Glue Seems?

[Passionphish]

I read somewhere that you can glue your seems. I have a nylon jacket I want to put some zippers in. I can't find the blog or article or whatever I was reading. But I would really love to glue the zippers in rather than sew them. Any ideas?

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

I suggest you go to a fabric store with your jacket and ask them what product is best. Help finding a fabric store near you:
Hancock fabric store locator (http://www.hancockfabrics.com/storelocator/storeandclasslocator.jsp)
JoAnn Fabric store locator (http://www.joann.com/joann/store_locator/locator_main.jsp;jsessionid=X14MPYPTOFVGUP4SY5DVAF J50LD3OUPU)

[take-a-knee]

I've seen clothing advertised as having "welded" (heat fused?) seams, I wouldn't think this is something you can do at home. They still sew parachutes, that might indicate something. Sewing, especially sewing quickly, is highly skilled work, highly skilled often means well paid employees. Businessmen don't like well paid employees.

[CoyoteWhips]

Sewing, especially sewing quickly, is highly skilled work, highly skilled often means well paid employees. Businessmen don't like well paid employees.

Nobody who sews mass market clothing for a living makes a lot of money. That's what they do in sweat shops.

[Passionphish]

I just want to know if this can be done and how. I have read that there are products for the home sewer. I just can't find the article anymore.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

I just want to know if this can be done and how. I have read that there are products for the home sewer. I just can't find the article anymore.Without seeing your jacket and determining if the location and fabric backing on your zipper are appropriate for this technique, I'd be afraid to make a suggestion. That's why I recommend you take the jacket to someone who is familiar with these products and their properties. In some cases, the amount of tugging the zipper would experience because of its location would make this sort of seam substitute unworkable.

[Passionphish]

Oh... Thanks FD... I hadn't thought of that limitation.. I'm wanting to install pit zips. Both the zippers and the jacket are ripstop nylon. I can't imagine a rougher seem... I hope I'm wrong about that... What do you think?

[wrongway_08]

I would sew it.

I was tryn to avoid it on my jacket/pack cover creation but it turned out not to be a good idea - even when using the "super strong" meant for nylon fabric glue, the seam would seperate when stressed at side angles.

On something like a zipper on zip pits, there is a lot of stress. Unless you use the heat seal method mentioned ealier, I would use a sewing machine.

I ended up just sewing it and then applyn the seam glue over that - worked great.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Putting in a zipper isn't all that hard (http://www.ehow.com/how_14842_zipper.html). There is a special foot (that thing that holds the two pieces of fabric while you sew) for zippers - it is open on one side so you can stitch real close. Getting the second side of the zipper in a sleeve will be tricky because of the limited room in the sleeve. Just take your time.

[Passionphish]

Thanks Guys... I'll just sew it. Thanks for the link FD!!!!!!!

[take-a-knee]

Nobody who sews mass market clothing for a living makes a lot of money. That's what they do in sweat shops.

Outdoor gear wasn't always "mass market". The North Face used to pay US employees a high hourly wage, once upon a time so did Levi Strauss. A few companies like Kifaru still pay "honest" wages, their stuff costs more, as you may expect. I don't know what the people who sew for Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering get paid, but it must be enough to live on...in the US.

[LIhikers]

You might be able to "glue" the zipper in to hold it in place while you sew it, but I wouldn't count on it as a replacement for sewing it in.