zipper corrosion

[wackerb]

Does anyone have a magic potion to restore cheap pot metal zipper sliders that are corroded stuck?

[Paul L]

No gurantee, but this has worked on many zippers that have frozen up on the boat.
Soak for a bit with white vinegar, or spray with saltaway. Even a good water flush helps.
Grab the base of the zipper with a pair of pliers, blunt nose is easier. Do not use the zipper pull.
Hold the zipper so you you can gently twist the zipper base with the pliers on one set of teeth only. Do this till one side of the zipper seems to free up a bit.
Then go to the other set of zipper teeth and twist the body back and forth to break up that side.
Try pulling the zipper body with the pliers back and forth.
If it doesn't move, then start over. Take your time so you don't destroy the zipper and stay away from using the zipper pull.

[blubaju]

Originally Posted by wackerb

Does anyone have a magic potion to restore cheap pot metal zipper sliders that are corroded stuck?

Yes, magic is patience ;-) After the well written procedure I use silicone or even better, ptfe lube, applied with a toothpick, won't harm the cloth. Ptfe lube by WD40 or others

[Alan Mighty]

And if a zip slide disintegrates, then look at: https://www.fixnzip.com/

Should you be lucky enough to have access to Youtube, you'll find several videos that show you PaulL's recommendation and other fixes.

[atoll]

the zipper is easy to replace and can be bought from any sailmakers supply online.
i just requires removing a couple of teeth at one or alternate ends depending if the zip is open or closed type.
then resewing zip together,or a flap on as a stop at one end once the new zipper has been put on.

[svHyLyte]

I have freed "frozen" zipper sliders by dosing them with a few shots of Whink Rust Stain Remover which tends to dissolve the corrosion between the slider and the zipper teeth tho' it may take several applications. That followed by a squirt of penetrating oil worked for me. Once the thing is free, "clean" it with a few blasts of electrical connection cleaner and then dose it with Boeing T-9 lubricant. It also helps to spray a good coating of SailKote on the zipper teeth from time to time.

FWIW...

[JPA Cate]

To me, it depends on the zip. Some, you can coax back into life. For the others, I unpick the stitches that hold them in, and replace with a YKK #5 plastic zip and pull.

However, to be totally honest, I mostly avoid metal zips and metal pulls like the plague.

Ann

[wsmurdoch]

The zippers that cause me the most consternation are the #5 coil zippers. While the coils are plastic, the sliders are inevitably metal, and the metal turns into white dust with the slightest bit of salt water. I can replace the sliders with new metal ones, but it is a pain, and a half inch or more of the coil is lost each time.

I have totally failed to find plastic sliders in the USA for #5 coil zippers. Does anyone know a source?

Bill Murdoch

[GordMay]

Sailrite has "YKK" PLASTIC zipper pulls (sliders)
ie: ☞https://www.sailrite.com/YKK-Slider-...slon-Plastic-5

[wsmurdoch]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Sailrite has "YKK" PLASTIC zipper pulls (sliders)
ie: ☞https://www.sailrite.com/YKK-Slider-...slon-Plastic-5

I believe that slider is for a toothed YKK zipper not a #5 coil zipper.

Bill

[rbk]

Switch to plastic if and when you can and to keep them sliding freely a stick of beeswax rubbed the length keeps them sliding well and stays longer than PTFE and keeps salt water more or less out. Key is multiple applications, not just gobbing it on.

[keepondancin]

Hot white distilled vinegar is a magic elixir for freeing corroded zipper slides. Heat to almost boiling. I use q-tips to saturate the zipper slide and the surrounding area. Keep it hot.

[olaf hart]

Phosphoric acid, (rust converter) dissolves the aluminium oxide corrosion.
Silicone spray lubricates without gumming up.
My sailmaker recently sold me some new stainless sliders as spares, haven’t used them yet but they seem a better option than plastic.