Torn zipper tapes

zebedee · Mar 22, 2020

I've just found that the zipper tapes have come away from the fabric and frayed (badly) on a Aero cafe racer and my beloved 10-year-old Highwayman. I'm going to have to send them away as soon as the apocalypse has been averted. There should be a machine that re-stamps tape on to zippers.

Luckily, I have others. Some with buttons.

SinSir · Mar 22, 2020

Wish there was a machine or tool to easily fix this. Its such a common problem you'd think there would be. Someone on here came up with a DIY vs zip replacement. I'll see if I can dig it up.

SinSir · Mar 22, 2020

I can't find the link but here's the how to sketch. I haven't tried it yet but plan to this summer.

zebedee · Mar 22, 2020

SinSir said:
I can't find the link but here's the how to sketch. I haven't tried it yet but plan to this summer.

View attachment 221913

That's just like when I put my kidney back in.

zebedee · Mar 22, 2020

I reckon that a thin coat of PVA glue over the fabric will prevent immediate fraying; long-term, it's gonna have to go back to the factory

.

SinSir · Mar 22, 2020

Here we go..

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...e-thread-behind-the-male-insertion-pin.86432/

zebedee · Mar 22, 2020

SinSir said:
Here we go..

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...e-thread-behind-the-male-insertion-pin.86432/

That is remarkably accomplished. I've also read that gloss varnish (which would sink into the fabric and toughen it) for possibly acrylic paint (which would be absorbed and then dry, 'plasticking' the fabric, which may also work short-term.

Ernest P Shackleton · Mar 22, 2020

There are a couple of things to try here. If a poly blend, you can try to singe the fraying closed. If not that, they have this stuff called fray stop, fray lock, or fray block. All different stuff under similar names. I've used fray block on heavy cordura with decent satisfaction. You could probably use super glue gel as well. If not that sail tape mentioned in that other thread, there is this stuff for outdoor gear called Tenacious Tape. I have a vintage Vietnam field jacket with this problem, and I plan to rebuild the fabric and then use this Tenacious Tape to reinforce that section of fabric before a re-crimp the zipper tip. That tape is tough stuff and should nearly resemble a factory job.

Mr Knight · Mar 22, 2020

I’ve seen this crop up very frequently, I’m assuming this is part of the reason older designs like the Talon hookless utilise rivets on both sides of the zipper bottom to reinforce this area and make tape tearing less of an issue?

zebedee · Mar 22, 2020

I'd definitely pick a zipper next time that wouldn't have this issue, but I know little about zippers.

zebedee · Mar 24, 2020

Ordered some sail tape. I'll cut it to size and then crimp it down with flat pliers. It'd be nice to save the 40 quid or whatever that replacing half a zipper will cost. Still, it's good that it took a decade...

Downunder G Man · Mar 24, 2020

I have used the super glue gel fix quite successfully on a classic 1980's Schott male insertion pin/tape

Will it last another 30+ years ? probably not but it is going well so far.

just be diligent not to "blob" it down the leather at all. I had to "razor blade" the excess from the insertion pin itself. VERY carefully !

Another jacket repair I reglued the female zipper box on a zipper size #M8 RIRI on an Eastman Luftwaffe. Jacket 6 years old at the time.

It just "fell off" one day a couple of winters ago and thankfully I found the zipper puller and the zipper box in the grass

That also still functions well but I am EXTREMELY careful when zipping both of these jackets up now

this is the bit I replaced and used the same gel super glue. A new YKK zipper was going to be $125 Australian !

zebedee · Mar 24, 2020

Any sort of super glue will form a far stronger bond if you file or abrade the surfaces first. It forms a kind of plug.

Downunder G Man · Mar 24, 2020

Yes I used a thin section metal nail file to do that. And again after hardening to get any excess out of the road when inserting the male part of the zipper. It is obviously not as good as a new zipper but a new Talon or RIRI would not be easy to obtain in Australia which is why I went down the self repair DIY route. That and "because I could" type satisfaction.

I also pay particular attention to the zippers on these 2 jackets , and both zippers are well lubricated with Zipper lube roll on stick.

zebedee · Mar 27, 2020

I got the sail tape and cut a strip that would fold over the area where the tape used to be. The adhesive on the tape wasn't strong enough to hold it in place, so I used a small amount of polystyrene cement. This stuff 'melts' plastics together: as the tape is fabric and plastic, it's melted the sail tape into the fabric. Polystyrene cement won't bind leather- it can be brushed off if strands of it hit the hide. When the cement has cured, I'll see how well it holds up. I doubt it'll be long-term, but should be ok for a bit. If it has properly melted the tape and the fabric, it could be super cheap fix.

Downunder G Man · Mar 27, 2020

Cool.
The OEM zipper on my own Blue label Highwayman does appear to "look" a bit weeny compared to others in my jacket collection.
A fair few of the others ( Schott/Vanson/Eastman/Simmons Bilt) have a size M8 and some are even bigger.

zebedee · Mar 27, 2020

Downunder G Man said:
Cool.
The OEM zipper on my own Blue label Highwayman does appear to "look" a bit weeny compared to others in my jacket collection.
A fair few of the others ( Schott/Vanson/Eastman/Simmons Bilt) have a size M8 and some are even bigger.

I must make sure next time to get zippers this can't happen to. It should be possible: it seems a daft problem.

I put a thin coat of acrylic paint over the sail tape and it isn't possible to tell much of a difference between my tinkering and a new zipper. A thin line of polystyrene cement between the tape and the pin (hardened in an hour) and now I'll see how long it lasts. Might be an idea to sail tape over all zipper tape bits on new jackets... I've done this on one of them, so if if it doubles the lifespan of the zipper, I'll post pics in 20 years.

zebedee · Mar 27, 2020

My next project will be rebuilding a frayed bit of zip fabric and seeing if the tape/polystyrene cement/acrylic thing works. I'm certain that sail taping the fabric next to the male pin isn't a bad idea at all, and it isn't noticeable in any way. When it wears through, it can be replaced (on new zips, it doesn't need glue at all- the adhesive sticks fast on to the zip tape).

The best combination has been gorilla glue gel and sail tape on frayed tape. I tamped it down with flat tweezers and it seems to work.

For new zippers, applying a layer of sail tape in advance will delay fraying fairly indefinitely.

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