UKH

Wasn't sure which forum to put this in.

I'm thinking of buying one of the flat (i.e. not traditional folded) custom OS maps centred on my house (they're only £16 which I thought was quite reasonable), but I was thinking to make it laminated / wipe-clean in some way. I don't know how you'd get something so big (100cm x 89cm) laminated though, and I don't think framing and having glass over it would have the same effect. Any ideas what I could do? The point would be so I could colour in those footpaths I've ran on, until they're all ticked off.

Doing this because I had the fun idea to try and run a knew footpath near my house every week or so this year, I did one a couple of days ago only 10 minutes from my house that I've never seen before and it was beautiful! A stream in a woods. Amazed me I haven't seen it, felt like I was on holiday somewhere.

Thanks

I imagine a print shop of some kind, could laminate this or have some other method of sealing it how you want. I don't have direct experience of this though. Will be worth looking into. Try the Yellow Pages (oh hang on it's not the 1990s any more is it ). You know what I mean! 

I have seen laminating machines that will do that size.  One of the local schools or colleges might have one if you know anyone that works there?  

I have a friend with a print shop it was too big for their machines, but I might try some others. That was my first thought too!

Looks like you can order them laminated from here 

https://www.aqua3.com/aqua3-maps.asp

Cannot help with laminating, but we have a flat OS map in a frame with thin perspex over it, with the frame screwed into the wall rather than just a hook/string so it won't move at all. Its next to our kitchen table and is used daily, by adults and toddlers and cats alike. We don't draw on ours like you plan to, but the toddler hits it and has learnt where the sea is, the cats bap at reflections on it, and the adults are endlessly planning routes on it. I'm not certain a laminated one would have stood up to the last 3 years as well as the perspex has, but that will no doubt depend on your lifestyle and who you have in your house.

Its definitely been a good thing having it up, and for us, the cost of building the frame (from wood we already had) and the fairly cheap perspex, has without doubt been worth the value we have got from having it up.

An alternative to OS mapping  - Harvey Maps advertise they do custom maps of their own mapping which are waterproof.

Or for something different - customised area of OS map based water resistant/ wipe clean wallpaper may still be available (at least used to be in the past)!

Sheet of perspex? When the world shortage of perspex is over obviously 🙄 

Can you still get rolls of that clear sticky stuff we used for school books? 

Wallpapered.com do custom os washable wallpaper designed to any wall size you like . 
 

pyn. 

I'd try a print shop too. They should have transparent vinyl on big rolls that should do the job (like the old contact paper used on school books). The y may even sell you a piece of the right size for you to do yourself. Can't imagine it will be economical for you to buy a whole big roll yourself.

Options;

• Buy a waterproof map.
• Self adhesive book covering film in 2 or 3 strips, live with the seam.
• Varnish it.
• Just draw onto the paper, keep it as a record of the endeavour. £16 isn't much to pay for a souvenir of several weeks or months work.

jk

Demo shown here, you can get the stuff from WH Smith’s and it’s pretty cheap. It is sold on rolls wide enough to cover OS maps without needing to overlap.  youtube.com/watch?v=kkrb2Pbtito&

You could always wait to covid's done with and use the ones set up in the bogs at teh moment.

This place does fully laminated OS maps rolled up (i.e. no creases at all) and sent in the post.

https://www.mapmarketing.com/   

They're quite thick and got up on the wall with drawing pins. I've got a 1.5m x 1.2m 1:100 000 of the whole Lakes, £34. Not cheap but very nice and robust. You can draw on them with felt tip and rub it off.

https://www.mapmarketing.com/products/lake-district-uk-national-park-wall-m... 

I'll go along with JKarren's suggestion.  Buy another map.  I did exactly the same as you and I think I used one of those highlighter pens to mark the paths & bridleways etc., that I'd walked over or run.  Its still usable as a map and as was suggested will still be functional if you still wish to use it.

Clear polyurethane varnish.  If I take a map cycling, i take the relevant pages out of a road atlas and paint both sides with varnish.  Do a test first as you may need a few coats to overcome stray fibres and it might change the colour too much to be acceptable

In the days when I used to go to bed with a gun, one side would be covered in sticky-back plastic and the other side varnished for a near indestructible product.

Many commercial print shops won't do lamination, or advise against it.  The ink the OS uses is reactivated by heat from the lamination process and smudges.  I asked a local firm, and they pulled out their example which they kept, with the 'I don't think you wan't us to do that, let me show you this sir...' line....and yep it was gash.

I have cold laminated, with sticky back laminate and a large table, a standard folded os map; it took ages to do without getting bubbles...........however the map is still working 3 decades later.