside will eliminate all of the wire chasing and help someone who gets inside a unit later to identify what pins I used to trigger which functions such as lights, bells, whistles and motor leads. THANKS
I just hope that making labels for much smaller wire such as LED leads will be possible.
Thanks for the vid! I have a BMP-21 that I bought on the first Amazon Deal Day. I've been using the Brady self laminating cartridges but they never last. Using clear heat shrink is brilliant.
This is a game changer. Rewiring my '75 Maverick right now and keep having to refer to my diagrams to remind me what is what. Plan on doing this on everything from now on. Thanks for the vid.
Brady also makes heat shrink wire labels that you can print directly on for that label maker as well for smaller gage wires. They work extremely well.
I am feeling very "Smug" right now. 🤗
I just finished wiring up a reversing switch on a lathe. I used this method to identify all the terminals in the switch, and motor block, as well as the harness.
For me, the tragedy is that my efforts are all hidden from view, unless somebody pulls it apart sometime in the future. 😡
Thanks for the informative, nicely paced, and well presented video. 👍
Doesn't matter if it's hidden... when you or someone else comes to look at it again in 3 or 4 years, you'll be smiling when you can instantly tell what's what.
Nice. I do the same with IT cables. I use a brother PT9200 printer connected to a laptop so I can save the label files and quickly open existing labels when I want to make more. The tz tapes have the backing split down the centre and it does full and semi cuts nicely. It is really easy to separate each label from a long printout so you don't have to cut anything yourself or risk dropping some. The Chinese generic tapes are really inexpensive and IMHO are as good as the original. You can also drop your own pictures onto the table to make cool signs
Ditto this, the tape shown on this video is not very friendly.
Very nice. Some expense can be saved by just computer printing on white paper and then cutting them up. Use a bit of double sided tape to hold in place before the heat shrink. I've been doing it for years that way and the clear heat shrink gives you the durability and it will last the life of the cabling.
The backing paper of P-Touch labels are split down the middle, making it much easier to remove the backing paper.
Absolutely. That messing around with razor blades doesn't look fun.
They make a self laminating tape and that's been working really well for me! You don't need a heat gun and you don't need an open wire end to use that one.
I do structured wiring on homes for a living and I have done this for years until I broke down and bought a Epson LW-PX300. It can use special cartridges with heatshink and labels them. The refills are not cheap but after you figure in the price for standard label tape and the clear heatshrink its about the same price.
"Broke down"? The Brady label-makers range from 3X to 10X the cost of the Epson device you mention, depending on the model.
@@gregfaris6959 Yea, "Broke down" slang term for "I gave up".
The Epson label maker is far cheaper and I can get a cartage for 33 bucks. Doing the other way like in the video just the heatshrink alone was costing me 20 bucks.
You're paying for the brand name for Brady. A co-worker bought one and when it got dropped it didnt work too well after that. I've knocked my epson off a ladder a couple of times and besides the cartage shooting out it was fine.
Love this - thanks I had never thought of clear heat shrink as the final touch. Brilliant
Glad it was helpful!
Labelling is good for the next guy when he comes. In the telecommunications industry I used to use a Brother P-Touch 9700PC with 9 or 12mm tapes, and 3M SLW Tape B00021402. The 9700PC connected to my laptop via usb and I used a Brother P-Touch Editor application to create the labels. It was very flexible operating like Text Boxes in MS Word and allowed the mixing of orientation and pasting of logo's etc also. For the small fibre optic cables and cables smaller than say 10mm diameter I'd create the label within the 25mm width of the tape and stick the clear tape over the label at right angles to it placing it with the tip of my pocket knife blade, cut off the ends of the label either side of the tape, peel off the label backing, wrap the tape around the cable, stick it to the adhesive back of the label, and then cut off the excess tape at to the edge of the label. The label would then stick up off the cable like the dorsal fin on a shark. If there wasn't enough room for the info I needed to mark I could make two labels and just have them one above the other. On larger cables they'd end up much like yours, just wrapped around. Done tidily on an installation it looked good and was durable unlike paper and ink which will fade over time, and didn't necessitate removal of fittings or unplugging to fit heat shrink over the cable end.
I've been using the shrink tube labels on a different brand labeler, but this is a great practice and I commend you.
Heads up: Brady's website says the BMP21+ is discontinued, and replaced by the M210. This probably explains the (currently) $220 amazon price for the BMP21+ while the M210 is $111
you are right! I have changed it in Amazon Store. Thanks!
I’ve used the brother P touch for years for marine, electronics or very small wires has been a good unit.
Brother P-Touch series (both standalone and Bluetooth printers) accepts heath-shrink tubing label cartridges. Works like a charm. Just have to compensate text and icons scale factor for shrinkage
That same company sells high temp shrink tube labels you can print directly on. You way is def cheaper since the machine is close to 800 bucks plus the cartridges needed.
Brady label printers are very handy and can be used for different types of projects. We use them for labeling IT cables and other such items.
Great content. I did not know clear heat shrink existed.
We would do that at the lighting company i worked for. We would use address labels and heat shrink. Still do it to this day on my cables
You can use a soldering iron to gently melt Morse encoding to the wire sleeves (dot dash) and have a lookup table label attached to the equipment or in the manual to describe the function of each wire.
