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Need to hand sew a zipper onto heavy canvas

Hi,

My car has a canvas top and the the zipper for the rear window completely ripped out. I would like to sew it back on by hand, but I am not very good at sewing. So I thought I'd better ask for some advice before attempting this repair.

What kind of thread and needle should I use? Anything else that would make this chore go more smoothly? I've already received a few suggestions on what to use for thread. They are:

dental floss waxed carpet thread the kind of thread used to repair sails

Using dental floss as thread sounds kind of crazy, but I am tempted to try it. It should be rather strong, and I have a long roll of waxed dental floss that I'll never use (unwaxed floss works better for cleaning between teeth). I am not sure how well it would hold up to sunlight, though.

BTW, I wouldn't normally try to sew heavy canvas by hand-- it would be sheer torture. Or, at the very least, not much fun. Fortunately, the holes in the canvas from the previous stiching are clearly visible. So I think that, with plenty of patience, it should be doable.

Phil

Reply to
pcalvert
Loading thread data ...

Years and years ago we had a rectangular trampoline and the stitching that held the webbing straps (which held the triangular rings connected to the springs) all ripped out. As a family project we hand-sewed it back into place. IIRC we used a heavy cotton thread and beeswax. And big curved needles, rubber grips to pull through the holes, and some sort of thimble-like item. (The top of the thread spool worked pretty well.) ...

Not like there's much choice; car won't fit through the feed dogs!

HTH

--Karen D.

Reply to
Veloise

Reply to
w_boyce

It's not too bad if you have a sewing awl. I think Clotilde (sp?) sells them.

Reply to
Melinda Meahan - take out TRAS

A sailmaker's palm?

Reply to
Sara Lorimer

Dental floss is highly overrated for sewing - for an outdoor application it's a poor choice. Since it's nylon, it will have poor UV resistance. Use a good, strong polyester thread instead.

Mike

Reply to
Michael Daly

dental floss is actually quite good, both in strength and sun resistence. Rather expensive though. Usually not used unless sun resistence is a huge factor AND you only need a few yards of thread. Otherwise, genuine Gore-Tex thread on spools is cheaper.

I suggest you go to Sailrite.com and search for a sailor's palm, seriously heavy hand stitching thread, an awl (and a mallet from your local hardware store), maybe a heavy set of pliers and have at it. You can stitch serious canvas by hand though it will be an effort.

Reply to
jaxashby

If you've got an REI or other good outdoors store in your town, ( not a big

5) you can find one locally.
Reply to
small change

Thanks for all the suggestions. For this particular job, I think the Speedy Stitcher sounds like just the right tool. The price is right, too. So tomorrow I'll be heading off to the local REI to purchase one. And a small spool of heavy-duty thread, too.

Phil

Reply to
pcalvert

Excellent decision! I've used mine (same one!) since 1951 to repair golf and other bags, footwear, tarps, tents, windows in convertibles, belts, knapsacks and numerous repairs on other gear in the field when camping and backpacking. JPBill

Reply to
w_boyce

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