Best Clapper Marker to use

[Audio Daddyo]

I recently bought my first clapper and used a Dry Erase Marker made by Whiteboard but it doesn't erase all the way.  After I try to erase the writing with a cloth there is visual residue of what I wrote.  Is there a better maker that I should use. Or a better way to remove the writing.  Thanks, Andy

[greg sextro]

...dry erase markers are all sort of the same as far as i know.

to get off the residue (they build up on mine slates too) - a little windex should work perfectly.

[ProSound]

Expo 2 is the maker your suppose to use. Rubbing Alcohol will clean off any residue. On my slates I use my P-touch label maker for all fields except Scene and Take. That way most of slate is kept clean

[RPSharman]

Andy,

This might sound stupid.  I own three slates, but bought them all used.  I recently replaced the face-plates, and on the first job I was mad because it seemed the pen the ACs was using was staining, and it looked really bad.  Turns out the new face-plates had a protective film over them.  Duh!  Peeled them off and all was well.  Could this be the case with you also?  It was virtually impossible to tell it was there.

Robert

[minister]

http://www.filmtools.com/pensandmarkers.html

[Audio Daddyo]

Robert I looked at my slate under a magnifying lamp hoping to see a removable film but there wasn't one.

What worked best for removing the marker residue was rubbing alcohol with some elbow grease.  So now my slate is totally clean again.

I bought my slate from Filmtools and was told by the sales person that any dry erase marker will do.  I now see that Filmtools recommends a few different dry erase markers but none was the one I used.  I do have a P-touch marker and will probably use that for longer running shoots. 

Thanks for everyone's info.    Andy

[Audio Daddyo]

Sharpie is the best then clean it off with dry erase marker by writing on top of the sharpie or Pancro lens cleaner. Dont use Pancro all the time as it will remove the finish of the slate.

Do you mean use a Permanent Sharpie?  I would never have thought of that.  I like the idea of a Sharpie if indeed it does come off easily by writing over it with a dry erase marker.  I will give it a test try but first can you confirm you were using a permanent Sharpie.

I just notice that the dry erase marker I originally used and had a hard time removing was made by Expo which is not one of the markers that filmtools recommends.  I found an Avery "Marks a lot" marker (filmtool recommended) and gave it a try and that wiped off very easily with a rag.  Maybe too easily. 

Andy

[chriskellett]

I think that he is suggesting that if someone uses a sharpie on your slate by accident, that all you need to do is write on top of the sharpie with a dry erase marker to get it off, I have seen this done often on sets but not the other way around.

[Audio Daddyo]

I mean Sharpie

Sharpie makes a style of dry erase markers too.  I just wanted to make sure you meant the "permanent" kind.

[Philip Perkins]

Goo-Gone and elbow grease.

Philip Perkins

[Glen Trew]

Andy, what brand slate did you buy?

Glen Trew

[Audio Daddyo]

I bought a Don Earl Engraved Insert Slate w/ Sticks.  I bought this slate on the recent recommendations that people made here.  It is a very well made slate.  Although being an insert slate it looks a little dinky when using it but it has been appropriate with my work so far.

Eventually I will need  to buy TC Slate but for the Canon and Red Shoots I recently have done a clapper has been good enough.

Andy

[Audio Daddyo]

Philip,  Goo Gone was the first thing I tried.  I admit I didn't put much elbow grease into using the goo gone but it didn't show much sign of removing the marker residue so I moved on to windex.  The windex worked about the same as goo gone.  Lastly I tried the rubbing alcohol.  The alcohol seemed initially to remove some residue so that is when I really used some elbow grease.  I eventually got it all off.  Maybe the goo gone and windex helped but the alcohol seemed to work the best for me.

Andy

[Eric Toline]

Lighter fluid, turpentine or paint thinner does the job very well. Just don't use acetone as it will melt the plastic face.

Eric

[hemmerlinj]

You can definitely use a permanent Sharpie marker for all of the stuff that doesn't change.  I tell the AC to use one so that they won't have to worry about it coming off.  I prefer they use the Sharpie rather than tape so I don't have to worry about the adhesive remaining on the slate.

Also, if you give them the dry erase marker, and half way throughout the day they ask you for another because it isn't writing anymore, tell them to store with the tip pointing down.  That way the ink travels to the tip.

J Hemmerlin

[Audio Daddyo]

Sharpie is the best then clean it off with dry erase marker by writing on top of the sharpie or Pancro lens cleaner. Dont use Pancro all the time as it will remove the finish of the slate.

Hey Scott,

Thanks for the Sharpie tip.  I'd tried it and removing it was easy as you suggested.  Very cool!

Andy

[johnpaul215]

I bought a standard slate on ebay a few years ago and it had a lot of warnings about "Do Not Use Sanford Expo Markers!" and "Use only marks-a-lot". I did some test lines on the edge of the slate with an expo, let them site a few days and they are permanent.

This slate is white acrylic, but the face definitely has some sort of sprayed on clear coat. I'm guessing that coating is what hates the Sanford Expo marker.

That slate has some residue build up, and on set who knows what kid of pens end up getting used. As long as it is cleaned at the end of the day, the slate is still very usable.

For the record, my Denecke has no such warnings that I saw, and everything seems to clean off fine.

@Robert that super fine film on the Denecke slates even fooled an experienced AC. At first he thought his 2nd trashed my slate.