Functioning luggage keeps you moving along.
Travel is difficult enough without having to worry about malfunctioning luggage. Common luggage problems include stuck wheels and handles, small tears in vinyl, lost casters and stuck zippers. Taking a few moments to remedy these suitcase snafus may mean the difference between a frustrating trip or one that goes smoothly. These repairs can be made at home before you hit the road, or in a hotel room with some small tools.
Instructions
1. Cut out a small piece of the vinyl patch the size of the tear on the inside or outside of vinyl luggage. Sandpaper the back of the patch and around the tear on the luggage to make the vinyl more porous and receptive to the epoxy.
2. Smear epoxy on the tear and back of the patch. Place the patch on the tear and hold for five minutes until the epoxy sets. If possible, let the epoxy set for 24 hours, or at minimum four hours.
3. Unscrew a stuck handle mechanism using either hex wrenches or screwdrivers, depending on your luggage. Find the screws around the handle. Pull the handle mechanism out and lubricate the telescoping arms and the handle rest in the housing. Screw the mechanism back into place and pull the handle up and down several times to test the lubrication.
4. Unscrew any stuck wheel using the hex wrench or screwdriver. Squirt lube into the bearings and rollers in the center of the wheel. Screw back into place after pushing the wheels to remove stickiness.
5. Grip the zipper slider with the vise grips and slowly but firmly pull it open. Squirt dry, graphite based lubricant onto the zipper as you pull the slider over the tines. Once open, slide it open and closed to work the lubricant into the zipper tines.
Tags: back into, back into place, back patch, handle mechanism, into place, Unscrew stuck
