Saturday, January 29, 2011

Using end stop crimps to shorten a zipper

tutorial by Saeru

Shortening a #30 zipper is easy and straightforward to do.

For materials, I recommend:

- a strong pair of sharp scissors (We use Cutco brand shears, but a much more affordable alternative is Erdi snips)
- a bottle of fray check (you can purchase this anywhere that sells craft supplies, even wal-mart. However, white glue will do in a pinch)
- 2 end crimps
- a pair of needle-nose pliers


To start with, always shorten a zipper from the top. This will allow you to keep the bottom stop or insert intact. Know exactly how long you want the zipper to be before you place it in your garment or project, and then measure up from the bottom of the zipper. Make a mark on both sides of the zipper tape at this point, then make certain the zipper slider and pull that you intend to use is on the zipper below where you intend to shorten

Cut a straight, even line across the zipper tape, aiming between two zipper teeth. Repeat this process on the other side where you have made your mark. Before doing anything else at this point, moisten the end of the freshly cut zipper tape with fray check on both sides, then leave it to dry until it is hard and invisible. Trim any stray fibres for a clean edge.

In the top-most gap of the zipper-teeth, place the end crimp and crimp it in place with the pair of pliers. Be certain to do this from both sides to ensure the crimp is secure. Repeat this process on the other side of the zipper teeth.

Now your zipper is ready to go into a garment!

*Please be careful when using end crimps, as they will only keep the slider from coming off the end of your zipper provided that it is not being yanked. If the slider is yanked too hard, it will slide through the crimps and off the end of the zipper. If this occurs, it can still be placed back onto the zipper manually.

(Photos to be added later...)

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