zipper help

**Dutch** · 10-11-2009, 03:21

I am making an HH clone. Someone amazingly found eight 20 foot seperating zippers for me. I have made a pattern of the bugnet/top cover and it is time to sew. I think it is best to sew each half of the zipper on while seperated. I do have a fear things won't line up in the end. The other option is to sew it while the zipper is attached however that sounds more difficult. I guess I will have to sew through and opening in the zipper. Can anybody with experience here put me on the path to success?

**2Questions** · 10-11-2009, 06:26

Originally Posted by Dutch

I think it is best to sew each half of the zipper on while seperated. I do have a fear things won't line up in the end.

ZQ suggests you keep the zipper together.....or things may not line up in the end! Sew one side onto the hammock and pin the other side before you sew it so things definitely line up.

**MacEntyre** · 10-11-2009, 06:41

Originally Posted by Dutch

I am making an HH clone.

Not if it has a bugnet zipper...

I bet you're not installing a BEEP either... and you're probably going to insulate it with goose feathers or a KAQ.

That's not a Hennessey; that's a Heresy!

**Ramblinrev** · 10-11-2009, 08:36

You have a couple of options. Having things line up properly is the critical part. That can be done three ways I can think of-

1) very careful measurements and sewing the zipper separated. (least recommended in my book.)

2) sewing the zipper on together with a side pinned carefully all the way along. (Probably the safest.. but not easiest in my book.)

3) Sew the side with the attached slider on by itself. Put the zipper together and zip it up an inch or four. Enough to ake sure every thing will stay together and align properly. Pin and stitch that section. Separate the zipper and finish sewing the rest of the second side . (That's the way I think I would do it.)

**MacEntyre** · 10-11-2009, 08:44

The few times I have sewn a zipper, with help from my friend the professional canvas stitcher, he managed to install the slider so that the zipper was closed on both sides of the slider. We have always stitched on a zipper with both sides connected full length.

**Dutch** · 10-11-2009, 15:11

Thanks for the advise I am in the dyeing process now and will start to sew this week. No it isn't a beep. I already have 2 HHs with ZQ's zippers and i can't compete with her quaility.

Next question- The said zippers have only a single pull so i added on a slider and they are facing each other so I can open it either way BB style. The only problem is that the metal straight part to start and diconnect the zipper is only long enough for 1 slider. I am still able to get it to work by taking the added slider off the other end, but it is awkward at best to put it on. So I was thinking of filing off some of the first teethe of the zipper by the strait edge and mold them with and epoxy to replicate a longer straight edge. Zippers can be so finicky though. Does anybody have any advice or experience with this?

I have read and learned more about zippers this week than I every thought was possible.

**Ramblinrev** · 10-11-2009, 15:23

Originally Posted by Dutch

I am still able to get it to work by taking the added slider off the other end, but it is awkward at best to put it on. So I was thinking of filing off some of the first teethe of the zipper by the strait edge and mold them with and epoxy to replicate a longer straight edge. Zippers can be so finicky though. Does anybody have any advice or experience with this?.

Ummm..... I think a "good luck" and "hope you have extras" is in order. I'm trying to picture this. Double slider seperating zippers have the sliders arranged so the engaged teeth are together between the sliders. IOW when the sliders are together the zipper is open either from the top or the bottom. look at the zipper for a long parka and you will see what I mean. If you want to do the opposite the curve of the sliders will work against you. If you want to stack the sliders (rather than have them facing different directions) you will not be able to engage the "flat" section into both sliders because the small end of the slider would be against the curved end of the slider. You can try it.... but I hope you have extras zippers cause I think you are going to trash the one you are working on. I could be wrong. Maybe I just don't visualize what you have in mind. A pic would be helpful.

Edit: re-reading your post I think you will find it impossible to run a solid straight piece through the two sliders. Plus.. in order to separate the zipper you will need to have the zipper separated which means one slider won't move because you can't compress the teeth together with the short end of the slider. You can do that somewhat with a coil zipper although it is kind of a pain in the tookus. I think you may be stuck either with a single slider or not being able to really separate the zippers which defeats the intent of the project.

If you are a really good machinist you _might_ be able to fashion the other end as a separating zipper also. But I know I would not be able to accomplish such a feat.

**Dutch** · 10-11-2009, 15:54

Originally Posted by Ramblinrev

Ummm..... I think a "good luck" and "hope you have extras" is in order. I'm trying to picture this. Double slider seperating zippers have the sliders arranged so the engaged teeth are together between the sliders. IOW when the sliders are together the zipper is open either from the top or the bottom. look at the zipper for a long parka and you will see what I mean. If you want to do the opposite the curve of the sliders will work against you. If you want to stack the sliders (rather than have them facing different directions) you will not be able to engage the "flat" section into both sliders because the small end of the slider would be against the curved end of the slider. You can try it.... but I hope you have extras zippers cause I think you are going to trash the one you are working on. I could be wrong. Maybe I just don't visualize what you have in mind. A pic would be helpful.

Edit: re-reading your post I think you will find it impossible to run a solid straight piece through the two sliders. Plus.. in order to separate the zipper you will need to have the zipper separated which means one slider won't move because you can't compress the teeth together with the short end of the slider. You can do that somewhat with a coil zipper although it is kind of a pain in the tookus. I think you may be stuck either with a single slider or not being able to really separate the zippers which defeats the intent of the project.

If you are a really good machinist you _might_ be able to fashion the other end as a separating zipper also. But I know I would not be able to accomplish such a feat.

You are helping me run it though my head. The open part is between the sliders. So if i ever did get the straight end piece extended I would still be stuck since everything behind the zipper would be closed. So I have to make it easier to get the slider on the other end to accept the zipper. I am thinking of removing the teeth (half of the teeth) for about 3/4 of an inch. Then apply a hard apoxy and file it down to be the shape of the normal starter peice on the other end. The slider would have to come off both halves but that is the way it is now. I couldn't personally make a metal one and crimp it on but I think I know someone who might if all else fails. Luckily I have eight 20 foot zippers so I have room for error. I also have the ends that get cut off to play and experiment with. If it were easy it would be have been done already. I hope to be able to show you at the hang.

**Ramblinrev** · 10-11-2009, 16:05

What you actually have is 2 flat pieces. One on each side. The flat pieces are long to keep the teeth _just_ above the tip of the fastening wedge. As I look at it, the machining need not be terrible precise I don't think. But the length is critical.

Try this... oif you can visualize what I am suggesting..

Take the ends that have been cut off. File off the teeth so you have just the crimped part of the tooth left on the zipper tape. Then see if the concept appears to work. You can fill the spaces between the ground down teeth with epoxy to stabilize them and machine them down properly. Get a trash zipper from some where and salvage the end stop from it to crimp onto the end of the zipper tape. The more I think about this the more realistic it might become. Have fun.

**warbonnetguy** · 10-11-2009, 19:33

i sew zippers with the two halves seperated. you just have to make sure the end of the second piece ends even with the end of the first piece, and try to consiously apply the same handling/tension/lack of tension when sewing the second half. i usually start looking at wether i need to stretch or bunch the second half once i get 3-4' from the end. some folks will also use a middle mark on each half that they will try and line up as well, but i've always just made sure it lined up at the end and have been fine.

keeping them together to me seems more difficult to sew and you still have to make sure both zipper sides end in the same place, just because they are joined it doesn't mean they will both end at the same place.