How to Replace a Zipper in a Jacket

[mikesmith648]

Thanks for the tutorial. It made sense to me!

[Northmount]

I don't know if the last post was regarding my question - I wasn't asking about changing the slider, I was asking about clarification on installing a whole zipper and the instructions in the PDF. Namely what it meant by pulling the end of the jacket away from the zipper when installing it; as well as what kind of sewing machine needle was needed for sewing on leather?

It was some general information that could save people extra effort or expense having to replace a zipper, not an attempt to answer your specific questions. Sorry if it appeared that way.

Tom

[stargazer1682]

I thought that might have been the case, but I wasn't sure. I looked at earlier posts and didn't see anything else they might have been referring to, and came so quickly after my first post, I wanted to make sure there wasn't any confusion.

Thanks

[broncobuster]

I can help you answer anything you didnt understand or question. as i did the tutorial. depending on how thick the coat is will depend on machine you use. the biker coat im doing here is done on a heavy duty machine--upholstry machine. my machine is an ANKER which is similar to the singer 31-15. mine is not a walking foot but it work for me. a walking foot would be better.

[wlg190861]

nice tutorial Bonnie

[Rahere]

Zippers come in two types, toothed and chain: the chain type resembles a looped wire. Some types are reversible, ie a slider can work pointing in either direction, so something like a bag can take two sliders each with a half-hasp allowing a padlock, for example. There are also locks with a tooth engaging in the zipper, running from simple stops to full key locks. These are pretty much limited to the #5 size, although I have seen some for the #10, they're really scarce. The # is the width of the closed zipper, in mm.

There's ambiguity over the definition of open and closed zippers. I'll start from continuous roll zipper, which is cut to length. If the entire thing is  to be separable, then the bottom end tags are the tongue and housing, which go over the teeth or replace them, otherwise it's a staple tag holding the engaged teeth closed. The top end will usually have a separate stop tab crimped over a tooth on each side, but if you're using a slider coming from each end, then it may be the same as a closed bottom end. Teeth outside the tags are usually cut away. Made-up zippers are simply this done for you, so it may be possible to remove the top tags and move them slightly lower, if you need to shorten a zipper that's too long.

YKK make the widest range available, including the different locking sliders. To go into this in greater depth, https://www.ykkfastening.com/products/zipper/

Edited September 30, 2020 by Rahere

[Myz]

What a great tutorial. Lot of work in that one. Nice tip about the 3 in 1 oil. Will defo do this.

Thank you.

Edited October 28, 2020 by Myz

[Zack00]

Thank you, Bonnie! 

[RudolfNL]

On 11/23/2009 at 8:25 PM, Johanna said:

I asked Bonnie to put together a tutorial of how to replace a zipper in a jacket, and she put this together to share with you. Bonnie lives in a cold state, and is friends with hundreds (thousands?) of bikers. If you have ever ridden a bike, you know how important your leathers are- and if your zipper breaks, well, you'll do anything to please the Zipper Queen, as it should be.

We all really appreciate the time you took to do this great zipper tutorial, and hope to see many more from you now.

Thanks, Bonnie!

~J

zipperqueenLW.pdf 576.67 kB · 4,088 downloads

zipperqueenLW.pdf 576.67 kB · 4,088 downloads

useful links, thank you

[Dwight]

I didn't have any problem at all with the video . . . I just never have caught the knack of double sided tape . . . it's on me . . . inside. . . outside . . . paper won't come off . . . arrrrggghhhhhhh.

I use contact cement . . . put on with a plumber's brush . . . sometimes it takes two coats . . . one fills the pores then the other coat does the stickin' stuff.

Just the way I do it . . . not that it is any better . . . just how I learned.

May God bless,

Dwight