Zipper

idcwby

idcwby

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2015
Messages
1,258
Location
Idaho
Got a tent with a corroded zipper, the white stuff, they won't let it move. I think it's from being put away wet. I've tried all sorts of break-free, wd-40, letting it soak. I'm out of ideas, anyone have a suggestion?
 
Plastic, aluminum, zinc or powder coated zipper?
"White stuff" tells me aluminum or zinc or alloys thereof.
Assuming Aluminum:
  • latex gloves, safety glasses, two small hobby paint brushes, distilled white vinegar, baking soda, cream of tartar (spice).
  • Prepare a baking soda + water solution
  • Take a cup of distilled white vinegar, dissolve in a teaspoon of cream of tartar (tartaric acid). You might want to mix this by shaking it in a mason jar.
  • Using a small hobby paintbrush, brush the baking soda solution onto the fabric attached to the zipper. This to neutralize the acid you are about to put on the oxidized zipper.
  • Using a different small hobby paint brush, brush the solution onto the oxidized area(s). You really want to be neat and keep the vinegar solution to the metal only. Let is sit, time duration varies. After 30 seconds or so, see if you can move the zipper.
  • Once it has broken free, flood the zipper area with water to wash away the acid.
Zinc zipper:
  • Replace distilled white vinegar and tartaric acid with dilute muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid). When you dilute your muriatic acid, remember to add the acid to cool water.
  • When Hydrochloric acid hits zinc, it creates zinc chloride and releases hydrogen. Not like you're generating enough to be dangerous, but you want to limit the damage to your zinc zipper as much as possible. Work quickly using only enough to break the zipper free, then flood it with water ASAP.
 
P7M13 said:
Plastic, aluminum, zinc or powder coated zipper?
"White stuff" tells me aluminum or zinc or alloys thereof.
Assuming Aluminum:
  • latex gloves, safety glasses, two small hobby paint brushes, distilled white vinegar, baking soda, cream of tartar (spice).
  • Prepare a baking soda + water solution
  • Take a cup of distilled white vinegar, dissolve in a teaspoon of cream of tartar (tartaric acid). You might want to mix this by shaking it in a mason jar.
  • Using a small hobby paintbrush, brush the baking soda solution onto the fabric attached to the zipper. This to neutralize the acid you are about to put on the oxidized zipper.
  • Using a different small hobby paint brush, brush the solution onto the oxidized area(s). You really want to be neat and keep the vinegar solution to the metal only. Let is sit, time duration varies. After 30 seconds or so, see if you can move the zipper.
  • Once it has broken free, flood the zipper area with water to wash away the acid.
Zinc zipper:
  • Replace distilled white vinegar and tartaric acid with dilute muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid). When you dilute your muriatic acid, remember to add the acid to cool water.
  • When Hydrochloric acid hits zinc, it creates zinc chloride and releases hydrogen. Not like you're generating enough to be dangerous, but you want to limit the damage to your zinc zipper as much as possible. Work quickly using only enough to break the zipper free, then flood it with water ASAP.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'll see if I can make it worse or have a working zipper.
 

Recent Posts

Top