0
There no items in your cart.
Checkout
MJTRENDS
Forum
newbie

Proper zippers for Latex work.

Posted by Anthony Canney on: Aug 10th 2011 4:34:57 pm

I have dabled in latex on and off for a little while but have just raninto my first project where i needed to insert a zipper.

There seems to be conflicting information regarding what works best and how to best apply them. I have seen on here that "Any type of zipper will work" while most other sites suggest only COTTON zippers will properly wick to the latex glue. 

However cotton zippers with plastic teeth or coils seem like an nonexistant beast from beyond. Everyone peaches there use but no one can point out where they come from.  I have even been suggested to go thirft shopping and take a zipper from a dress. But most of these zippers are narrow and have small metal teeth that will surely bust if inserted in the back of pants.

I went ahead and made my pants using a polyester zipper. I folded all the proper steps: applying glue to the zipper on both sides, alllowing it to dry, glusing the latex, applything the zipper to the latex and applying another piece of latex to the back for extra support. After 4 days of setting up it seemed like a fantastic bond. it was secure and could take stretch quite easily.  I put them on and they fit great. Wore them for a while, sat and and spread my legs and  then i see that the zipper is pulling from the crotch. I removed them and low and behold I could fairly easily pull the zipper right off from between the latex.

It\'s said that a proper bond is permanant, and that if a zipper does bust you just cut the teeth off and glue a new zipper under or over the old. So obviosuly something is wrong, either the step i took, or the zipper i used. 

2

Response by: Michael, December 6th 2011 7:11:11 pm

What type of glue did you use?  After you applied a few coats of glue to the zippers tape, did you notice that it was impossible to remove?

If you are doing it right you should be applying several coats of glue to the zipper tape, and that bond is indestructable.  I\'ve used polyester zippers with no problems, although I would think that cotton would be best.

After you have "rubberized" the zipper, you can then glue it to your latex garment.  That bond will be as strong as any seam.

Response by: Steve F, March 11th 2013 9:42:59 am

It is absolutely critical that the zippers fabric is totally impregnated with latex or it will come out of the garment.  Use thinned solvent cement to enhance wicking, apply very liberally and several coats, finish with unthinned cement.  Some also glue and  sew on a latex strip, but in my experience that is overkill.  I have also heard of using "liquid latex" as a treatment, but have not tried it myself.  In my (not so) humble opinion, zippers should only be used in low stress locations: after all latex does stretch about 700%.