"Personally, I prefer laminating key reference pages—it's durable and wipes clean easily."
Laminating sounds great for durability, but honestly, I've found it can be a hassle if you need to update or jot down quick notes. I've started using waterproof notebooks instead—super handy and flexible for changes on the fly.
Good point about the waterproof notebooks—I hadn't thought of that. Laminating has saved me a few times when my hands were covered in grease or water, but yeah, updates can be tricky. I usually just scribble changes on masking tape and stick it right over the laminate...not pretty, but it works. Might give your notebook idea a try next time though, sounds way easier to manage.
I've tried the masking tape trick too, but honestly, it drove me nuts after a while... bits peeling off, smudged handwriting—ugh. Waterproof notebooks sound promising, but has anyone tried those grease pencils? You know, the ones mechanics use on car windows? I've been tempted to give them a shot on laminated sheets. Seems like they'd handle water and grease pretty well, and wiping off updates might be easier. Could be worth experimenting with before ditching laminate altogether.
"Waterproof notebooks sound promising, but has anyone tried those grease pencils?"
Tried grease pencils once for labeling my rain barrels—worked great at first, but after a few weeks in the sun, the writing got kinda smeary and hard to read. Maybe indoors they'd hold up better? Worth a quick test run before committing fully...
Grease pencils can be handy, but I've had similar experiences. Used them to mark pipes and fittings during rough-ins—indoors they're usually fine, but outdoors or in damp areas they do tend to fade or smudge over time. For quick temporary notes they're great, but if you're looking for something more permanent, I'd stick with waterproof markers or labels designed specifically for outdoor use. Still, grease pencils are cheap enough that it's worth keeping a few around for quick jobs...just don't expect the writing to last forever under tough conditions.
