Zipper Repair

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Brodie

Darksider #16 - and Proud of it !
Joined
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Location
--- Milpitas, CA --- San Jose Bay Area
Here is something silly that happened to me over the weekend...

When my buddy Brian (FJRONAMISSION) and I came back from a PGR mission yesterday, I stopped off to get some gas. When I placed my bike on center stand my right pants leg got hooked on the passenger foot rest and damaged it's zipper. Three of it's plastic teeth got pulled off and the zipper started pulling apart. I managed to get home without it getting too far undone, and I was then able to re-link it back together and run the zipper slider back on to the side with the broken teeth.
Note the 3 missing teeth on the bottom run...

IMG_0071.jpg


These are Aerostitch Darien riding pants, so I went on line to see what
https://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/index.htmlRider Wearhouse
https://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/index.htmlhas to offer for a fix. Surprise, They have repair parts for all the fasteners on their suits; snaps, zipper sliders and stops. The only problem is it's raining. It's going to rain monday, and all week.
 
I can't wait for these to come via UPS. My bike is my main transportation, I needed a repair this weekend. After calling various fabric shops I was no closer to obtaining a repair kit. Several suggested I have the zipper replaced.
<_< At $297 for this pair of pants, out of the question! If that were the case I'd send it back to Aerostitch in Duluth Minnesota to be rebuilt.
Sitting in the parking lot of Wally World (they were close by and have a small fabric section) I figured my pants were considered outdoor equipment. Why not try a sporting goods store? Perhaps they have repair parts for items like this. I made a quick call to REI and spoke to the person in back packs and tents. He said the store has a collection of zipper sliders and he may be able to help me out. When I got there he brought out a small parts drawer cabinet with all types of goodies to do repairs. Sure enough, along with several sizes of zipper sliders were two types of sipper stops. At 5¢ each I got several of both types - Big Spender! I also went window shopping and picked up several other items.
Here are the two types of stops...

IMG_0074.jpg


I chose to use the short ones as they looked like the original ones on the zipper. I ended up removing 3 teeth off the other side of the zipper so the two stops would face each other like the two on the end.
IMG_0077.jpg


It worked, the zipper runs down to the stops and will not come undone.The remaining zipper stops now inhabit an obscure pocket in the Darien jacket. Next time I have this problem, I hope I remember where I put the damn things.
:blink:

Brodie

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nice repair. This has happened to me as well; I just got a needle and thread and sewed in a 'stop' where the offending zipper was broken.

 
I too have an Aerostich suit and love it. Mine's ten years old this spring and they still support it with the zipper repair kits for free.

I have one of the sleeve zippers that the tab pulled off. Guess I'll have to make a toll free call.

Your solution makes sense if I don't have time while on the road.

 
My local shoe repair shop will fix a broken slide problem on a zipper (once, the slide broke apart on my riding boot, another time same on the sleeve zipper on my vented jacket) for under $10. When the fly location zipper slide tab pulled off for the upteenth time and was then unrepairable, I used a length of white insulated stranded wire looped through the hole to pull the zipper up/down.

 
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