Tire pencil

[JHZR2]

Hi,

I need to be able to mark tires. What is used to do this? Is it a white crayon, soap, or a purpose-specific item? Will auto parts stores carry them?

Thanks!

 

[Scienceman]

White-out.

 

[scurvy]

Chalk, soapstone, soap... go nuts!

Most auto parts stores carry some sort of tire marking crayon in the wall of gauges & patches and probably only 100x as expensive as sidewalk chalk.

 

[eljefino]

Use chalk. It's what meter maids use to mark your time!

 

[Astro14]

Chalk for short term (like rotation)...

But I would go with a wax crayon (Home Depot or Lowe's) for longer term...

 

[JHZR2]

Yeah this is longer term. The chalk we have doesn't work well, and buying that could be an option, though if I need to buy something, might as well get the right thing...

 

[tom slick]

tire marking crayon is the same as a lumber crayon you can buy at the hardware/lumber/home center if that makes it easier to find.

 

[Boomer]

When working as a rubber chemist, we used a silver ink ball point. Stuff satys on rubber through almost anything but wipes off easily with a WD-40 soaked rag.

 

[XS650]

Something like this

http://www.markingpendepot.com/quikstikbymarkalsolidpaintmarkerforallsurfacesavailablein8colors.aspx

Wrecking yards use paint markers that look a like big pens to mark and identify all sorts of old car parts. Should work on tires too. They are usually yellow paint.

 

[George Bynum]

I've seen what are variously called wax pencils, grease pencils, and china markers used extensively. As mentioned by others, it can be rubbed off (and assisted by a solvent) but won't wash off with water. Several of my customers who mold plastic parts use them to mark them as they come out of molds for quality purposes. I know that black, white, and yellow are available. I believe most office supply stores sell them.

 

[CapriRacer]

Like Boomer, I too, have used a variety of systems to mark tires. The silver ink pen is kind of difficult to find. Even after you find a source, it tends to dry up. It must not be lucrative enough for manufacturers to keep making them.

I am now on board with XCS650 with a paint stick. Yes, they are expensive, and, yes, they do not produce a pencil thin line, and yes, they dry up faster than they get used up, and, yes, they are not cheap, but they make a permanent and readable mark - and they come in nice pretty colors! I am currently using blue. It almost matches Krylon's True Blue.

 

[Kestas]

Ditto on the silver paint pen. That's what the elastomer engineers use at our place.

 

[SZR48207]

I once used acrylic craft paint on a q-tip to mark the location of a screw on the tread (to make it easier for the tire tech to repair) on the sidewall.

This was the summer of 2010. The mark is still there and has not flaked off and I swear it has not faded away gradually, either.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Coloured chalk, dry-erase on the wheels if mounted, grease pencil, sometimes I spray paint the tread so it wears right off....