Inspiration Please! Marking Your Tanks..

[Eric Sedletzky]

Go find a pinstriper and have them stripe out your tank with cool VonDutch style designs. This kind of stuff:

 

[NothingClever]

And then watch that fine pinstriping get totally ruined on the first few exchanges in and out of the car, in and out of the dive shop and on and off the boat.

Eric, going a little heavy on the Bailey’s with your Sunday morning coffee ?

 

[rfwoodvt]

Makestickers.com is a great place to get stickers.

This is what I have on my tanks:

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

And then watch that fine pinstriping get totally ruined on the first few exchanges in and out of the car, in and out of the dive shop and on and off the boat.

Eric, going a little heavy on the Bailey’s with your Sunday morning coffee ?

Not so much on galvanized but it will stick very well to paint. You just have to scrub it well Bon Ami first then put a little catalyst in the striping paint. And you have to be careful, but nothing lasts forever.
And while you're at it have them do some hand lettering on the tank with your name and maybe a cool looking "Nitrox" sign?

And BTW, I gave up drinking.

 

[IslandKraut]

I used letter punches to put my last name into aluminum tape (aviation high speed tape) and then stick those bits onto the tank neck. They are only 1x2 inches, come off for VIP, and are pretty good about keeping water out if you rub them on with a towel.

 

[MB NZ]

Decals. Not inspirational, very standard, but they work. A lot of places will print them online and post to you. They've held up surprisingly well over many years, but get some spares.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Thanks for all the ideas folks -

I have tried stickers and decals, but they tend to wear out over time. I also have issues getting some tougher versions to stick, and do wonder about salt build up. I do have some named SMBs and stage MODs marked by stickers by DiveSigns. @Scared Silly I do have, and love, a few tanks marked with the old Airspeed Press 'Voodoo Gas' and 'Not your Gas' Stickers: pity they aren't made anymore.

@OMyMyOHellYes - colored hand wheels and/or zip ties are a great idea, and I agree on marking the valve rather than the tank. I actually have a few labeled zip ties used in securing samples that could work - just cut off once used.

@Eric Sedletzky I love the idea of pinstriping in low-wear areas of the tank (just below the valve): may have to see who can do some hot rod flames around the tank neck near me.

@Tracy I'm sorry, but can I just say I hate you. Before your post I felt confident in terms of the number of tanks I owned, but now I feel completely inadequate. The stickers look ok but, with another sigh, I notice that you are using what looks like stainless steel DIN plugs: an item that before now I never knew existed, and I'm now feeling compelled to buy. Why not a big fan of tank valve plugs they could be another way to mark my tank. As for your tanks: could you at least consider having them neutered/spayed before they breed anymore?

@happy-diver It would be a step up in my diving career to be your fill monkey. Note I charge $5 extra per fill to not smoke near the intake, and $10 extra per fill to not fart near the intake.

Do keep the good ideas and examples coming.

Cheers
Rohan.

 

[Tracy]

@Tracy I'm sorry, but can I just say I hate you. Before your post I felt confident in terms of the number of tanks I owned, but now I feel completely inadequate. The stickers look ok but, with another sigh, I notice that you are using what looks like stainless steel DIN plugs: an item that before now I never knew existed, and I'm now feeling compelled to buy. Why not a big fan of tank valve plugs they could be another way to mark my tank. As for your tanks: could you at least consider having them neutered/spayed before they breed anymore?

It is ok, I will likely get over the disappointment. Sadly, that is a zoomed in image of just one pile that I took for a guy asking about narrow crossbars.
Highland millworks makes the stainless DIN plugs. I drilled all of mine and installed a hang string. That makes them easy to identify as most people won't take the time to drill out stainless plugs at an offset angle. They constantly reproduce. It happens.

 

[Belzelbub]

A while back, I picked up a stencil of the head of Cthulhu. Figured it fit well with the undersea world. Lasts well enough, and pretty simple to reapply. Simple application of Citristrip to remove then re-apply. I'd thought about stickers, but then I'd definitely have to get them reapplied each year.

Citristrip would probably be an issue on your painted tanks, but as mine are all galvanized or stripped aluminum, it's no issue.