Gear tag — second revision
The text is part of the part, not written on it. After eight months in the sea it reads exactly as it did the day it was printed.
- Built
- 22 September 2025
- Tested
- 30 May 2026
- Tested at
- Eight months in the sea
- Material
- ASA
- Print time
- 1.6 h
The shapes below are a principle sketch of how it is built, not the finished part. The 3D model goes up once the revision is locked.
How it works
The first revision had recessed text. It filled with growth over the summer and became illegible — the same failure as a marker pen, just slower.
The second revision inverted it: the text stands proud, in a contrasting colour, with clearance around every letter. Growth still settles on the tag, but it wipes off the letters first.
What I learned
Recessed text is a trap in seawater. Anything that is a recess becomes somewhere for growth to lodge, and that goes for screw holes and logos as much as letters.