Zipper Repair

Roger Zoul said:

Yes, this seems off topic but it's not. Last winter, I bought a Performance
IllumiNITE jacket. However, the zipper broke...just the part at the very
bottom that keeps the slider on and also keeps the zipper hooks, hooked.
Without it, the jacket won't stay fastened.

Can this be repaired without replacing the entire zipper? I don't really
care to match the color (bright yellow) but I do which to replace that
bottom part. I really don't wish to deal with the ZipperLab if I can avoid
it, and I don't want to shell out for another jacket (I should have sent the
damn thing back - but I tore it when I went down crossing some railroad
tracks).

Easy quick fix. Re-thread the pull atop the tracks, then move it up
(towards the neck) Using matching thread, whip several stitches around
the zipper tape and teeth; you're moving the needle in a circular
motion (like I just did with my hand, see??) to make layers or stacks
of thread. (If you were looking down the tape, you'd have concentric
circles of thread wrapping around the tape and the last tooth.)

Break off thread, securing the loose end. Borrow the clear nail polish
(you don't have any in the house? Go get some! The 2/$1.00 bottles are
fine) and paint some on the outside layers of thread. Once dry, paint
the underside. Use enough nail polish (at a thin-enough consistency) to
soak into the thread.

Et viola!

Er, these instructions assume that you did pick up the slider when it
fell off. If not, visit a fabric store and see about a replacement
slider. Then proceed as above.

HTH

--Karen D.
who was just in alt.sewing, where we'd tell you the same thing

Roger Zoul said:

Yes, this seems off topic but it's not. Last winter, I bought a Performance
IllumiNITE jacket. However, the zipper broke...just the part at the very
bottom that keeps the slider on and also keeps the zipper hooks, hooked.
Without it, the jacket won't stay fastened.

Can this be repaired without replacing the entire zipper? I don't really
care to match the color (bright yellow) but I do which to replace that
bottom part. I really don't wish to deal with the ZipperLab if I can avoid
it, and I don't want to shell out for another jacket (I should have sent the
damn thing back - but I tore it when I went down crossing some railroad
tracks).

Sometimes you'd be amazed what your local dry cleaner, or tailor, or
seamstress can do for a couple of (cash) bucks....
--
Live simply so that others may simply live

Roger Zoul said:

Yes, this seems off topic but it's not. Last winter, I bought a Performance
IllumiNITE jacket. However, the zipper broke...just the part at the very
bottom that keeps the slider on and also keeps the zipper hooks, hooked.
Without it, the jacket won't stay fastened.

Can this be repaired without replacing the entire zipper? I don't really
care to match the color (bright yellow) but I do which to replace that
bottom part. I really don't wish to deal with the ZipperLab if I can avoid
it, and I don't want to shell out for another jacket (I should have sent the
damn thing back - but I tore it when I went down crossing some railroad
tracks).

I don't think you can repair a zipper without replacing it, often a
drycleaner that does alterations, or a tailoring shop can swap a zipper
for a reasonable amount. Take the jacket to one of these shops, and ask
them for a quote, if you think it's too expensive, then you can decide
to replace the jacket.

W

Veloise said:

Roger Zoul said:

Yes, this seems off topic but it's not. Last winter, I bought a Performance
IllumiNITE jacket. However, the zipper broke...just the part at the very
bottom that keeps the slider on and also keeps the zipper hooks, hooked.
Without it, the jacket won't stay fastened.

Can this be repaired without replacing the entire zipper? I don't really
care to match the color (bright yellow) but I do which to replace that
bottom part. I really don't wish to deal with the ZipperLab if I can avoid
it, and I don't want to shell out for another jacket (I should have sent the
damn thing back - but I tore it when I went down crossing some railroad
tracks).

Easy quick fix. Re-thread the pull atop the tracks, then move it up
(towards the neck) Using matching thread, whip several stitches around
the zipper tape and teeth; you're moving the needle in a circular
motion (like I just did with my hand, see??) to make layers or stacks
of thread. (If you were looking down the tape, you'd have concentric
circles of thread wrapping around the tape and the last tooth.)

Break off thread, securing the loose end. Borrow the clear nail polish
(you don't have any in the house? Go get some! The 2/$1.00 bottles are
fine) and paint some on the outside layers of thread. Once dry, paint
the underside. Use enough nail polish (at a thin-enough consistency) to
soak into the thread.

Et viola!

Er, these instructions assume that you did pick up the slider when it
fell off. If not, visit a fabric store and see about a replacement
slider. Then proceed as above.

HTH

--Karen D.
who was just in alt.sewing, where we'd tell you the same thing

Roger,

This is what I meant to say.

<g>
--
Live simply so that others may simply live

Veloise said:

Roger Zoul said:

Yes, this seems off topic but it's not. Last winter, I bought a
Performance IllumiNITE jacket. However, the zipper broke...just the
part at the very bottom that keeps the slider on and also keeps the
zipper hooks, hooked. Without it, the jacket won't stay fastened.

