The wind and sand in Baja always trashes the zippers on my board bags. Anyone know how to treat board bag zippers so they don’t get clogged up and stuck? I’ve tried vasaline, but still no luck.
Maybe a silicone spray lubricant would do better. Found in autoparts stores.
It “dries” and shouldn’t attract and hold sand like a grease would.
anyone know of a place to get new zippers?
the only places I’ve found, it would be cheaper to get a new bag.
My housemates just got back from back from baja- they used broken zipper + bunjee cord.
pat
I use Tri-Flow oil. Comes in spray or drip bottles.
Also works great on roof rack bits/strap hardware that get a lot of salt air. I keep a small container in the car for when things get gunked up.
Silicone would also work, I’d think.
Hey guys.
Very common problem.
You guys mention prevention of the zipper gunk.
What about if your zipper is already gunked up?
How do you free it up?
I’ve got a Destination Surf Bag and they’ve replaced the zippers a few times for free. Their bags have a lifetime warranty. But I will say by DaKine bag with plastic zippers has never gotten stuck. Check 'em out:
Quote:
anyone know of a place to get new zippers?
http://www.ahh.biz/products/hardware/ykk%20vislon%20zipper%20ZVS010.htm This place sells heavy duty zippers by the foot. I replaced the fine tooth zipper on one of my bags with the 10mm zipper and it hasn’t jammed since.
www.sailrite.com ( or your friendly neighborhood sailmaker) - you want a YKK #10 Vislon ( delrin) continuous zipper, with a plastic slider, not metal, The metal invariably corrodes and jams the thing beyond repair. See http://www.ykkfastening.com/global/products/index.html . I know all about that, as I have several I need to replace on my own bags. Really, truly, go with the plastic.
The #10 size is big enough that it pretty much shrugs off sand grains that will jam smaller sizes. The Vislon type ( like you find on zip-up fleece, wetsuits and similar) is a heavy tooth far less prone to jamming and such than the ‘coil’ type that’s really more suited to light garments.
I should note that if the zipper itself isn’t totally buggered up, it’s only the slider that’s shot, you can replace that with some careful work and a little hand stitching.
Then you need…
The Big Mutha Sewing Machine should have a fairly good zipper foot in it.
If there’s somebody in your life who has an older, heavy, all metal home sewing machine like that green one shown above, you can get away with that, a couple lines of stitching ( with #69 or #92 dacron thread and #16 or #18 needles, respectively ) . Turn the bag inside out and carefully go down the zipper stitching with a seam ripper. Remove old zipper, staple in a new one, with the staples at 90° to the line of stitching you’ll do, then do a couple of lines of stitching on each side.
more useful tips here: http://sailrite.com/techindex.htm
hope that’s of use
doc… a stitch in time…
I have a 20 y/o Prolite bag that’s still in use because I had the zipper slides replaced at a local sail loft. $20, as I recall.
Speaking of zippers…
Why do wetsuit companies use metal slides? In the last two years, I’ve had the zipper pull
break on two Rip Curl Elastos. Both have metal slides, and they rusted out. Before anyone
bothers to say it, I’ll mention that I rinse my suits with fresh water, every time I use them.
Yep…send it to a sail maker to get it replaced.
Other than that, I use the lube they make for snaps on bimini tops… find it at the boat supply store. Works great in the salt and sand.
Not everyone has access to a sail maker. In my neck of the woods, they can be real la-de-da yachtie snobs anyhow and charge accordingly.
Any boat canvas shop is set up to do the zippers and have the proper plastic type mentioned by Doc. They’ll be cheaper than a sail maker.
Could also try your local awning fabricator.
Pete
If you’re in Jerzy… Skip Morehouse, Morehouse Sailmakers, 52 Stacy Haines Rd., Lumbreton, NJ 08048 (609-518-0100) A great guy, craftsman, and sailor. Not a snob or rip-off artist. I trust his work with my life.
As Pete says, canvas people and awning people will have all that in stock. It’s what they use all the time.
Though they don’t work cheap either. Typically $50 per hour, plus 100% markup on materials or a cutting fee on materials you supply.
When the ladyfriend-who-did-sails-and-canvas gave it up to be a schoolteacher in Colorado (and I finally got a sailboat), that’s when I broke down and bought the old used Singer you see in the picture above, a 111-W101 needle feed straight stitch machine ( for boat canvas work ) and ( not shown) a 107-W103 zig-zag machine for sail work - though it’d probably do major wetsuit repairs with the right roller foot on it.
Between those two ( or one of the heavy Consew walking foot zig-zag machines, or one of the Sailrite small walking foot zig zag machines) you can do most anything you need to do, give or take shoe repair. And it’s kinda amazing how many things are sewn together.
As to why the wetsuit makers use cheap, cheezy metal sliders in their zippers; they’re cheap, they break down and 90% of the ‘consumers’ ( read as ‘suckers’ ) out there won’t bother with getting the things fixed on warranty, they will just go out and buy another one.
hope that’s of use
doc…