Misaligned Tooth in Dry Suit Zipper

[Bubbletrubble]

make sure when/if you source your own zipper that you get the 8tooth per inch rather than the heavyduty 6 tpi. while you might think heavier duty is better, in practice, the 8 tooth is far more flexible than the 6 and especially in a front zip application the 6 would be more prone to premature failure.

@tregrrr: The link I posted is for a medium-duty 8 pitch (tooth pitch = teeth per inch) drysuit zipper. I think that's the one that bighiller wants to use.
FYI, the Nex-Gen is a back-zip drysuit, but your comment regarding zipper pitch is good advice.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

I sure hope glue will stick to the nexgen fabric because the seals are held on with glue.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I sure hope glue will stick to the nexgen fabric because the seals are held on with glue.

pb-300?

 

[bighiller]

I took some pictures (no card reader at work..) and emailed Bare regarding the type of cement to use.

Will post the pic and measurements tonight when I get home.

Updates-a-coming

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I took some pictures (no card reader at work..) and emailed Bare regarding the type of cement to use.

Good luck with that. Bare will probably tell you that they use magical stuff that's only available in a Bare factory. More specifically, they'll state that they can make no guarantees for any non-Bare branded adhesive and recommend that you send them the suit to have them do the repairs. If they give any recommendations for other adhesives, please share the info. Thanks in advance.

 

[bighiller]

Pictures:

The suit, the zipper, the measurement ("nubb to nubb") and the latex on my neck seal 'melting'(?) This is another aspect of this "project"; to replace the neck seal as well.

I'm pretty sure this would qualify as a 34" zipper. I measured from one nub to the other, but I think people measure the zippers, yes?

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I'm pretty sure this would qualify as a 34" zipper. I measured from one nub to the other, but I think people measure the zippers, yes?

That's how I measured mine. Best to inquire how zipper length is defined from whomever you are purchasing the replacement zipper, eh?

Thanks for the pics. That zipper is toast!

I see that earlier in this thread you reported paying $400CDN for the used suit. How many dives did you do with it before the zipper busted?
This project is going to take time and money. Maybe it would have been better to buy a new, trouble-free suit...with a warranty.

 

[tregrrr]

@tregrrr: The link I posted is for a medium-duty 8 pitch (tooth pitch = teeth per inch) drysuit zipper. I think that's the one that bighiller wants to use.
FYI, the Nex-Gen is a back-zip drysuit, but your comment regarding zipper pitch is good advice.

yeah yer right... I think it was the xd2 that was the black front entry... either way, i know you gave the right link, i just thought that if he saw one that listed a heavier duty zip the temptation might have arisen. Even on a back zip, the 6 tpi tend to come back dead after fewer abuse sessions, errr dives, than the more flexible 8 pitch ones do.

I sure hope glue will stick to the nexgen fabric because the seals are held on with glue.

pb-300?

Yeah I know that the seals are glued on, but with what I never found out. I do know that the times we have cleaned, abraded, cleaned, primed, and glued with any of the standard glues in the shop, the results have been less than stellar. This may be why nexgen suits LIKE to go back to Langley for work. Considering it is only 10-15 miles away, it has never warranted much thought previously

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Yeah I know that the seals are glued on, but with what I never found out. I do know that the times we have cleaned, abraded, cleaned, primed, and glued with any of the standard glues in the shop, the results have been less than stellar. This may be why nexgen suits LIKE to go back to Langley for work. Considering it is only 10-15 miles away, it has never warranted much thought previously

@tregrrr: Is PB-300 a glue that you have tried on the Nex-Gen? The reason I ask is that it's one of the few adhesives that another local diver didn't try when she attempted to re-attach those funky kneepads that are found on the old-version Nex-Gens. She had the DUI factory try to glue them on, but they fell off in a couple of dives. Not surprisingly, the factory cited an incompatibility between the Nex-Gen bilam and the DUI glue.

 

[bighiller]

I did replace some wrist seals on the wife's NexGen with PB-300. Seems to be holding so far (3 dives).