Can this be repaired without replacing the entire zipper? I don't
really care to match the color (bright yellow) but I do which to
replace that bottom part. I really don't wish to deal with the
ZipperLab if I can avoid it, and I don't want to shell out for
another jacket (I should have sent the damn thing back - but I tore
it when I went down crossing some railroad tracks).

Easy quick fix. Re-thread the pull atop the tracks, then move it up
(towards the neck) Using matching thread, whip several stitches around
the zipper tape and teeth; you're moving the needle in a circular
motion (like I just did with my hand, see??) to make layers or stacks
of thread. (If you were looking down the tape, you'd have concentric
circles of thread wrapping around the tape and the last tooth.)

Break off thread, securing the loose end. Borrow the clear nail polish
(you don't have any in the house? Go get some! The 2/$1.00 bottles are
fine) and paint some on the outside layers of thread. Once dry, paint
the underside. Use enough nail polish (at a thin-enough consistency)
to soak into the thread.

Et viola!

No /strings/ attached? (Pardon the sarcams.)

Quoted message said:

Er, these instructions assume that you did pick up the slider when it
fell off. If not, visit a fabric store and see about a replacement
slider. Then proceed as above.

So this could go in the category of... {wait for it}

HINTS FROM VELOISE!

Bill "I'll grab me hat now" S.

My local leather repair guy in Chicago replaced the arm zipper in a
motorcycle jacket for $15 bucks--I doubt you'd pay more at a dry
cleaner. If you want the color to be close, you could stop by the
fabric store and grab a zipper to bring with you.

Bill Sornson just figured out

Quoted message said:

HINTS FROM VELOISE!

Guess we know who was not a L.A.W. member reading BICYCLE USA in
1984-86 (which is when and where my nom de bike originated). BTW,
Heloise's attorneys asked me to not use her logo (the "I' dotted with a
flower-heart) and replace it with a bike wheel. No sense of humor in
San Antonio.

HTH

--Karen D.
who has personalized bike license tags and other stuff with Veloise on
'em

Veloise said:

Bill Sornson just figured out

Quoted message said:

HINTS FROM VELOISE!

Guess we know who was not a L.A.W. member reading BICYCLE USA in
1984-86 (which is when and where my nom de bike originated). BTW,
Heloise's attorneys asked me to not use her logo (the "I' dotted with
a flower-heart) and replace it with a bike wheel. No sense of humor in
San Antonio.

HTH

It did :->

Quoted message said:

--Karen D.
who has personalized bike license tags and other stuff with Veloise on
'em

Cool.

If you don't want to replace the zipper and I usually don't bother,
turn the coat into a pull-over, without a functional zipper. This
requires that the zipper be intact enough to be fitted together and
zipped up one last time, far enough to work some shoe-goo into the
bottom 5 or 6 links. The cement will permanently keep it locked in
place at the bottom and prevent the slide from going down far enough for
the broken parts to separate. Zip it up the rest of the way. If it's
too broken to do this, you've a choice to get a new zipper or scrap the
coat.

Steve McDonald

"Steve McDonald" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

If you don't want to replace the zipper and I usually don't bother,
turn the coat into a pull-over, without a functional zipper.

Yet another solution. Cut all the teeth off of the zipper. Sew a new zipper
on to the strip of fabric where the old zipper was. This is easier than
taking out the old zipper and replacing it. You can scarcely tell the
difference between that and replacement. If you can't figure out what I
mean, email me, and I'll try to explain. I got realy good at doing this when
my kids were in preschool and would chew on their zippers. I couldn't afford
to buy them a new winter coat every time they destroyed a zipper that way.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Roger Zoul said:

Yes, this seems off topic but it's not. Last winter, I bought a
Performance IllumiNITE jacket. However, the zipper broke...just the
part at the very bottom that keeps the slider on and also keeps the
zipper hooks, hooked. Without it, the jacket won't stay fastened.

Can this be repaired without replacing the entire zipper? I don't
really care to match the color (bright yellow) but I do which to
replace that bottom part. I really don't wish to deal with the
ZipperLab if I can avoid it, and I don't want to shell out for
another jacket (I should have sent the damn thing back - but I tore
it when I went down crossing some railroad tracks).

Just thought of this after reading other replies/ideas: TAKE IT BACK TO
PERFORMANCE! They'll probably replace it, no questions asked...

(Bigger hassle if shipping, I realize.)

BS

Steve said:

If you don't want to replace the zipper and I usually don't bother,
turn the coat into a pull-over, without a functional zipper. This
requires that the zipper be intact enough to be fitted together and
zipped up one last time, far enough to work some shoe-goo into the
bottom 5 or 6 links. The cement will permanently keep it locked in
place at the bottom and prevent the slide from going down far enough for
the broken parts to separate. Zip it up the rest of the way. ...

IIRC, those types of jackets don't have enough wiggle room to utilize
this fix.

