zip repair / replacement

oGaryo

oGaryo

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Hi, I've got a problem in that the zips on my camper cover have been damaged through salt erosion of the metal parts.. the rear infil panel and the side window (half) zips are fine as they've been stored in a plastic bag and are as new... zips that are damaged are where the windows and rear infill attach to the main canopy.

I presume a repiar of the zip isn't possible because the metal end pieces are shot so I think I'm looking at finding a good canvas repair shop to sew in new zips.

Has anyone had similar work done and can point me in the direction of someone that won't do a bodge job.

The zips are approximately 5.5ft in length.

I have photo's I can post up if that helps.

cheers Gary
 
Here's a couple of shots.. one of the cover showing the three zips around the canvas and one example of the damage.. the 4th zip is the stowage cover for when the canopy is stowed around the frame. I'be been quoted £95 to replace all 4 zips so far, that includes the 3 good halfs on the windows and infil.. (the whole zip needs replacing on the stowage cover)

cheers
 
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If you have access to a good domestic sewing machine it's easy to DIY. Zips btainable fro Kayospruce or Pointnorth. Remove the old zip, position the new zip with double sided tape, and sew in position. Use Bonded Polyester Thread(it's UV resistant), all materials obtainable from the above two companies.
http://www.profabrics.co.uk/
http://www.kayospruce.com/

Good Luck!

You could fit larger size zips, which are larger & stronger then the coil zip you show. They have a stronger 'puller' which won't suffer from corrosion.
 
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M33 said:
If you have access to a good domestic sewing machine it's easy to DIY. Zips btainable fro Kayospruce or Pointnorth. Remove the old zip, position the new zip with double sided tape, and sew in position. Use Bonded Polyester Thread(it's UV resistant), all materials obtainable from the above two companies.
http://www.profabrics.co.uk/
http://www.kayospruce.com/

Good Luck!

You could fit larger size zips, which are larger & stronger then the coil zip you show. They have a stronger 'puller' which won't suffer from corrosion.
Click to expand...

now that is great advice... I reckon this is what I'll do as I much prefer to get jobs done myself whenever possible.. thanks very much :)
 
oGaryo said:
now that is great advice... I reckon this is what I'll do as I much prefer to get jobs done myself whenever possible.. thanks very much :)
Click to expand...

zips are on the way.. ordered some 10mm Moulded Plastic zips and some size 10 plastic sliders to replace the metal one's that come as standard. Received a big bobbin of red bonded poly thread on Friday and I should be picking up a sewing machine off fleabay with zip foot tomorrow.. Will hopefully have the canopy sored by the weekend after having a crash course on how to use a sewing machine ;)
 
The sewing is easy . . .






. . . . It's setting up the machine correctly that is the problem. :rolleyes:

Get advice for the supplier of the zips, tellthem what the material is & ask if you need a special needle (some materials require "ballpoint" needles that separate the warp & weft rather than piercing the threads). Get some spare material & an old zip & have a play. Your sewing m/c handbook will tell you if the upper or lower tension is too tight or too slack from the appearance of the stiches. If you have no handbook try gooling for info. It will save a lot of heartache, tangles & broken thread.
 
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Searush said:
The sewing is easy . . .






. . . . It's setting up the machine correctly that is the problem. :rolleyes:

Get advice for the supplier of the zips, tellthem what the material is & ask if you need a special needle (some materials require "ballpoint" needles that separate the warp & weft rather than piercing the threads). Get some spare material & an old zip & have a play. Your sewing m/c handbook will tell you if the upper or lower tension is too tight or too slack from the appearance of the stiches. If you have no handbook try gooling for info. It will save a lot of heartache, tangles & broken thread.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice... I've done exactly as advsed, checked the material type (canvas), manufacturers instruction manual for the machine and googled several articles and all tend to agree that I should nervous, very nervous... I can mend cars, even fix fly by wire aircraft but this sewing malarky fills me with dread. practice failing on an old rag certainly seems good advice
 
Just go through all the settings one by one, foot tension for that cloth thickness, needle size & type for thread & material, upper & lower thread tensions. Stitch length (measure existing) & style (probably just straight - copy existing)

Then run a simple test piece. Assuming no thread or needle breaks, the thread top & bottom should be nice & even, no big loops or "barber's beards". It can help to use two contrasting thread colours to see if any of the lower thread shows through at the top (& vice versa). Make adjustments to compensate & test again.

Leave long ends at start and finish for tying off & if you can, use the reverse button at the start & end of a run to double back the stitching & minimise the risk of stitches unravelling.

Oh, & don't plan to do anything else that day so you have LOADS of time to faff about until it is absolutely right. Once it is set up correctly, the sewing will be simple. If SWMBO, or someone you know, does a bit of sewing persuade them to come & train you up - you may get them to do it for you, but you won't learn anything then.

Oh, I nearly forgot, your test material needs to be the same as your workpiece or the settings will all be different.
 
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thanks again for the advice... and blimey, that was easier than expected SO FAR :)

awaiting the arrival of another zip foot as it appears I need a high shank one not a low shank universal thingamybobamawatchamacallit that fits all machines EXCEPT MINE ;) apparently the machine I've picked up is semi-industrial so it can sew multiple layers of canvas and therefore the foot I got from the shop down the road being a low shank foot wont reach the plate when lowered as it's too short.

Anyways, did all the threading of bobbins / needles (size 16) and setting to none zig zag with a spacing of 2 and all the other blah blah blah stuff it tells you to do in the manual.. gave it a whirl and I have perfect stitches to a canvas material both sides. very promising for a decent job when I get around to doing the canopy and I swear me man boobs have grown another inch in the process, having 'nearly' mastered a womanly art ;)
 
Great, well done. That's a good sign that the machine you have is a good one & well serviced. The sewing is easy & pretty quick once it is all set up.

Don't forget to start the seam about an inch in & use the reverse button to sew to the end of the material & then release the reverse to sew the whole seam & reverse back over the last inch.

Always leave decent ends for tying off. If a thread breaks or runs out simply replace or rethread it & go back about an inch or so over the end of the seam. Tie off all ends & the seams will never unravel.
 
a little update on this.. firstly, thanks for all the great advice, however, I bottled it in the end after getting the needle stuck in the plastic lining one too many times.. seems I could sew pure canvas but canvas + plastic was too much and the needle would just jam.. took all the covers to a local seamstress and she's just returned the canopy with all 4 zips replaced and it looks great.. the moulded plastic teeth are by far better than the coil one's replaced.

So, from the perspective of having a canopy to hide under, the boat's ready for some winter playtime.. :)
 
Sailmaking next!! But that's another learning process; but keep your needlework skill going, making all sorts of covers for tillers etc, Halyard tidybags - the world's your oyster now!!

ianat182
 
“Children and zip fasteners do not respond to force, except occasionally”. Well, that was according to Katharine Whitehorn in 1970. Who?

Yep, its Christmas present time again and that useful observation came from The Little Book of Humorous Quotations that I found at the bottom of my Christmas stocking.

73s de

Johnth

Oh, Happy New Year when it comes
 
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