Stuck Zip

J

Jodel

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One of the zips on my spray hood is refusing to budge. It's a metal slide on plastic teeth. I suspect, since it sat on the hard from September '19 until I bought it last May, it hasn't been used for 2 years or more.
Working on the premises that the metal has probably corroded and the corrosion has caused the jam can anyone suggest a way of getting it moving again?
 
Jodel said:
One of the zips on my spray hood is refusing to budge. It's a metal slide on plastic teeth. I suspect, since it sat on the hard from September '19 until I bought it last May, it hasn't been used for 2 years or more.
Working on the premises that the metal has probably corroded and the corrosion has caused the jam can anyone suggest a way of getting it moving again?
Click to expand...


I have had a similar problem on lifejacket zips and strap buckles on seat pads. Where there is a white deposit visible I have made a solution of Calgon and dabbed it on the sliders and after a while they come free.. Possible salt deposits from the atmosphere and spray.
 
Jodel said:
One of the zips on my spray hood is refusing to budge. It's a metal slide on plastic teeth. I suspect, since it sat on the hard from September '19 until I bought it last May, it hasn't been used for 2 years or more.
Working on the premises that the metal has probably corroded and the corrosion has caused the jam can anyone suggest a way of getting it moving again?
Click to expand...
Take your time, It isn't like having a zip on your flies stick.
 
As mentioned the sliders are replaceable - people like Bainbridge sell zips by the metre without sliders - which you buy separately (specially for long sail bags, cover for the main and biminis and the like. many of the sliders are aluminium - and corrode. I use a lot of patience WD40 and find that with time they do respond to insults :)

Jonathan
 
After ruining many, many zips over 40 years, I now use a small amount of brick acid to dissolve the white deposits. Having done that, the zip works fine, and as already mentioned I then use silicone spray or bees wax to lubricate it.
 
Brick acid?!! On an expensive to replace spray hood zip. Really?

Start with a kettle of just boiled water, wait, work the zip VERY GENTLY INDEED, and repeat until it frees.

I left a kit back in the garage for 18 months with a stuck zip. It had thin cheap zips and the boiling water trick worked very well indeed
 
PabloPicasso said:
Brick acid?!! On an expensive to replace spray hood zip. Really?

Start with a kettle of just boiled water, wait, work the zip VERY GENTLY INDEED, and repeat until it frees.

I left a kit back in the garage for 18 months with a stuck zip. It had thin cheap zips and the boiling water trick worked very well indeed
Click to expand...
Works for me. But up to you how you deal with the problem.
 
PabloPicasso said:
Brick acid?!! On an expensive to replace spray hood zip. Really?

Start with a kettle of just boiled water, wait, work the zip VERY GENTLY INDEED, and repeat until it frees.

I left a kit back in the garage for 18 months with a stuck zip. It had thin cheap zips and the boiling water trick worked very well indeed
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm with you on this. A bit of patience with non-hazardous products usually does the trick. No need for acid, fire, angle grinders etc..
 
Whole variety of household bathroom descalers available decanted into a small glass jar like those for deserts and then applies with a cotton bud works eventually where you have a zip you need to undo to take canvas work off. The most prone to sticking in my experience are for the plastics windows on front of spray hood as in Uk at least they don’t get opened much . I guess the solution might be to open zips regularly but also to wash down with freshwater more often as well .
 
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