OK, I gotta ask... we have a new box of the washout white pencils from Trivantage. They suck! they won't mark clear plastic and I could barely get them to work on double coated stamoid this morning. Anyone else experiencing this "issue"?
Agreed, they're not terribly useful. Even on dark Sunbrella they only make a mark for about 30 seconds. ANY touching, rubbing layers of fabric together will remove the marks completely. I don't like them at all. Wish I had a better option. China markers are too hard to remove from the vinyl/fabric/Stamoid so I don't like them either.
BTW, speaking of markers, last night I left a sheet of Strataglass laying on top of a plastic pattern I had marked up with Sharpie. Dang if the Sharpie didn't transfer into the glass :o It won't come off the glass. Luckily, the marks were my seam lines so if I move my seams a fraction they'll be covered. I've never had that happen before.
June
Same thing happened to me this weekend , two side curtains all cut and trimmed ready for zippers , I rolled them up on the table, came in next day to finish and they had small sharpie marks that wouldn't come out. NO MORE SHARPIES FOR ME !
The last box of pencils we had were marked "John Boyle" and they worked fine, but the new ones are just terrible on plastics.
I have experienced the dreaded Sharpie transfer, too, but for me it's usually on Marine white or white vinyl when I'm working on cushions. Sometimes I can get it off with "Oops!" but there is no guarantee. I have learned to handle the patterns gingerly, weight them down quickly and not slide them around on the vinyl too much.
There isn't much that's more discouraging!
I have had some success using alcohol to remove sharpie marks. I would hesitate to use it on fabrics as it tends to make the marks run, although I did get it out of a shirt pocket once. You might try it on some scraps first.
I discovered in the glove box of my wifes car yesterday a cd plastic case that had come in contact with a car freshener (the flat cardboard type that you hang)...it had melted the hard plastic case turning it into goo.
Dave
I use Crayola or Rose Art brand colored pencils.
They're cheap and come in a variety of colors which works well with whatever color material your using.
The marks come off easily with plain water and don't stain.
My wife likes to hit the garage sales on the weekends and brings home gallon size bags of the pencils for about .50ยข or a dollar. I even got a bag of all white pencils once!
Jim
I've been using pencils from Miami Corp. They work well and last. Only complaint is the tips keep breaking off.
And, like a few of you, I too have had black Sharpie transfer to my clear vinyl :o. Impossible to get out. I've been told that the static from the vinyl draws the marker to it. So now I only use China markers on clear vinyl.
hiya
I don't think i can get them here but I've heard graffiti wipes
get sharpie marks off ..
My washout pencils come from Marine Snap and tool ,OH
they work just fine.
Rich
We keep a can of WD-40 and paper towels around to remove Sharpie marks. Works on most anything that the WD-40 won't harm , such as vinyls. Comes off compleaty if you catch it soon enough.
For some types of plastic that are not quickly attached by laquer thinner, it works even better.
Paul.
Try to keep allmy sharpie marks on the outside of my pattern plastic then I lay them inside up ith my clear vinyl on top of them markin the insides learned the marker transfer too if caught intime 210 plastic cleaner will get sharpie out of vinyl. Even said it in the description I read once not sure if it still does.
Alcohol is the primary solvent in Sharpies. I use it all the time to clean Sharpie stains off finished wood. I've had several people with brand new dining tables that they thought were ruined by their kids' Sharpies. 20 seconds later, it's fixed.
Avoid pure methanol as it can strip the color off finished leather. Denatured alcohol, used in moderation, is usually safe. But to be sure, check on scrap or hidden areas.
I never knew that! I will discreetly try it in the shop (when the boss is out). The boss is incredibly cheap about patterning material... result? most patterns are comprised of plastic that has been used at least twice before, is duct taped together and has sharpie marks in at least 3 different colors (blue, black, and red)... on both sides!
I live in fear that I will cut on the wong line, lol.
;)