[C320-list] Soaked Cockpit Cushions

[Gary Magnuson]

Wow That sounds like a real challenge that I would like to help with, if 
I lived closer.  Your post asked for ideas, and these are just that... 
good or bad!!!  Is there any way to physically vibrate the Zipper as 
with one of the Dremel type tools? How about a visit to a canvas shop to 
snip the stitching and replace the zipper? Perhaps they would have a 
product that would work to loosen the zipper?  If welded the, the 
zippers will need to be soaked in a product like liquid wrench or some 
other corrosion solvent/lubricant, but it sounds like you have done 
that. Have you tried Silicone spray?  With a SCUBA Dry suit zipper, they 
use a paraffin product to keep it lubed and water tight.  Perhaps a 
product like that with some external heat, hair dryer rather than a 
small torch, would allow some penetration?

Here is a web site with some other ideas.. 
http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/107912-corroded-zippers.html

While we have never had our zippers welded shut, we have managed to 
leave them out to soak up a large volume of water and then the follow up 
mildew on the inside of the vinyl.. I have hungrily eyed the C Cushions 
at the boat show every year but they will have to take their turn in our 
boat budget.

Good luck and be sure to post your end solution for our collective 
future reference.

Gary Magnuson
Time A Weigh #205



On 2/19/2014 10:19 AM, dprudden wrote:
> Try a hair drier if the vinegar doesn't work. The heat will expand the zipper and may loosen it up.
>
> I've heard people say to soak the zipper in a bucket of warm water with vinegar in it.....might be kinda tough to get a big enough bucket to fit an entire cushion, though!
>
> Good luck!
>
> David Prudden
> #787
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Feb 19, 2014, at 10:21 AM, William Ott <wmo48 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>> Under the heading of bone-head moves I left our cockpit cushions out for a couple weeks while we were out of town.  It rained and snowed and melted and soak a couple pretty good.  I remember, my ever vigilante first-mate asking whether leaving them out would be problem; of course not, I said the are closed-cell foam.   Obviously they are not.
>> These are original equipment cushions and the zippers are 'welded' shut.  I've try all manner of penetrating oil and no luck.  I have rolled the cushions and forced out a lot of water through the seams.  I continue to bake them in the sun.  I have thought about using a sharp drill bit and drilling weep holes in the vinyl sides.  Anyone any ideas ?
>>
>> Mike Ott
>> 'Amanda Lu'
>> #508
>>
>> Sent from my iPad