What to do if the zipper on your backpack comes apart?

A backpack is an indispensable accessory that is used by almost all schoolchildren and students. They unzip and fasten it several times a day, sometimes hastily, carelessly, using much more effort than necessary. This often leads to deformation and breakdown of the mechanism: the tongue comes off, the pawl comes off, and the lock links diverge. How to fix a zipper if it comes apart?

Why does the dog “fly away”?

This can happen for the following reasons:

• from repeated and sudden movements, the slider “looses”, its runners, inside which the teeth pass, move apart. In this case, one part of the slider often flies off, and the second remains on the zipper;
• There are no stops at the ends of the backpack lock. Even strong threads wear out over time (low-quality threads simply break) and the seam comes apart. The edge of the tape is released and the slider comes off completely.

If the zipper itself is not damaged, you can put the carriage in place and tighten it.

What can I do to keep the zipper from coming apart?

The lock moves apart if the outer and inner parts of the pawl do not fit tightly enough to each other. To ensure that the slider grips the edges well and secures the connection of the teeth, you need to gently squeeze its sides. This can be done using pliers, working first on one side and then on the other. But in this case, it cannot be guaranteed that both of them will compress equally, since it is almost impossible to accurately calculate the force of impact. As a result It may turn out that on one side the girth of the links will be too tight, and on the other, on the contrary, insufficient. The procedure will have to be repeated, and this is undesirable. Therefore it is better to use another method:

• Place the zipper on the corner of a sturdy table or stool with the open side facing away from you. You can put a wooden block down;
• Use pliers to grab the protruding part of the slider, to which the keychain is attached parallel to the surface;
• hit the pliers with a hammer over the pressing area. The freer the move, the stronger the impact should be (within reasonable limits).

This simple procedure will press both edges simultaneously and evenly.

Important! Before you start fastening, it is advisable to unfasten the lock. If it was not possible to open it completely, connect and fasten the remaining teeth with a hard metal object (scissors, screwdriver).

Minor repairs, as a rule, do not save for long. Soon the carriage becomes unusable and you have to replace it with a new one.

How to properly replace the slider, if necessary?

To do this you should:

1. pick up a new slider. Its number, stamped on the inside, must match the “native” one. If the figure is missing, you will have to compare visually;
2. open the junction of the zipper with the backpack fabric at the beginning of the fastener;
3. lubricate the lock links with paraffin or dry soap and remove the broken slider;
4. put the new pawl on the teeth (if necessary, loosen it a little at the base with a screwdriver);
5. check by fastening and unfastening several times. If necessary, tighten the carriage;
6. secure the end of the zipper with several stitches, creating a limiter so that the slider does not fly out;
7. sew the braid into the fabric of the backpack by hand or using a sewing machine, depending on the thickness of the material. At the stitching site, the teeth should fit perfectly against each other. Threads need to be strong and match the color of the rest of the stitching.

If you have a small problem with the zipper on your favorite backpack, try to fix it yourself. A more serious problem - for example, broken links - will have to be solved by replacing the entire lock. This can be done at home or by entrusting the work to a specialist.