How To: Waterproof Your Own Topo Maps

There you are – out backpacking, biking or touring in “sub-optimal” (read WET) weather and need to pull out the map for a quick direction check.  If you are using a non-waterproofed map it’s pretty much game over at this point.  Soggy maps and folding do not mix, and before long your trusty lifeline back to civilization is deteriorating before your eyes. As a backpacker, splitboarder, backcountry skier or mountain biker, if you haven’t been there yet, you will.

A ton of maps come in durable, waterproof versions, and National Geographic makes “Adventure Paper” to print your own, but there are still many maps that are not.  Key among these are the standard USGS topographic maps that are key to anyone who ventures off the beaten path.

The solution: DIY waterproofing.  Here’s how to do it:

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Map
• Map Seal from Aquaseal
• Clips and ties or clothes pins

TIME REQUIRED: About 1 hour to apply, 72 hours for full drying

DIFFICULTY: Super Easy

COST: $6-12 depending on size of sealer product purchased (plus an ~$8 map)

PROCEDURE:

The first step is to rig up a hanging apparatus for your map.  Mine consists of two twist ties tied to two paper clamps tied to the chandelier.  Get creative and work with what you’ve got.

Layout your map on a flat surface, gently stir the map seal and quickly brush on a thin coat using the provided applicator (some versions have a foam brush which is much easier to get an even coat). Make sure you cover the map evenly.  It can help to have a light shining at an angle to easier see where you have and have not applied the sealer.

After applying a coat, hang the map up using the clips and ties or clothes pins for about 5 minutes.  Once tacky, repeat the procedure above on the SAME side making two coats. Again, hang to dry, this time for about 30 minutes.

After the first side is dry, repeat the process with the back side by applying one coat, hanging for 5 minutes and then applying a second coat.  Finally, hang the map making sure it does not contact any other surfaces or fold over on itself (it will stick) for at least 72 hours before using it.

Once complete, not only will your map be waterproof, but much more durable and foldable.  Now go get out there and use it.

Split Decision: DIY Splitboard Part I

Oh the splitboard… an answer for all those years of slogging up snow covered hillsides in clunky snowshoes with a 5′ board strapped to your back, I liken the invention to a miraculous gift from heaven (or Ullr if you’re into that sort of thing).

Snowshoe/Snowboarding RMNP

Owning a splitboard has been a dream of mine since probably 2001 where I got my first taste of backcountry snowboarding in the Mammoth Lakes, CA area. Joining the military and being stationed in Mississippi didn’t help my cause and it isn’t until now, living in Colorado, that the dream finally looks to become reality.

This is less of a step by step DIY and more of a documentation of this momentous occasion. There are some awesome How-To videos on the Voile site and YouTube that walk you through the whole thing if you are interested.

So the first (pre) step to the whole process is deciding whether or not you want to buy a factory split or go for it and split your own. The cost of splitboards is dropping drastically and you can get a sweet one for like $450-500 now. With that in mind, if you don’t like to do somewhat lengthy and moderately challenging home projects, just buy one. If you are like me, and really just get stoked at the idea of making your own splitboard for the fun of it then hop on the DIY train, buy a kit and let’s get started.

Step 1 is getting a board that will be good to split. Check out splitboard.com forums for a bunch of other folks boards that they have split and like (or dislike) to get an idea. When I was asking about mine, the best piece of info I got was “If you don’t like it before splitting it, you’ll hate it after.” For me, I had a great board in mind. I have had this Burton Custom 169 for about 10 years that was mostly just sitting there since I have upgraded and it became kinda obsolete.

The board - pre-split

Once you have a good board to split, you have to get the kit.  The most popular of which is the Voile Split Decision (Saw your old board) kit.  Make sure you get this one and not the universal split kit since that is for an already split board.

Love how it's called the "Saw your old board" kit

Lots of stuff in there.

Once you have the board and the kit, it’s time to get down to business.  Next, take some blue painters tape and run it down the middle of your board where you will be cutting, on top and on bottom.

