Blackboard or Whiteboard for shop use

[shakenfake]

I've mostly made up my mind but I'd like to hear from the crowd.

I am in need of some signage in the shop that allows me to keep track of what I am doing, what needs to be done, math/calculations and general nonsense spouting or doodling. I am not sure how big this would be or where exactly I would put it, I am thinking on the side of the door wall or on the door itself from top to bottom, but I am in desperate need of something like this. Which would you choose and why?

Whiteboard:
Pros: Markers are readily available, looks nice/modern/brighter, I find the boards to be more readily available
Cons: Wasteful, markers can stain the board, markers cost more than chalk, markers seem to run out quick

Blackboard
Pros: Doesn't stain as easy, cheaper longer lasting utensil, not plastic
Cons: Harder to find Hagomoro chalk, dark and dreary looking, hard to get

Anything I may be missing? Not sure what I want. The waste of the whiteboard really turns me off. The blackboard itself really turns me off as I want to brighten up the shop not put more dark stuff in it lol

 

[phred]

I had a chalkboard in my old shop. The chalk didn’t like the unconditioned environment. That may not be an issue for you but something to consider. My new shop is covered in white boards or I should say all the walls are white and I painted huge sections with whiteboard paint. Now I can write notes, sketch or make lists in multiple places.

 

[The Cobbler]

white countertop laminate works well for white boards,
regular sharpies work well for more permanent , and is easily cleaned with lacquer thinner when needed

 

[qdvuu]

A green chalkboard would lighten things up, and some of them are a bright green color and not drab.

 

[bluedog225]

Whiteboard paint? Huh. Learned something new.

 

[Copymutt]

Have a 2x4 green blackboard. Started a list on it yesterday for materials to repair a flat roof valley. Mostly used for beer recipies.

 

[rayra]

wth is "wasteful" about a whiteboard?

Voting for bright is better.

And to that combined end, I've long been using white melamine -coated particle board for workbench surfaces. It's pretty durable, stands up to liquids and you can write on it and it cleans up pretty well. I often make my building notes and jot down measurements right on the table or bench.

 

[bb29510]

you can buy damage formica cheap at the box stores, it work great as a white board

 

[LopezBart]

I've had a white board in my office since I started working in 1984. Excellent for notes, quick picture, sketches, etc. There are different colors, you can erase mistakes/make room for updates, and now we can use our phones to take a quick picture to send to someone else or to save for later.

One of the few things I miss about our old house is the glass-enclosed shower door... because I could draw sketches in the condensation.

 

[rharman]

I have a metallic "white board". Kind of stainless looking. Works great and is magnetic too.

 

[olytdi]

Maybe I've got a defective white board. If I leave a drawing or text up for longer than a few days, it's really difficult to erase. Have to use the spray and even then it's tough. The erasers don't do much. Very frustrating. I'd rather have a chalk board.

 

[rharman]

Maybe I've got a defective white board. If I leave a drawing or text up for longer than a few days, it's really difficult to erase. Have to use the spray and even then it's tough. The erasers don't do much. Very frustrating. I'd rather have a chalk board.

Paste wax will help. Clean it with a white-board specific cleaner and then a coat of wax.

 

[olytdi]

I will try that!

 

[carlaisle]

As already mentioned, chalk does not like humidity. If you spend the extra coin for a porcelain whiteboard you'll have zero problems with staining.

 

[olytdi]

Didn't even know porcelain white boards existed! Yes, pricey but 3x4 ft on Amazon for $100. Not terrible.

 

[shakenfake]

@phred Currently my shop has a window unit in it that I run from April to October about, just depends on how much I am in there that season. I did not think about the unconditioned environment. Whiteboard paint would be awesome but I need to drywall the space first and I will not get to that this year.

@The Cobbler The only countertops I have are getting ripped out sometime soon.

@rayra Dry erase markers are insanely wasteful. All that plastic just to chuck them in the trash because you left the cap off...

@olytdi This is one of the biggest things I am afraid of. I hate that stained whiteboard look it makes me want to vomit.

Interesting, I figured there would be more support for the blackboard. I may need to just give a whiteboard a shot and if I don't like it I can always get rid of it. Just need to figure out where exactly to put it.

 

[Skyman]

You could experiment with some blackboard paint on a drywall remnant, to see how well it might work in your shop's environment.

 

[zmotorsports]

I didn't vote because I have a whiteboard in my shop, however, a blackboard would be cool.

 

[Fixr]

Why not try out both?

 

[billconner]

The steel white boards and ability to post drawings etc. with magnets is very compelling for me.

 

[zmotorsports]

The steel white boards and ability to post drawings etc. with magnets is very compelling for me.

