drawing [permanent] staff lines on a white board

[a-sharp]

Hi... Sorry if this seems liken an overly obvious quesiton ... but, does anyone have any experience with drawing staff lines on a white board? I realize the obvious solution would be to use Sharpies or other permanent ink markers - but, not having any experience with it - dow that work well? Is that what is typically used, or is there some other product? I mean - how do the white board markers work *over* the lines drawn with Sharpies? do they still erase just like the other  areas of the board?

If I had a small, disposable white board to use as a tester I would - but I don't. TIA for any suggestions!

I feel like it's sort of a silly question - but I'm taking that risk anyway. 

[m1469]

I wouldn't recommend it.  I have done that and I used sharpies to draw the staff.  If you don't use any other marker over it, it's fine.  As soon as you use eraseable marker over it and then erase it, for some reason it also erases the permanent marker  .  It turns into a perfectly useless "staff" after a point (if you can really still call it that).

I finally broke down and ordered a board that has a staff on it, to which eraseable markers can be applied.  That works like it's supposed to.


ps -- it's a funny story that one of my students who realized that the permanent marker gets erased in this way, when she had a substitute teacher in school, the sub accidentally put permanent marker on the white board.  Well, my student remembering what happened to my staff told him to write over it with eraseable marker and then erase ... it worked like a charm .

[a-sharp]

ok - this is upsetting. Thanks for the info! Darn it [cuz I already bought the board - and they're not cheap!].

[m1469]

Well, you can always try it out and see for yourself  .  In any case, they are really useful for other things, too, so not to worry.

[quantum]

Airbrush with stencil?  I haven't really tried it.

[timothy42b]

Well, you can always try it out and see for yourself  .  In any case, they are really useful for other things, too, so not to worry.

My experience was that if you use permanent marker and write over it soon, it comes off; but if it sets for a week it doesn't. 

There is also something called a paint pen.  I used these to write on hazardous waste drums.  They weren't affected by solvents or weather, I can't imagine them coming off.  They are about $3 US each and come in various colors. 

[mattgreenecomposer]

Wait, why don't you use dry erase markers and just redraw the lines everytime?  Thats what I do every lesson.  It only takes about 30 sec.
You can buy boards with lines already on them too for music.

[dorfmouse]

If you can find thin black insulating tape or some other sort of sticky tape you could maybe stick that on in lines.

[a-sharp]

Timothy ... Paint pen ... that is probably the best option. I should've thought of that.

I will try with perment markers and let them set, like you said ... I was thinking that might perhaps be the trick - if that doesn't work - the paint pen should do it.

Course I'll have to let y'all know how it works out.

thanks! 

[knabe31]

The tape idea worked for me. I used fine pin stripe tape that you can buy at the auto parts supply stores. It really sticks well and you can get really fine lines.

[a-sharp]

how thick is it? Does it bug you at all drawing over the little 'ridges?'  [suppose I could always take it off if I didn't like it,huh?]

[dan101]

We have two white boards in the school that I teach at. One of them was bought with a staff already printed on it. However, on the blank one in my room, I just use marker that erases. It's not really that big a deal for me, as I can draw reasonably straight horizontal lines.