Is that flashing or aluminum drip edge? I’d suggest putting the wire hole further from the edge and punching it rather than hacking it through. It would also help if you could roll (or double) the top edge. Someone (I forget who) already in this thread mentioned using a ordinary paper hole punch for the task. It works wonderfully, even the .97 ones from Wallyworld. I know it doesn’t seem like it would, but it does.
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Just wondering if the metal being used is too thick for a punch to work but I really don’t know. Just another idea but not necessarily better is to cut a stack of labels, tape together and do as I do. Drill a hole through all at the same time. In my case I drill a stack of 20-30 holes at the same time. The stamp in letters look great. Bill
Yes it it drip edge. It is doubled at the top. I used stiff aluminum wire and it appears that now that I have wired them around the tree they have very little movement, the wire would just bearly fit through the hole. On one side of that tag in the photo , the hole that appears hacked is because it is used drip edge and that was an existing hole , when we tore it off the roof I wasn’t really thinking about reusing it, just put it in with some aluminum scrap.
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Yeah…I dunno. I used regular aluminum trim coil and it puched holes in that as easily as paper…no exaggeration. I know that’s hard to believe, it shocked me at how well it worked. Again, it was someone else’s suggestion and I tried it thinking it would never work…lol.
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Drew,
I finally pulled the trigger on purchasing the Bosmere copper tag labels you recommended.
My order is due to arrive any day now.
How are they working out for you? Are you finding that a ball-point pen works well on them? How are the wires holding up?
My cut up soda can markers have help up great for 2 years now. The ball point ink is long gone but the indentation is still readable. The soft aluminum picture hanging wire I used is holding up great too. I just need to move the tags further up the tree as the branch joints are growing over the wire down low.
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Matt, they don’t look fantastic, but I can read them. The wires are holding up, although we don’t have that many high winds here. One or two fell, which probably more my fault. I’m still not 100% happy with them. I think I need to find a way to pre-tarnish them to accent the writing. I think a number of methods are on the internet.
I labeled my trees with some (different) metal tags (like these) and the wind ended up breaking about 50% of the wires (and even a couple of the tags). My next time around, I was planning to use some braided stainless marine rigging or aviation wire.
Yeah that will hold it for our lifetimes!
Here is one that is two years old. The graft failed 2 years in a row. I just pulled it off the tree, so it was outside for two years.
I was thinking you can buy clear gloss spray paint, spray the tags, they will stay shiny and possibly keep animals, or birds away.
Yes very good. You should be able to read those for many yrs.
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Just your basic ball-point pen.
Nice handwriting.
Mike
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Thanks. I’m a bit of a dandy.
I have a sheet of rolled up copper that I cut out tags. Found the roll in the barn that has been there for years… I was just looking up some images so I could attach to my reply and saw how much it is selling for… WOW… I might decide to go something not so EXPENSIVE!! You also, have to be careful not to cut yourself. I use 0.041 in. Stainless Steel Lock Wire, 1 lb. Coil from Harbor Freight to hang them and it doesn’t break.
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Matt,
Where do you place the tags while you are writing/pressing on them? I was using plywood but found that a bit hard for the tag to actually allow for the indentation. I was thinking some softer pine might allow better writing but leave indentations on the wood making it hard on the next tag to write if it hits the groves in the pine… ok… babbling… Thoughts?
I have lots of orcharding notes and papers attached to a clipboard (see photo in previous post). The papers combine to make a nice supple writing surface.
A magazine on a table-top would also work.
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