03/07/2020Category: Clothes careAuthor: navseruki
How to quickly and without hassle return to service a jacket on which the zipper has broken and requires repair. Our article will dispel the myths that repairs are either difficult or expensive, because you most likely have all the available materials at home. Go!
- 2 How to repair a zipper on a jacket at the base?
2.1 The stopper with the pin has fallen off, so the lock diverges at the bottom - 2.2 The slider tongue is broken
- 2.3 The slider itself broke
How to fix a zipper on a jacket if it's stuck or too tight
What you definitely shouldn’t do is try to forcefully fasten or unfasten it. This can completely break the lock.
To do this, take a soft simple pencil, a candle or soap. It is enough to run along the inside of the zipper several times with a stylus or other means. After this, the lock will stop jamming. In this case, the used tool acts as a lubricant that reduces friction.
Easily!
Also, the lock on a jacket can get stuck if a piece of fabric gets caught in it. This usually happens on the inside where there is a lining or scarf. You can try moving the slider with gentle up and down movements and pulling the lining to the side to pull out the fabric. If that doesn't work, make a cut in the lining. The last option is to carefully release the slider clamps, and then just as carefully tighten them. But in this case you can break the lock, so be extremely careful!
Gently pull to the side
How the lock works
Zipper works like this:
- The runner, attached to one side of the braid and moving freely along it, combines the teeth as it moves.
- The teeth “fit” into opposite recesses, ensuring the connection of two parts of clothing.
- Locking elements - pins, limiters - prevent the dog from flying out. Some species have small spines and indentations on the dog itself. They are needed for fixation. That is, the dog needs to be slightly pressed into the recesses with the spikes so that it does not move away and does not allow the braid to diverge.
That is, two pieces of clothing are connected thanks to the work of a dog, the tongue of which holds the teeth together.
It is logical to assume that metal locks are more reliable and last longer than plastic ones. But in any case, if any element breaks, it needs to be repaired.
How to repair a zipper on a jacket at the base?
The stopper with the pin has fallen off, so the lock diverges at the bottom
To do this, you need to make a through hole in the fabric, put a pin on the glue and secure it. Instead of a pin, you can use a cocktail tube: flatten it several times and insert a piece in place of the pin, securing it with glue.
Let's fix it!
The slider tongue is broken
It is enough to replace it with improvised means: a pin, a paper clip or any metal ring. They are inserted into the hole and used like a regular slider. This, of course, does not look very aesthetically pleasing, but it will help solve the problem with the fastener for a while.
Quick tongue replacement
The slider itself is broken
Then it must be replaced with a new one. It is inexpensive and sold in any sewing store. To install the slider you will need a thick needle or scissors. You need to slightly unclench it on one side, install it on the zipper and squeeze it.
Next, you can watch the video How to replace the slider yourself at home
Different variants
Replacing the slider at home
To correctly replace the old slider with a new one if the zipper comes apart, you must follow this procedure:
- Remove the broken slider. To do this, you need to use a needle or awl, with which you disconnect the metal retainer.
- On the new dog, push the edges a little further. It is important not to use too much force to avoid breaking the clasp.
- Install a new zipper pawl. After this, lightly pinch the attached edge using pliers.
Stainless steel and hard plastic are the best materials for zippers; they tolerate various weather and temperature conditions well, and are also resistant to medium loads.
Remove the broken slider
On the new dog, push the edges
Install a new zipper pawl
What to do if lightning diverges
Metal zippers most often come apart due to broken teeth or a weakened slider.
If the zipper splits in the middle of the jacket, it means the teeth are damaged. Perhaps the lock was pulled too hard when fastening it. If the teeth do not come off, place the jacket on a flat surface and lightly tap on both sides of the teeth.
Carefully!
restore the operation of a plastic zipper in this way: you need to unfasten the fastener, moisten its teeth with an alcohol solution of rosin (soldering flux is a ready-made product) and let it dry for two hours. Ready!
If your husband solders, then no problem! He definitely has this thing!
What types of link fasteners are there?
Few people probably know, but zipper elements also have “serious” scientific names. So, the fastener itself is called a zipper, a zipper, or a snake. The components are elements such as a puller (tongue), slider (the part that is designed to connect the links, also commonly called a pawl or slider), links (teeth), upper and lower stops (locking elements).
