In praise of scuba divers stuck zip advice

[Tim Hall]

OT but when I was a lad I worked in an ironmongers shop. We used to sell graphite powder as a lock lubricant.

Anyway I sometimes think about how similar brifters are to locks and wonder whether graphite would be a suitable lubricant.

Two things:

1. Stories harking back to the days on ones youth should contain the phrase "when I were a lad", not "I was a lad", regardless of grammatical correctitude.
2. "Brifters". Really?

 

[subaqua]

Work candlewax into the zip (i.e. rub it with a candle).

thats reasonably OK for a zip lube but wont free a corroded zip.

the zip on my drysuitbag gets corroded occasionally . a little really hot water and a bit of action with an old toothbrush and moving zip close mech back and forth usually works.

Vinegar is the nuts though if you are at home and will do it in a matter of minutes

I wish I had read that tip last winter - I had the same problem and broke one of the zips trying to force it!

On the subject of Scuba ... I called in at Hebden Bridge on a ride on Wednesday and spotted a new diving shop. It is about 50 miles from the sea and I have never heard of diving in the local reservoirs. Who is going to be using the shop?

local divers who love spending as much on shiny tat they don't need as much as a cyclist does. so that would be me .

whats the name BTW it is worth a mention on the forum i am on for divers

 

[subaqua]

You will have had a situation not unlike that with a stuck alloy seatpost where the oxide takes up more space than the metal and eventually the increased bulk jams the thing. Acetic acid will have dissolved the oxide salt and freed up the zip. Dry the oveshoes then lubricate with Mr Sheen, which is an excellent lubricant and rust preventative.

Divers also know that liberal applications of the excellent dry lubricant, talc, on tight drysuit collars and cuffs helps with donning and doffing. Many cyclists still have not made this connection with sticky new tyres that they can't seem to get onto their rims.

Divers also know that talc gets into drysuit valves clogging them up.

Vetlube, Jollop or KY - I have told my Boots KY story here before so you can look that up !

 

[subaqua]

Surely the salt in this case is NaCl, so unlikely to fizz.

if I remember my Basic Chemistry ( its 30 years ago now FFS)

NaCl + CH3COOH >> CH3COONa +HCl

sodium acetate and Hydrogen chloride.

so a ( absolutely tiny) bit of gas will be released. the water content of the Vinegar will absorb this tiny amount so no issue with melting stuff with Hydrochloric acid.

thats one reason some salt n vinegar crisps have a hell of a bite

 

[Dave7]

On the subject of Scuba ... I called in at Hebden Bridge on a ride on Wednesday and spotted a new diving shop. It is about 50 miles from the sea and I have never heard of diving in the local reservoirs. Who is going to be using the shop?

I did lots of my diving in quarries. Its good training as, at depth, its very cold and dark. We did some night-time diving as well when you literally cant see the guy you are linking arms with.
In Warrington (100 miles from any Sea diving spots) we did have 2 dive shops and I used them regularly........got my suits, masks, fins and weights etc. of them.

 

[ColinJ]

local divers who love spending as much on shiny tat they don't need as much as a cyclist does. so that would be me .

whats the name BTW it is worth a mention on the forum i am on for divers

I just spotted their website - BelowTheSurface. It looks quite interesting!

 

[User33236]

WD40 or Duck Tape. What was the question?

Thought is was a hammer and duct tape. One to take it apart the other to put it back together.

 

[subaqua]

I just spotted their website - BelowTheSurface. It looks quite interesting!

Will no doubt go to capernwray , universally known as crap n rainy by divers.
It's a " shop" to sell courses .
Cheers for the link.

 

[Cubist]

Will no doubt go to capernwray , universally known as crap n rainy by divers.
It's a " shop" to sell courses .
Cheers for the link.

One my favourite dive reviews of Capernwray has a diagram of the water quality. It showed the visibility top to bottom in order: Muddy water, watery mud, mud, rocky mud, muddy rock.

 

[pawl]

I wish I had read that tip last winter - I had the same problem and broke one of the zips trying to force it!

On the subject of Scuba ... I called in at Hebden Bridge on a ride on Wednesday and spotted a new diving shop. It is about 50 miles from the sea and I have never heard of diving in the local reservoirs. Who is going to be using the shop?

People with stuck zips.

 

[ufkacbln]

WD40 or Duck Tape. What was the question?

... .... a graduate from the Royal Naval School of Engineering

 

[ColinJ]

People with stuck zips.

Hopefully, NOT of the 'Something About Mary' kind!

 

[rivers]

thats reasonably OK for a zip lube but wont free a corroded zip.


local divers who love spending as much on shiny tat they don't need as much as a cyclist does. so that would be me .

whats the name BTW it is worth a mention on the forum i am on for divers

And me. I have dive and cycling kit all over the house and garage. I don't think my wife is impressed

 

[oldroadman]

OT but when I was a lad I worked in an ironmongers shop. We used to sell graphite powder as a lock lubricant.

Anyway I sometimes think about how similar brifters are to locks and wonder whether graphite would be a suitable lubricant.

see post above re pencils, the "lead" is graphite. Which just shows that sometimes the old ways are still very valid.

 

[Dan B]

On the subject of Scuba ... I called in at Hebden Bridge on a ride on Wednesday and spotted a new diving shop. It is about 50 miles from the sea and I have never heard of diving in the local reservoirs. Who is going to be using the shop?

Most odd, especially when the 2017 European City of Culture is only 80 miles away and I'm sure has many places to buy a decent kagoule (or umbrella). After all, better the rain in Hull than to surf in Hebden