The slider on my zipper – in this case, on a waterproof bag for holding soiled cloth diapers – broke such that the top of the bridge separated from the slider body. I tried to glue it to no avail.
Two tailors told me they’d need to replace the entire 16″ run of zipper and quoted me $25 and $26. I could get a new bag for that much. So I took a shot at repairing it.
I drilled through the side of the slider bridge, using a 1/16″ bit. I first used a hammer & nail to make a tiny indentation so the bit wouldn’t walk. If the hole is even a little off-center, it will leave a thin border prone to breaking.
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i0.wp.com/samfirke.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_20200217_135639-1024x982.jpg?resize=580%2C556)
Then I stripped a spare piece of 22 AWG wire I had lying around, bending the copper into a loop. Kind of pretty, I think!
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i0.wp.com/samfirke.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_20200217_135606-1024x828.jpg?resize=580%2C469)
It took just a few minutes and seems to slide well. We’ll see how it holds up.
UPDATE May 2020: the twisted wire was impractical and failed quickly. It has been replaced by a paperclip, which is working much better. The clip falls off in the washing machine, which might pose a risk to the machine. I now remove it before tossing the bag into the wash and reattach afterward. Overall the bag now works as well as new!
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i0.wp.com/samfirke.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/paperclip_on_wet_bag-773x1024.jpg?resize=580%2C768)