Make sure you measure almost every two inches along the length of your board and check it a zillion times.  This mark is crucial.  Make sure you use a very straight edge like a piece of manufactured wood or metal to ensure your line is straight, if this is jacked then there is no going back, so get it right and take your time on this step.  It’s also a good idea to put your bindings on and mark out their general location/angles for future reference.

Looks good to me

Alright, now that that is done, you need to set yourself up a good work station.  Something firm that you can clamp the board to so it won’t budge during the cutting.  Also, make sure there is a nice little gap for where the saw blade will pass through so you don’t have to stop and move anything or cut your saw horses in half.

Nice and stable

Now you should be set up for success.  Now comes the most stressful part: actually cutting your frickin board in half!  If you are like me, you have a bit of an attachments to your old boards, I mean they are quiet, loyal little friends that you’ve counted on for days of fun sliding down snow covered mountains.  So, say your goodbyes to your old solid board and just remember that it will all be for the best, I mean once you’re done you can use this guy to get you to stashes it would never have seen.

"Scalpel!"

The most common way to cut a splitboard is with a circular saw with a carbide tipped blade attached, I have one, but I just couldn’t bring myself to use it.  I have not been too successful with past circular saw projects and you really have one shot at it.  I decided to go the Amish way and use a variety of hand saws to get it split. Either way, just commit and do it as smoothly and continuously as possible.

No going back now.

My burton board has the 3D inserts to cut through which made it a total pain in the ass, but I think the saw could have handled it pretty easily.  Going back, I think I would have just manned up and used the skil saw with similar or better results.

1 is now 2

Now the stressful part is over, but the fun is just beginning.  Now you get to drill all kinds of holes in your board!

DIY Board Repair: Base Patching – Part II

This is part II of a DIY tutorial on Base Patching.  If you haven’t read it already, read Part I then come on back here.

Alright, so you’ve let the epoxy dry and your ready for the next steps.  Well, it gets easier from here so don’t worry.
Step 5: Flatten the Patch

This is where a certain tool that I don’t have but would like would come in handy.  If you can, get something like the Surform Versaplane Tool (less than $10).  If you can’t, then do like I did and use some sandpaper, a metal scraper and a dremel tool to flatten and smooth the patch until it is flush with the rest of the base.

Step 6: PTex the surrounding flaws

So the pesky rock probably wasn’t considerate enough to make a nice little isolated gouge on your base.  Now is the time to fix up the non core shot scrapes that are probably surrounding your big patched area.  There is a lot of info on DIY Ptex out there so check out a site like this or wait a while and I will be doing a post about that soon (just have to go ride some more and work up some more dings to PTex).

Step 7: Wax and Tune your board

At the very least, rewax the area that was effected by the repair and overspray from the base cleaner.  The beauty of a patch is that it (unlike some other repairs) should hold wax, so wax it up, run a file down the edges.  There you are.  A base patched and ready to shred.  As you can see, it’s not the prettiest thing, but my board is not quite white and not quite black anywhere so any repairs stand out.  Plus, when they say “clear” they don’t really mean transparent so whatever, I’m not trying to win a board beauty contest, I’m trying to make my board rip especially since tomorrow (1/22/12) is going to be a POW day in CO!

DIY Board Repair: Base Patching – Part I

Alright, let’s get this out of the way:

1.  I am not a qualified or “expert” ski/snowboard technician, just a guy who likes to figure things out, do it myself and then share it with others.  2. I am not responsible if you totally jack up your skis/board.  3. Your local ski/board repair shop will be MUCH better at this and if you are uncomfortable with the possibility of botching your repair take it in to one of your local places.

Okay, glad we got that over with.  On to the fun stuff:  Base repair, if you haven’t had to do it yet then 1. YOU WILL or 2. You aren’t riding hard enough 😉  Point is, it’s gonna happen sooner or later especially if you ride early or late season (or mid season with this dismal snow year).  With this being my first in this series you might expect something simple like a small ptex gouge repair, well, sorry, we’re diving right in head first with a core shot requiring a base patch.  This is what we’re working with, a ~4″ long by 1/2″ gouge received when doing some “guided ski compaction” at A-Basin (SO WORTH IT!)

