Marine Fabricator May/June 2020 - 34
ShopTalk Exterior
A properly built U-zip looks good
and functions well. A poorly built
version will be difficult to use, cause
window distortions and leak. Photos:
Marco Canvas & Upholstery LLC.
Simple, leak-free U-zip
By Keith Purves, MFC
CHECK
LIST
Tools and
supplies checklist:
❍ ¼-inch super sticky transfer
tape (rubber-based adhesive)
❍ ¾-inch bias-cut binding
❍ 1¼-inch bias-cut binding
❍ #10 coil zipper (Ziplon®)
❍ #10 coil sliders (Ziplon)
❍ Sharp razor blade
(Olfa® art high-carbon)
❍ Skinny sewing machine foot
(modified with a grinder so it's
the same width on both sides)
O
ne of the most useful,
purposeful and absolutely
frustrating features on a clear
vinyl enclosure is the simple U-zip.
A properly built U-zip looks good,
opens and closes easily, and allows
boaters the freedom of having the
wind in their hair or the full protection
of an enclosure when Mother
Nature brings her worst. One that is
poorly built, on the other hand, can
be difficult to use, cause distorted
windows and leak like a disgruntled
White House staffer.
There are several things to consider
when designing and fabricating an
enclosure panel with a zippered
opening-and sometimes when U-zips
should be avoided altogether. U-zips
can be found on virtually any style of
enclosure and are easily fabricated
using common materials.
Types and placement
U-zips can face either up in a smile
or down in a frown . Smiles are
most common, but their drawback is
they are either all up or all down. A
frown-shaped U-zip can be opened
just a little at the top of a curtain for
ventilation without having to go full
open (for those rainy or cold days).
U-zips can be designed as narrow
and tall, square and uniform, or
large and unusually shaped, but they
must have a few key elements to
work properly. They should never be
positioned in a curve where they will
not roll properly and should never be
wider at the bottom than at the top.
When planning a zippered opening in
a panel, it's a good idea to roughly draw
the shape onto the pattern during the
templating process.
(Continued on page 37)
34 Marine Fabricator | May/June 2020
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Marine Fabricator May/June 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Marine Fabricator May/June 2020
Marine Fabricator May/June 2020 - Cover1
Marine Fabricator May/June 2020 - Cover2
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Marine Fabricator May/June 2020 - Cover3
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