Effects of markers on canopy fabric and lines

[ernokaikkonen 0]

I just got my reserve-packers ticket, and I'm now looking into other areas of rigging as well. I've been told that I should only use a ball-point pen when making markings on lines or canopy-fabric, because "There's no way of knowing what the chemicals in the marker might do to the fabric/line." It seems reasonable to be careful with these kind of things, but marking ZP or microline with a ball-point pen can be a pain; it just doesn't stick.

So I'm asking the riggers out there: Do any of you use felt-tip markers(permanent or water-soluble?) when making markings on fabric or lines, or are there documented cases of some ink damaging fabric or lines?

Erno

[indyz 1]

Check it out.

[fasterfaller 0]

I use a marker that wipes off for marking on canopy fabric . I tend to use a non-toxic marker for marking lines .

[Kirils 1]

Solvents used in permenent markers are not harmful to canopy fabric.

"Slow down! You are too young
to be moving that fast!"

Old Man Crawfish

[TomAiello 25]

Sharpies are reputed to hurt climbing ropes (similar to Dacron lines), so Blue Water, a rope manufacturer, developed a "rope pen" with special ink that's supposed to be non-damaging.

http://www.mgear.com/pages/product/product.asp?level1_id=0&level2_id=0&level3_id=0&item=610046&level2_title=

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[ernokaikkonen 0]

>Sharpies are reputed to hurt climbing ropes (similar to Dacron lines)

I thought climbing ropes were made with a two-part construction method, as better explained at
http://www.adventuresports.com/climb/equipment.htm:

Quote

A climber's rope has a kernmantle construction: a soft and supple nylon sheath, usually multi-colored, protects the real "working" part-- the braided core.

Not too similar to Dacron-line to me... Unless you meant the material of the sheath, which might be pretty close.

So, supposedly, the ink in Sharpies damages the rope. Are there a documented cases, or is it just a "well known fact"?

To repeat one of the questions in my first post:
Are there documented cases of magic markers/sharpies/etc damaging canopy fabric or lines?

Erno

[TomAiello 25]

The sheath of a climbing rope is the only part that can be damaged by the ink (which will never touch the core). So, um, yeah, I meant the material the sheath is made from is similar to the material that dacron lines are made from.

I've never researched potential damage from the ink, but I sort of assumed that Blue Water wouldn't have gone to the trouble to market a two dollar product unless there was chemical evidence to support it. A ten dollar pen, I could see them trying to pawn off on us suckers. A two dollar pen, and I'd bet they're trying to protect their ropes.

If you're looking for actual technical info on it, you might try contacting Blue Water directly.

http://www.bluewaterropes.com/

[email protected]

I've only ever used tape or their pen to mark my ropes, so I don't have any firsthand knowledge.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[ernokaikkonen 0]

> but I sort of assumed that Blue Water wouldn't have gone to
>the trouble to market a two dollar product unless there was
>chemical evidence to support it.

Being the cynical bastard I am, I think it would be easiest to make sure some $1 pen doesn't damage the rope, and then market it as the $2 "non-rope-damaging marker"...

>I've only ever used tape or their pen to mark my ropes, so I
>don't have any firsthand knowledge.

I know it's a tried method to mark climbing ropes with tape, but what if the glue on the tape has some damaging properties...

Yeah, right, now I'm getting paranoid. I think I'll whip up a study. I'm thinking of taking a bit of ZP and a bit of 0-3cfm, make a lot of markings on them with different markers, and expose the fabrics to UV for a week or two. After that poke at the fabric and see if it rips... What do you think?

Erno

[cobaltdan 0]

we have not found sharpies to damage spectra or vectran and have used them in production since 1992.

sincerely,

dan
atair <><>

Daniel Preston <><>
atairaerodynamics.com (sport)
atairaerospace.com (military)

[riggerrob 562]

I use alcohol or toluene-based felt markers on suspension lines and have never noticed any additional wear at the marks.
As for marking canopy fabric, Para-Flite did a study years ago and concluded that Dixon chalk pencils did the least damage to F-111 nylon canopy fabric.
I also built a couple of kit parachutes that had alignment marks done with a variety of pens. The canopies fell out of fashion before they showed any wear at the markings.