Another option: hit a fabric store and pick up some of the two-piece
heavy-duty snaps. Install a length of those along the front (you'll
need a hammer and the little wacker thingie that's sometimes sold with
the snaps). I wouldn't use velcro because it will decide to close
itself just as you've adjusted the front ventilation to your liking.

HTH

--Karen D.
presently picking out a zip in a fleece pullover so I can replace with
a full-length separating zip; will be done in time to wear tonight

Veloise said:

Easy quick fix. Re-thread the pull atop the tracks, then move it up
(towards the neck) Using matching thread, whip several stitches around
the zipper tape and teeth; you're moving the needle in a circular
motion (like I just did with my hand, see??) to make layers or stacks
of thread. (If you were looking down the tape, you'd have concentric
circles of thread wrapping around the tape and the last tooth.)

Break off thread, securing the loose end. Borrow the clear nail polish
(you don't have any in the house? Go get some! The 2/$1.00 bottles are
fine) and paint some on the outside layers of thread. Once dry, paint
the underside. Use enough nail polish (at a thin-enough consistency) to
soak into the thread.

Et viola!

Er, these instructions assume that you did pick up the slider when it
fell off. If not, visit a fabric store and see about a replacement
slider. Then proceed as above.

Over the years I've performed this exact repair a number of times and I
think I've even improved on it from a durability standpoint. Instead of
using plain old mercurized cotton thread that tends to abrade rather
easily to whip a stop at the bottom of a broken zipper on a leather
motorcycle jacket, I used the very fine copper wire available in most
hobby stores' "crafting and jewelrymaking" departments. Once the
whipping was complete a dab of solder made it as good as new. It may
not look quite as nice as matching thread would but it's so small as to
be almost unnoticeable and has lasted five years. Obviously, you can't
solder in close proximity to the poly fabrics most cycling clothes are
made of but I imagine a dab of clear epoxy would hold up almost as
well.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

Bill Sornson wrote:
:: Roger Zoul wrote:
::: Yes, this seems off topic but it's not. Last winter, I bought a
::: Performance IllumiNITE jacket. However, the zipper broke...just the
::: part at the very bottom that keeps the slider on and also keeps the
::: zipper hooks, hooked. Without it, the jacket won't stay fastened.
:::
::: Can this be repaired without replacing the entire zipper? I don't
::: really care to match the color (bright yellow) but I do which to
::: replace that bottom part. I really don't wish to deal with the
::: ZipperLab if I can avoid it, and I don't want to shell out for
::: another jacket (I should have sent the damn thing back - but I tore
::: it when I went down crossing some railroad tracks).
::
:: Just thought of this after reading other replies/ideas: TAKE IT
:: BACK TO PERFORMANCE! They'll probably replace it, no questions
:: asked...
::
:: (Bigger hassle if shipping, I realize.)

I would certainly have done this were it not for the fact that I tore a big
hole in the jacket when I fell last year.

Bill Sornson wrote:
:: Roger Zoul wrote:
::: Yes, this seems off topic but it's not. Last winter, I bought a
::: Performance IllumiNITE jacket. However, the zipper broke...just the
::: part at the very bottom that keeps the slider on and also keeps the
::: zipper hooks, hooked. Without it, the jacket won't stay fastened.
:::
::: Can this be repaired without replacing the entire zipper? I don't
::: really care to match the color (bright yellow) but I do which to
::: replace that bottom part. I really don't wish to deal with the
::: ZipperLab if I can avoid it, and I don't want to shell out for
::: another jacket (I should have sent the damn thing back - but I tore
::: it when I went down crossing some railroad tracks).
::
:: Just thought of this after reading other replies/ideas: TAKE IT
:: BACK TO PERFORMANCE! They'll probably replace it, no questions
:: asked...
::
:: (Bigger hassle if shipping, I realize.)

I would certainly have done this were it not for the fact that I tore a big
hole in the jacket when I fell last year.

Bill Sornson wrote:
:: Roger Zoul wrote:
::: Yes, this seems off topic but it's not. Last winter, I bought a
::: Performance IllumiNITE jacket. However, the zipper broke...just the
::: part at the very bottom that keeps the slider on and also keeps the
::: zipper hooks, hooked. Without it, the jacket won't stay fastened.
:::
::: Can this be repaired without replacing the entire zipper? I don't
::: really care to match the color (bright yellow) but I do which to
::: replace that bottom part. I really don't wish to deal with the
::: ZipperLab if I can avoid it, and I don't want to shell out for
::: another jacket (I should have sent the damn thing back - but I tore
::: it when I went down crossing some railroad tracks).
::
:: Just thought of this after reading other replies/ideas: TAKE IT
:: BACK TO PERFORMANCE! They'll probably replace it, no questions
:: asked...
::
:: (Bigger hassle if shipping, I realize.)

I would certainly have done this were it not for the fact that I tore a big
hole in the jacket when I fell last year.