Some background, there are many ways to make a repair on a board, some better than others.  I am showing you one way and the way I am showing you is based on someone using just some simple tools that I already have.  There are special tools for just about EVERY repair/tuning task you can think of (See here for pages and pages of “stuff”).  While that stuff is awesome and great for shops, I’ve found it can mostly be labeled as “Nice to have” and not completely necessary, but if you have hundreds of dollars to spend on tuning/repair equipment then have at it.  For this repair, here is what you will really need:

Material:

• P-Tex Sheet Material – Comes in Clear(ish) and Black
• Base Cleaner – Denatured alcohol or acetone can work too
• P-Tex candle or ribbon (For touch ups afterward)
• Epoxy – Slow setting is preferred but use what you can find
• Cellophane or wax paper

Tools:

• Razor Blade
• Dremel – Nice if you have one, otherwise can be done by hand
• Clamps (C Clamps or any other wood clamps will work)
• Metal Scraper
• A piece of flat plastic or metal to clamp your repair down while setting
• File
• Sandpaper
• Piece of paper and pen/marker
• Typical tuning tools to wax and tune after repair

Step 1: Prep the base
Using a combination of  a razor blade, a straight edge and your metal scraper, notch out a square around the effected area.  They make templates ($40) to make this easier using a more rounded shape but rectangles are going to be easier for a DIY.  Try to cut at an angle to make the groove look more like this: /__\ instead of straight or \__/ so you can “keyhole” your repair material later.

Clean out the old base material and any scraps from your rectangular groove.  A dremel can help here.

Step 2: Making your patch – With your rectangular groove cut out of your base, you can now start making your base patch.  First step is to create a template.  If you were super precise and made a perfect rectangle (Good on ya!) then just take measurements and use them to cut your patch.  If, like me, one end is slightly larger and the sides aren’t exactly parallel, then use a sheet of paper and your scraper (a small screwdriver works too) and push the edge of the scraper through the paper and into the groove.  This should give you a pretty good outline of the shape you need.

Tape the small cut out piece of paper or the paper it was cut out of over the P-Tex sheet material and use a marker to draw the outline of the shape you will need.  Tip: Try to go slightly larger than the template at this point since we can always sand down and can’t add material.  Use your razor to cut out the base patch from the P-Tex sheet.

You will then need to tweak your patch slightly to get it to fit snugly.  Using a small piece of sandpaper, sand off the sides until you have a good snug fit.  Once you are close be sure to sand the piece at an angle like /–\ around all the edges so that it will fit more like a puzzle piece once inserted.  Test the fit and remember which way it goes/which side is up for the upcoming steps.

  Step 3: Epoxy the Patch in Place – The first part of this step is to ensure that the epoxy will have a nice clean bonding surface.  Use your base cleaner/alcohol ect to get both the patch and the area to be patched free of any oils/wax or other contaminants and then try to touch the area as little as possible.

Once it is all clean, it’s time to take the big step and set that patch.  I put some masking tape along the base just in case I dripped any epoxy outside the repair area.  Be sure to read and follow all of the instructions on the epoxy package as they are all slightly different for amounts of resin to hardener and set times ect.  In general though you will put a thin layer of your epoxy compounds into the area to be patched, ensure it is mixed well.

Once your nice even layer of epoxy is in place, put your snug fitting patch into the groove.  Some epoxy paste may squeeze out the sides while you do this, that is fine (especially if you put the tape down).

You will then want to take your cellophane or wax paper and cover the patch, next take the metal/plastic scraper or a flat piece of wood or metal and place it over the wax paper.  Clamp this piece down providing even (not crushing but firm) pressure over the patch.

Step 4: Let it Set – Probably the easiest step.  Let your epoxy dry and harden for the recommended amount of time based on the type of epoxy you used.

Step 5: To Be Continued

You’ll have some time to kill so go watch a ski or snowboard flick while it dries.  Or better yet, go grab your non-jacked up board and go enjoy some turns.  Come tomorrow your board will be ready for the next steps.