I do a similar thing but on the cheap. I use my laser printer to print the text on Avery address labels and cut them to the width I want with scissors. The adhesive is not great but plenty strong enough to hold them in place while I slide on the heat shrink. Also, I normally use the type of heat shrink lined with adhesive to ensure a waterproof seal.
I'm starting to do my own solar panel battery Bank hook up this will be perfect and also the labels the wiring to the fuse box as well. Thank you for the review I have it in my Amazon cart now.😁
And it looks professional! Nice work. We used similar techniques building aircraft.
yea, I find myself watching the aircraft and marine maintenance / build videos and factory tours for inspiration lol
Yes. Looks professional. Now.who gets billed for it? Dies it get broken out on the invoice? Nice for personal projects, tho.
MANY years ago, I worked on systems (don't remember if it was in the military or on aircraft) where every wire was labeled on every end with a number and the schematics had tables of what the numbers meant / went to. There was some sort of system that actually printed on the heatshrink, so when it was heated, not only did the heatshrink shrink, but the text would also shrink.
Freightliner trucks use the same wire colour for every wire in the truck but prints the circuit number every so many inches on the wire so you can trace it in a wiring diagram, it's actually very easy once you get used to it. It's great for when you find damaged wiring in the middle of a harness, you dont have to trace it back to a connector to identify it. Well, till the ink rubs off anyway.
I use a Dymo label printer. In addition to sticker labels, they also have heat shrink tubes on which you can print directly. One less action 😉
P.S.: there is a cut along the entire length of the paper part of Dymo labels, which makes it very easy to separate the label - just fold it in the middle lengthwise and the paper comes off by itself - no razor blade needed.
The P-Touch labels come with split backing, which makes it easy to avoid fouling the adhesive.
I think it's important to mention that you want thermal transfer labels and not thermal direct labels. As thermal direct will fade within a fairly short time. If not directly with the heat used on the clear heat shrink tubing.
Dude. Great video. I’m about to make up a spark plug wire set. This will help.
Thanks! I have a Brother P-Touch label maker, 3/4” tapes, and 3/4” clear heat shrink tubing. I’m ready to go!
They also make heat shinkable tubular labels for the Brother printers. It's a better option to adhesive backed labels. Still cover in clear heat shrink for extra protection tho.
@@SofaKing85 I’ll need to look for some of those. Didn’t know such existed.
I do want to name tag the fuses that I have already installed.. just to target the circuits once fuses are blown . Quicker find
Cool video. I have a Brother P-Touch and it should work the same way with their labels and heat shrink.
Great Video and for your application this is probably the best but they make heat shrink labels. I use them in cabling cat6 and Fiber.
Wow .. just seen your connections on the battery 🔋 I had the same but I eliminated all that mess .. by putting bus bar stud plate . One for (+) and other for ground (-) ..
Some electronics want their own dedicated ground to the battery. The danger of a backfeed through the ground is increased with busbar. I use them but not for sensitive electronics or high draw alternator / winch etx
Excellent idea. I’m definitely going to use that on my boat. Thanks
Pull test on wires is a must also.
agreed
Hey, did I meet you on Monster Garage - when you built the harness for Jessy's Baja race car? You had an amazing trailer you brought to the sight - I will never forget how cool it was!
Its really a kind thing to do a legible job of labeling. Especially to the future ypu.
FWIW, Brother makes a heat-shrink label to go with some of their label printers. (I'm sure that this is a *lot* cheaper, though.) For many purposes, I'm pretty sure that you could just print out your labels on a regular sheet of paper using a laser printer--or just photocopy inkjet output--then cut them out. That would save the cost of a decent label printer.
Paper is Not good, its not just that that print Fades, its also a complete dud if moisture gets to it..
Good Luck
Sure beats the old days when we had to hand set steel type in a heated press and manually advance the film. Also had to make sure the press was hot enough to transfer the ink, but not so hot as to shrink the tubing.
You can also print labels on a self-adhesive film, using a regular printer.
There are label tubes available for label printers that do fit and shrink on to wires
I was going to say the same thing.
4:19 So this is going to seem like a dumb question… the clear shrink tube slides in from the right in the video. Assuming it’s getting put on before the connector on the other end and then slid over the label at the end of the build? It’s not slit to put on is it? Only reason I ask is I see those shrink tubes have adhesive in them to make waterproof, and if they could be slit and added to an already made cable … well…🎉!!!
yea, that is the hidden benefit of this hack. It requries the tubing to be installed prior to the connector. Makes you slow down and plan. That is always welcome in my work. I have to force myself not to rush stuff...
so, how do you label an existing wire with connector?
If you want to simplify the process a bit, Brother sells some label makers that work with some heat shrink labels. The text won't be protected like yours will be, but if speed or repetition is a concern then those are a great option
Observation you did but didn’t cover. Your muscle memory set the label back enough in case you ever need to cut back the harness to service a connector.
Thats pretty neat..... and automotive is just the tip of the iceberg for applications
That's a great video! Very informative. Thanks for taking the time to make it!
