I would agree with this idea sans the chap stick. Get Salt Away and put it in a spritz bottle. Spritz it maybe once a month or when you think the zipper is starting to get tough to open/close.
Zippers, zippers, zippers
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Seized zippers
There are 2 products I recommend . Isso snap and zipper lube ,and star rite snap and zipper lube. They are both white Teflon based and non staining. Simply apply to the teethe and run the zipper car up and down the teeth a few times . If they are already seized then the other products to free them and you may have to replace the zipper car , which is a simple task.
Cheers Laine
Peninsula Boat tops
There are 2 products I recommend . Isso snap and zipper lube ,and star rite snap and zipper lube. They are both white Teflon based and non staining. Simply apply to the teethe and run the zipper car up and down the teeth a few times . If they are already seized then the other products to free them and you may have to replace the zipper car , which is a simple task.
Cheers Laine
Peninsula Boat tops
As APEX indicates products like WD 40 are for moisture displacement (WD=Water Displacement), and the others are good lubricants, not corrosion inhibitors. I've had good success with LPS No. 3, a true corrosion inhibitor. I use it on my house in the Bahamas which is a few hundred feet from the ocean on the windward side of the island. It sticks like snot and stays put for some time.
An example of WD 40 use is if you drop your shore power cable in the water. Rinse with fresh water then douse it with WD 40. I would still let it sit over night. Everything else? Keep the stuff in your toolbox. It's constantly used for the wrong things.
An example of WD 40 use is if you drop your shore power cable in the water. Rinse with fresh water then douse it with WD 40. I would still let it sit over night. Everything else? Keep the stuff in your toolbox. It's constantly used for the wrong things.
The real solutions...
[FONT="]Try either of these:
[/FONT]
[FONT="]BOSS 02812CL05 820 Pool and Spa Clear Silicone Lubricant, 3-Ounce Tube about $10 -15 (there are other mfg's of similar products available) [/FONT]
[FONT="]OR[/FONT]
[FONT="]Dow Corning Molykote 557 Silicone Dry Film Lubricant Clear Aerosol Can about $20 - 25[/FONT]
[FONT="]Either one will work way better than any of the other solutions mentioned, especially better than white lithium grease which will stain your sails and get all over the place. [/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Candle wax is only good if the candles are made from paraffin or better yet bee’s wax, and even then is only good in the summer months, as it will get hard and flakey and make the zippers just as hard to open as when they are salted up or rusted.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Washing the boat down with a decent bio-degradable soap and fresh water is the best protection, because salt is the real culprit here and even using these products and installing nylon zippers will likely fail prematurely. If a fresh water source is not readily available then you can bring several 5 gallon buckets filled with clean water, and assuming you have electricity available; you can use an inexpensive electric submersible sump pump ($50 – 75). If no electricity is available there are some cheap 12v models available in the $40 – 60 range. This amount of water along with a pump with a rating of 200 – 400 GPH will be adequate for this job, as it only takes me 30 minutes to do a proper wash down of my 30’ boat, as the water is only on for a few minutes to wet the boat down, then about 15 minutes to rinse it off after soaping it up and scrubbing it. This will save the canvas, your lines (dock, anchor & sheets) along with the deck, rails and stanchions, etc…[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]If all else fails you can go find a local marina that will let you tie-up and do a wash-down for only a few bucks… There are no excuses for not properly maintaining you boat.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Try either of these:
[/FONT]
[FONT="]BOSS 02812CL05 820 Pool and Spa Clear Silicone Lubricant, 3-Ounce Tube about $10 -15 (there are other mfg's of similar products available) [/FONT]
[FONT="]OR[/FONT]
[FONT="]Dow Corning Molykote 557 Silicone Dry Film Lubricant Clear Aerosol Can about $20 - 25[/FONT]
[FONT="]Either one will work way better than any of the other solutions mentioned, especially better than white lithium grease which will stain your sails and get all over the place. [/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Candle wax is only good if the candles are made from paraffin or better yet bee’s wax, and even then is only good in the summer months, as it will get hard and flakey and make the zippers just as hard to open as when they are salted up or rusted.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Washing the boat down with a decent bio-degradable soap and fresh water is the best protection, because salt is the real culprit here and even using these products and installing nylon zippers will likely fail prematurely. If a fresh water source is not readily available then you can bring several 5 gallon buckets filled with clean water, and assuming you have electricity available; you can use an inexpensive electric submersible sump pump ($50 – 75). If no electricity is available there are some cheap 12v models available in the $40 – 60 range. This amount of water along with a pump with a rating of 200 – 400 GPH will be adequate for this job, as it only takes me 30 minutes to do a proper wash down of my 30’ boat, as the water is only on for a few minutes to wet the boat down, then about 15 minutes to rinse it off after soaping it up and scrubbing it. This will save the canvas, your lines (dock, anchor & sheets) along with the deck, rails and stanchions, etc…[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]If all else fails you can go find a local marina that will let you tie-up and do a wash-down for only a few bucks… There are no excuses for not properly maintaining you boat.[/FONT]
After cleaning spray on McLube. I love this product as it is a Teflon based dry lube and as a result does not attract dirt, is easy to use and not messy. I give mine 2 to 3 coats on each outside and inside. This is the same lube that I use on all blocks, sail tracks, etc. on my Irwin 31. A bit expensive but it works. Don't waste your hard earned $ on a "wanna be". West Marine carries it.
