Question for all you OCD'ers

[playswithfire104]

I am finally able to organize my glass and have been finding rods and shorts here and there that I have no idea what they are. I have read quite a few times that some of you label every rod. At first I thought that was excessive. Now I think it is mandatory. So my question is how do you label them? I read about someone who uses sharpies. I wrote on a few rods I was taking to a class and by the time I got back home I could only read a letter here and there, so I don't think that will work. I've tried to use labels and had a problem with them not sticking. Maybe they were old labels or not long enough. So I ask - How do you label your individual rods? Do you print them out or hand write them? What size do you use? Anything else that I may be forgeting?

[DawnT]

I like to use blue painter's tape. I write the name with a sharpie and wrap it around the rod. It's not sticky like other tape so it comes off easily and doesn't leave residue. This also means that sometimes the ends come up because it isn't as sticky but I can live with it.

[Dale M.]

You can get small AVERY labels (1/2" x 1 3/4" - 80 to a sheet) at stationary store/office supply and just print them up as to what type and number of glass ...

MS Windows has templates for doing labels and AVERY has a FREE program for label printing... EVEN if you don't use computer, labels work well when written on with fine point Sharpie...

Dale

[whispering beads]

Plain masking tape works fine...and make sure you use a permanent sharpie..
Denise

[misfit]

I use avery lables as well. I can get the color name, numer and when I got it on them and it doesn't take that much time compared to what I lose trying to sort out unlabled glass.

edit to add- I too print them out.

[Reenie]

I use the mailing labels as well. I use either a sharpie or a pen to mark the type. number and color.
It's easier to label each rod for me because if I just label one...that's the one I want to save for last so I pull out a non label rod and then when I'm done or after I have a messload scattered all over work area when i finally do clean up I have to match the colors up cuz I never remember what they are!
Irene

[Karen Hardy]

I use the small avery labels as well.
I also use MS Word and actually print the
info on each label. When you're ordering a
pound of something, it's faster and easier
to print it then write it by hand.

I also keep pre-printed sheets of labels
all ready to be peeled and pasted for
glass that I go through a lot, like
clear, Ivory, black and white.

And OH YES, you definitely have to label EACH rod.
Especially if your someone like me who works with
3 different COEs (104, 96 and 33). You don't know
grief like realizing you just slapped some boro onto
your soft glass bead.

[Ro]

if you use a dab of white out under it the sharpie writing stays.
ro

[playswithfire104]

Ro that's good to know. Thanks everyone for all the info! I think I'lll be picking up some labels tomorrow.

[bclogan]

Yup, another OCD'er here that uses the small Avery labels. And I used MS Word to print them out.

I also have 3 COEs now, so I just really felt like I needed to know what I was using.

[loco]

Ewwwww I remove ALL labels. It may have something to do with my starting little fires all over my bench! But then again I managed to cure my OCD, poor DH wishes I haden't...

[BoniBell]

I write on the glass with a sharpie. Or a white paint pen. Not on the side though. It rubs off too easy no matter what marker you use. I write on the cut end. It's small, but it works.

When I have stringers, I put the numbered rod in Ice Tube trays. Stringer and rod together so I don't mix up my stringers either. I find this especially important because glass can look a lot different as stringer. Somtimes opaque glass will look transparent and the colors can disappear too. I saw the Ice Tubes on another thread and added the numbered rod for my OCD.

[misfit]

I label thick stringers individually too. thin stuff I pull myself I don't bother labeling, That I tend to toss into a pile in its own holder divided by coe that I grab from occasionally then hand out to n00bs. I've got so many coes here that lableing rods individually is a must.