If you look closely, the snakes differ from each other in appearance.
Tractor lightning - based on the name, resembles a tractor caterpillar. The free-standing teeth on the base are rounded and, when fastened, resemble a wave.
At first glance, a twisted zipper has teeth that are spaced more often. The design is a spiral attached to a braid. It is positioned in such a way that the spiral forms protrusions that will cling to the opposite ones.
Depending on the material used, zippers can be made of plastic or metal.
This information will be useful when you need to repair the zipper on the jacket at the base, or if the slider or tooth breaks.
What to do if one or more teeth come off?
You can try rearranging the teeth yourself. This requires a different zipper or new teeth. You can buy them in sewing stores. Rearrange them with tweezers and small scissors. You need to carefully open the clove, place it in the right place and press it again. The lightning will not disperse.
An example of replacing a clove with improvised means
If the zipper opens at the bottom, the slider is most likely worn out. It does not secure the clasp. In this case of failure, ordinary pliers will help. They need to lightly press the slider. You just need to be careful not to break the slider itself when the pressure increases. If this happens, the slider will need to be replaced with a new one. If you don't have pliers on hand, you can lightly tap the slider with a hammer or other object.
Very cool video!
Fork
It also happens that the fastener pops out of the zipper. In this situation, a simple fork will come to the rescue. Take a cutlery with four prongs, place it on the table and secure it well, for example, weigh it down with a heavy book.
Place the slider on the second and third tines of the fork. Insert the zipper, pull the clasp, remove the plug and close the entire length of the zipper. If necessary, pinch the fastener with pliers to prevent it from falling out again.
If the bottom is frayed: repairing the zipper using a cocktail straw and other options
If the tip of the lock is frayed, the latch will constantly pop out. Then repairing our zipper using a regular plastic cocktail straw will help us. The frayed edge must be cut off, the edges must be melted over the fire of a candle or lighter and flattened. Cut a piece of straw about 1 cm long and place it in place of the latch. Heat and flatten with pliers.
Video from China, but still everything is clear
If you need to repair the edge, but there is no straw at hand, you can apply any instant glue to the place of the fastener, wait until it dries, and use a nail file or file to give it the desired shape.
Letter designations
On the sliders, next to the digital markings, there may be letter designations. The letters encode brief information about the functional features of the fasteners.
"A"
The symbol means that this is a permanent connection.
"B"
The alphabetic code means that this is a detachable snake with one lock.
"C"
The “C” sign is a detachable model with two locks.
"D"
The clasp marked “D” has 2 slots and 2 locks.
"H"
The zipper marked “H” is one-piece, with two locks.
"L"
The letter "L" indicates a one-piece clasp with one lock.
"X"
Identification feature: one-piece cast, with two sliders.
Lightning came off
If, due to careless fastening, the zipper has partially come off the jacket, it simply needs to be sewn on by hand with thick threads. If the zipper comes off over a large gap, it would be more careful to sew it on with a machine
Sew on a zipper
Tips for moms:
Some mothers recommend sewing on a new zipper without removing the broken one. In this case, you need to sew the new lock as close as possible to the old one. The option is not the best, but it will work for street clothes for nimble boys.
Pin
Everyone knows the situation when the lock tongue breaks and it becomes difficult to fasten the zipper: there is nothing to pull to move the “pawl”.
Take a pin and insert it where the slider used to be. It doesn't look very elegant, but you can open and close the zipper without any difficulty. Subsequently, you should purchase a new slider.
Historical reference
The author of the idea of the zipper lock is considered to be the American W. Judson. The first prototype, born in 1883, was so unreliable and difficult to manufacture that the entrepreneur almost went bankrupt.
Having received a stream of complaints, Judson decided to take on partners, including an engineer of Swedish origin.
- Many lock design options were tested, several production technologies were put forward, and this process lasted until 1913, when an acceptable solution was finally found.
- However, the market, which well remembered the initial failure of the idea, treated the castle with great distrust, which is why the product sold very poorly.
It was only in 1923 that the lock, which had proven itself in practice, became widespread.