Best wishes, Merry Christmas and may 2014 be the best sailing year yet for you!
Don't let zippers sit unused
The absolute cheapest solution is unzip and zip every once in a while. The movement, along with a simple lubricant, will keep the salt from gluing the teeth together.
Others have suggested chapstick, Vaseline, candle wax, and commercial zipper lubricants. They will all work but none will help when the zipper has not been opened for years. WS-40 and similar is good for rust, but not zippers and canvas. My father was a dry cleaner and he used bees wax, but that was for clothes, not canvas.
I use the zipper lube sold by Sailrite. One tube appears to be close to a lifetime supply. I am just a coastal sailor and remove and wash my canvas every year after the six or seven month summer season. Never a problem.
To remove existing salt, I would go with warm water with detergent. Do your best to soak it and then use a toothbrush. Give the slide the most attention since once it starts moving, it will help pull the teeth apart. Try using a small syringe available from electronic houses to get the cleaning solution inside the slide - both sides.
if nothing else works, carefully cut the threads holding the zipper and remove the zipper from the canvas. A special purpose tool (seam ripper) is available in any sewing or crafts store and should cost less than $5. A single edge razor blade, used carefully, also works. Soak the zipper in warm, soapy water for a few hours. You will have to replace the zipper anyway, so there is no harm. Almost any sewing machine can be used to reattach the zipper, although one of the Sailrite machines is a lot easier to use.
Smaller zippers are more prone to salt corrosion. If you find you must replace the zippers use a #8 or higher, even on cushions.
The absolute cheapest solution is unzip and zip every once in a while. The movement, along with a simple lubricant, will keep the salt from gluing the teeth together.
Others have suggested chapstick, Vaseline, candle wax, and commercial zipper lubricants. They will all work but none will help when the zipper has not been opened for years. WS-40 and similar is good for rust, but not zippers and canvas. My father was a dry cleaner and he used bees wax, but that was for clothes, not canvas.
I use the zipper lube sold by Sailrite. One tube appears to be close to a lifetime supply. I am just a coastal sailor and remove and wash my canvas every year after the six or seven month summer season. Never a problem.
To remove existing salt, I would go with warm water with detergent. Do your best to soak it and then use a toothbrush. Give the slide the most attention since once it starts moving, it will help pull the teeth apart. Try using a small syringe available from electronic houses to get the cleaning solution inside the slide - both sides.
if nothing else works, carefully cut the threads holding the zipper and remove the zipper from the canvas. A special purpose tool (seam ripper) is available in any sewing or crafts store and should cost less than $5. A single edge razor blade, used carefully, also works. Soak the zipper in warm, soapy water for a few hours. You will have to replace the zipper anyway, so there is no harm. Almost any sewing machine can be used to reattach the zipper, although one of the Sailrite machines is a lot easier to use.
Smaller zippers are more prone to salt corrosion. If you find you must replace the zippers use a #8 or higher, even on cushions.
In the event of a broken zipper or frozen zipper try this:
http://www.fixnzip.com
I've used them (stainless slides) and have found they work great as a quick fix and even a permanent repair. They have a mechanical screw to open the slider - put onto the zipper teeth - snug up and it's done. I always carry a few as spares.
http://www.fixnzip.com
I've used them (stainless slides) and have found they work great as a quick fix and even a permanent repair. They have a mechanical screw to open the slider - put onto the zipper teeth - snug up and it's done. I always carry a few as spares.
I want to thank you all for your input. I purchased some Vaseline today, mainly because it's the only product mentioned that is available here in Bequia, though I will keep an eye out for some others, if I can find them down here. A very special thank you to Chenega; I had no idea that I could replace the slide and it will save me buying a new dive skin, and a few broken zippers on other gear.
I have tried McLube and silicone grease, to no avail, but our travels do put a lot of salt aboard, as it seems we are always beating in 20 to 30 knots. We will try to keep them a bit cleaner w/ fresh water, but as an old timer, even with a water maker, it's very hard to use fresh water liberally aboard a cruising boat (I crossed the Atlantic one trip with 2 adults and a child, with 60 gallons of fresh water; old habits die hard).
So thanks again.
I have tried McLube and silicone grease, to no avail, but our travels do put a lot of salt aboard, as it seems we are always beating in 20 to 30 knots. We will try to keep them a bit cleaner w/ fresh water, but as an old timer, even with a water maker, it's very hard to use fresh water liberally aboard a cruising boat (I crossed the Atlantic one trip with 2 adults and a child, with 60 gallons of fresh water; old habits die hard).
So thanks again.
After scanning through all of the responses, I'll put a vote in for a wax based product. I use paraffin on my cycle leather zippers, my ski bag, and tent zippers- from lubing the first use to restoring a reasonable 'slide' across the teeth. Chapstick, ski wax, a candle in a pinch... If the zipper is seized (like the salted ski bag corroding all summer), I use a penetrating oil to break it free and then back to the wax.
I'm a bit concerned that the heat here in the tropics, especially in the summer, might melt the wax and lessen it's effectiveness. I should be able to get some around here, as they sell local honey, so I'll give it a try when I find some. I used to use lanolin on my bronze turn buckles; perhaps that might also work.
For now, we've packed the functioning ones with Vaseline; we'll see?
