Marking Implement For High-Temperature Environment?

[hbquikcomjamesl]

I am looking for a marking implement that I can leave in my automobile, 24/7, for years at a time, and use to write on a laminated maintenance log (under the hood) and a laminated oil change reminder (attached to the vanity mirror on my sun visor). And that, with some elbow grease and (at most) an alcohol prep swab, can be cleanly erased from those laminated surfaces.

 

Sharpies dry out under in-car conditions. "China Markers" go bad (one that I just recently bought went so bad, in less than five months, that the casing would not peel cleanly, and the wax "lead" had become brittle-hard.

 

Any other ideas?

[Tadeo]

A graphite bar (aka woodless pencil) might do the job. Since the manufacturing process of the graphite bars is basically the same as cooking ceramics those are immune to heat, do not dry up and do not rot. Only concern would be breaking them.

 

 

Those can be purchased at any art supply store.

 

Tadeo

[Honeybadgers]

I use a bright orange paint pen when working on cars for indicating timing belt mileages. I've gone about ten years without having one fade or wear away on my landlord's old truck when I wrote down when I put on the new alternator.

 

White out is pretty stable too, and can be removed with very little physical effort.

 

I use those window-stickers that indicate when the next oil change is due, but the pain pen writes on those too, and the one I have now I've had for nearly 8 years and it still hasn't dried out. It's a dykem if I recall.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[sciumbasci]

I used to work in a car repair shop during the long, school less summers. We marked the kilometres of cars with a TippEx whenever we replaced the timing belt.

 

Crude, but does the job.

 

A friend which used to work in a official Porsche repair shop had a small gizmo, I just googled it and it is similar to a Dymo, which neatly printed out plastified strips that had a sticky surface underneath. Perhaps, for a quick and neat alternative, you could buy a Dymo?

[mikerph]

Fisher space pen refills write in extreme environments, they will write on greasy and slick surfaces also. I keep one in my glove box at all times and it works in temps from -10F to 90F with no problems. Its been in the car for at least 3 years.

[Honeybadgers]

Fisher space pen refills write in extreme environments, they will write on greasy and slick surfaces also. I keep one in my glove box at all times and it works in temps from -10F to 90F with no problems. Its been in the car for at least 3 years.

 

I use an AG-7 for everything, but it doesn't write well on metal, nor does the ink have tremendous abrasion resistance.

[Honeybadgers]

I used to work in a car repair shop during the long, school less summers. We marked the kilometres of cars with a TippEx whenever we replaced the timing belt.

 

Crude, but does the job.

 

A friend which used to work in a official Porsche repair shop had a small gizmo, I just googled it and it is similar to a Dymo, which neatly printed out plastified strips that had a sticky surface underneath. Perhaps, for a quick and neat alternative, you could buy a Dymo?

 

Dymo labels aren't going to last long enough. Their adhesive is lacking at best, especially in a dirty, oily environment.

 

The metalized dymo printers (which would do a great job) are nearly $300 though.

[Mech-for-i]

Pencils as in classic HB, 2B etc etc ...

[Algester]

sharpie with calipers

[tim77]

A grease-pencil will write on non-porous surfaces and wont dry out.

[penrivers]

Pencil 9B.