Agreed. That part slipped my mind. The whiteboard I had in my last shop didn't have the steel backing, but my son suggested when we bought a slightly larger one for our new shop that it be metal backed for just this reason. I hadn't thought about it in the past, but I do find that having the ability to stick magnets to it a definite positive. I use this feature from time to time.

 

[shakenfake]

@billconner Magnetic board would actually be extremely nice.

 

[Plastikosmd]

I went with 1” dry erase grid on desk for sketching stuff to transition into cad

Better than futzing with a ruler

(Non critical stuff)

 

[NakeDiesel]

when I built my shop, where I built my closed room, on the outside wall facing my shop, I used wall board panels that have a slick white panel face and use it as white board. Works great in the shop and much more cost effective than actual whiteboard.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I have a few different white boards around my shop. If you forget to erase and leave the marker on too long, spray it with isopropyl alcohol and it wipes right off. I've had boards with marks from 2 years prior and they cleaned right up like new.

 

[imagineer]

I have a white board mounted on a hinge so it covers the electric panel in my workshop. Years back, I was careless with grinding steel and sprayed the board with sparks. Now, half the surface had embedded grit.

 

[Blueshound_GJ]

Interesting, I figured there would be more support for the blackboard.

I like blackboard better from an aesthetic standpoint. The feel and sound of chalk is much more appealing. And there's no chemical smell.

Also chalk works after decades (unlike dry erase markers). So if the SHTF, chalk and a blackboard are the big winner.

You can also eat chalk if you need an antacid lol. Multipurpose.

 

[Skiff Builder]

Check in the paneling section of your big box store. I grabbed 5pcs of a 4x8 x3/16" masonite covered with white film on one side.

They listed for $2 each clearance. Great white boards, though I have no free wall space now to put them up!

 

[gtae07]

Chalkboards get dust everywhere...

 

[NakeDiesel]

Check in the paneling section of your big box store. I grabbed 5pcs of a 4x8 x3/16" masonite covered with white film on one side.

They listed for $2 each clearance. Great white boards, though I have no free wall space now to put them up!

That was the stuff I was trying to talk about above that I used. It's been up on my shop walls for 10 some odd years now. Some things have been written there for that long like the calculations for mixing my race diesel and blending 85 octane pump gas with 105 octane race gas for my daughters race truck when she raced.

 

[billconner]

@billconner Magnetic board would actually be extremely nice.

I've been in a lot of architects offices and conference rooms over past 40+ years, so a lot of ideas to steal from in these regards. Say what you want about architects, their offices are pretty spiffy.

I do agree with blueshound - black boards and chalk strike an aesthetic note - but not in a building with metal siding and roof.

And chalk dust - in a shop? Doesn't seem like a big deal.

 

[Ray-CA]

I used chalk board paint on a couple of my cabinet doors with some door molding at the bottom to hold chalk.

Stuff like this: https://www.homedepot.com/b/Paint-Craft-Paint-Chalkboard-Paint/N-5yc1vZccco

 

[shakenfake]

@billconner If it makes it any better mine is brick and shingles lol

 

[billconner]

@billconner If it makes it any better mine is brick and shingles lol

My style. I hope it's not new also!

 

[shakenfake]

@billconner

Wish I had a better picture. It is from the mid 70s if I remember correctly.

 

[Wiz02]

We painted nearly all the office walls with white board paint. Crazy expensive.

If you leave the ink from the dry erase marker on the wall for any length of time beyond a week or two, the wall is badly stained after you wipe off the ink. If you apply any type of solvent, the paint finish is dulled and the next time you write on the wall, the mark is permanent.
I won't even bother whining about lumps and bumps in the drywall. Great idea, the reality not so much.

 

[Poolshark314]

Maybe I've got a defective white board. If I leave a drawing or text up for longer than a few days, it's really difficult to erase. Have to use the spray and even then it's tough. The erasers don't do much. Very frustrating. I'd rather have a chalk board.

if you just write over your dried on marker, you can then erase it much easier

As for the OP, I went full on overboard and use Project Management app on my phone to track all of the garage projects/vehicles. This way, I can mark the tasks as done with pictures of the work and then notes like tools I needed, bolt sizes, bits, etc. Makes it easier to go back and reference later

 

[shakenfake]

@Poolshark314 I try using the phone notes app but it is too difficult. I can't keep track of my thoughts without physically writing them down.

 

[Racer_X]

markers can stain the board

That only happens if you leave the ink on too long or the markerboard is really old.
For cleaning and light rejuvenation, this is a good product you should always have on hand.
This one works well on really old boards that have lost their luster.

 

[csp]

I have been using the same set of markers for 14 years. Not sure how that's wasteful and putting the cap back on seems like a personal habit issue. I close the toothpaste completely each day as well.