My pleasure!
Are the labels waterproof? This is a great idea, I appreciate the video.
Yes, they are.
This would be great for a music studio too! Thanks for the info.
In used to label all my XLR cables on both ends : number followed (length) by 2 letters AA to ZZ.
Handy when you need to find the right on a stage box.
You could also just use letters and different label colours depending on the length if you don't mind a colour label at the ends. I used black labels with white letters because we sometimes did things for television and they want everything very 'clean'.
Imagine you don't access these circuits for a long time. When their labeled like this you've saved yourself hours of testing and identifying circuits, and a lot of frustration. Boaters this is
huge "peace of mind" hack when you have to contort yourself into some space to repair or test a circuit. One easy fix in a seaway at night, you'll never complain about the cost again.
I love the next level of electrical
Outstanding presentation! Great information and technique. Thanks for sharing it.
I do much the same, but without the labelmaker & its expensive cartridges. Create your labels in any convenient word processor [provides semi-infinite fonts, colors, sizes] & print to paper [colored sheets if desired]. Scissor out the individual labels & slide them under the heatshrink tubing. Double-sided tape may make that task easier, but isn't essential. Shrink the tubing to finish the task. I will also just use a pen or pencil to write the label on some scrap paper if I'm labelling something out in the field. The key is to always have at hand an assortment of clear heat-shrink tubing.
For flat labels I print in MIRROR IMAGE on transparency film appropriate for the printer [laser, inkjet, etc], CAREFULLY smooth white double-sided tape over the printed side, scissor to final size & stick onto the final surface. The printed side is now protected UNDER the clear transparency film yet is easily readable with its white background. As with the wire labels, font size & colors are unlimited - you can also do fancy graphics. Figuring out how to print in mirror image may be an issue, but Gampa Google is a fabulous resource...
Great video,very informative nice tutorial on how to label wiring properly Subscribed looking forward to the next one!
Awesome, thank you!
Suggestion: Try using an Xacto knife instead of a razor blade to pick the backing off the label and to place the label on the wiring.
First time watcher. your vid popped up, so I checked it out. Nice video, My wiring on my generator is a mess.
Do you have a EBAY or Amazon store? Do you make custom harnesses to sell?
my amazon store is amazon.com/shop/merricksgarage and my website is merricksgarage.com.
That Harbor Freight heat gun is EPIC! Amazing product for $20.
I've had 2 of them so far... They lasted to about the time the warranty ran out... I was not particularly impressed with them...
$20@@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire
Thank you so much (from the UK) for this video.
Brother's split adhesive backing is much easier to deal with.
Telling us the heat gun cost 8.00 lets us know it’s a budget hack, but how much for the label maker and related necessities?😂 JK, I’m seriously going to consider buying one now. Thanks for the tips and info.
nicely done
Or write down the label on a light-colored (white, yellow, green etc.) heat shrink with a thin permanent marker, apply it to the wire, and then apply another layer of transparent heatshrink.DIY-friendly and no need to buy an expensive label maker.
best to use a bit of alcohol to pre clean that area that you are going to adhere the label to
So simple and looks great
And I thought I had ocd. You’re mad as a box of frogs 😂
Using silicon as a terminal insulator will promote moisture and create early corosion!
Good to know! Is there a better solution?
thanks working on a boat!
Great idea and simple too. 👍
Nice job! 👍😊
Awesome great videos and helpful information thanks
Does the heat gun not react with the thermal ink in the label and darken it when heatshrinking? Or if you are careful with the amount of heat its a non issue?
Be careful with that heat gun or those thermal print labels will go black all over, I would blow on the other side of the cable
I did not know Will Forte was an electrician. MacGruber!
I encountered a weird issue recently. My Brady label cartridge stopped working. It turns out it wasn’t an authentic Brady cartridge. Make sure the fancy A is in the corner of the cartridge label.
Thank you, great info and great video. I just subscribed 👍👍
Thanks for the sub!
But what happens if you have large connectors at both ends of the cable - then you cannot slide the heatshrink over the cable.
Use clear nail polish or clear coat to protect stuff like labels
Recommendations on inexpensive heatshrink - labeler?
Genius! Thanks for this tip.
Just ran across your video, you do nice work on electrical wiring. How do you properly & safely fasten your harnesses under the truck? I am planning on running 4/0 cabling back my frame to charge my batteries in my RV with the alternator. I can't find any proper way to securely fasten and separate 2 large cables on the frame without using the small individual insulated band clamps. I found some nice holders for wire up to 1/0 but not anything larger than that. What do you suggest?
If you don't have room for two clamps, one for each cable, maybe secure one cable with the clamps then secure the second cable to the first. You can also buy an oversized clamp and squish it to fit two cables. A third idea is to secure a piece of electrical PVC pipe using clamps then route the cables through the PVC. Might want to drill holes in the bottom along the length to let water drain out. But it might play like a flute
:-) I've had a similar problem but haven't found a way other than to jerryrig it.
I have run the insulated clamps for my batteries and will basically use one bolt to hold two cables by opposing the clamps. That keeps the lines running parallel also
I’ve started using Delphi plug diy