Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

19

Time Required

                          8 hours - 2 days

Sections

1

  • Case Zipper
  • 19 steps

Flags

2

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  • BackBose QuietComfort 35

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Introduction

NB: The Q35 case has a non-standard zipper; the slider has the pull tab on the rear, so when the case is closed, the teeth are on the inside of the case (but the pull tab toward the exterior) to make the finish look nicer and also to prevent stuff getting caught in the teeth, when, for example, putting the case in a bag. This means if you want to have the same look, you either need to find the right sized tape and teeth for the Bose slider (I tried YKK brand size 3C which was too small, and size 5C, which was too big), or, buy the tape with a reversible slider. As I could not get my hands on either option easily, I just decided that I’d have the teeth on the outside, and used a regular YKK sized 5C tape and slider.

What you need

Step 1

              Assess the damage
  • The zipper is damaged beyond repair, and needs to be completely replaced

The zipper is damaged beyond repair, and needs to be completely replaced

1024

Step 2

              Open case
  • Open case
  • Remove accessories

Open case

Remove accessories

Step 3

              Exposing the seam
  • Take one side of the case and start close to the place where both sides of the case are joined
  • Push the fabric with the teeth out and down, exposing the seam
  • The fabric should sort of snap in place against the sides of the case
  • Work your way around this side of the case

Take one side of the case and start close to the place where both sides of the case are joined

Push the fabric with the teeth out and down, exposing the seam

The fabric should sort of snap in place against the sides of the case

Work your way around this side of the case

Step 4

              Exposing the seam
  • Repeat on the other half of the case

Repeat on the other half of the case

Step 5

              Sewing pattern
  • On each half, there is a soft piece of fabric that covers all the other seams and give the case a nice soft finish. The seam is visible on the outer part of the case, now that we pushed the teeth of the zipper down. It is held on by 2 threads
  • The first thread goes through the leather, makes a loop, and then goes back through the same hole. It then moves a few mm and repeats.
  • The second thread just goes through all the loops
  • Sew pattern schematic not to scale . It’s just to get an idea of how the fabric is held on. The threads are pulled tight. They were most likely machine sewn

On each half, there is a soft piece of fabric that covers all the other seams and give the case a nice soft finish. The seam is visible on the outer part of the case, now that we pushed the teeth of the zipper down. It is held on by 2 threads

The first thread goes through the leather, makes a loop, and then goes back through the same hole. It then moves a few mm and repeats.

The second thread just goes through all the loops

Sew pattern schematic not to scale . It’s just to get an idea of how the fabric is held on. The threads are pulled tight. They were most likely machine sewn

Step 6

              Cutting the thread
  • Start anywhere where you have a good visibility and access to the outer thread
  • Take a needle and work it behind the thread, to create some space
  • Insert the tip of a pair of scissors or the blade of a knife into the space and cut the thread

Start anywhere where you have a good visibility and access to the outer thread

Take a needle and work it behind the thread, to create some space

Insert the tip of a pair of scissors or the blade of a knife into the space and cut the thread

Step 7

              Start pulling out the thread
  • Moving to the next neighbouring stitch, use a pointy item to pull the thread out
  • I found that the cork screw tool of a swiss army knife worked well, as the point is a bit dull, thus not getting stuck if the fabric, but still pointy enough to work it behind the thread, allowing me to work faster. The shape of the cork screw opener also naturally helps to pull the thread out

Moving to the next neighbouring stitch, use a pointy item to pull the thread out

I found that the cork screw tool of a swiss army knife worked well, as the point is a bit dull, thus not getting stuck if the fabric, but still pointy enough to work it behind the thread, allowing me to work faster. The shape of the cork screw opener also naturally helps to pull the thread out

Step 8

  • Work your way around the case, in both directions
  • The place where the halfs of the case connect, is a little messy, as that is where the sew starts and finishes, so there are extra stitches there for strength. Just cut threw them an pull them out
  • At some point you might want to cut the inner thread, so that is doesn’t get in the way

Work your way around the case, in both directions

The place where the halfs of the case connect, is a little messy, as that is where the sew starts and finishes, so there are extra stitches there for strength. Just cut threw them an pull them out

At some point you might want to cut the inner thread, so that is doesn’t get in the way

Step 9

  • Once you get to one end, you can start lifting part of the fabric up, as you go along

Once you get to one end, you can start lifting part of the fabric up, as you go along

Step 10

              Dealing with the airplane jack
  • Once you get to the airplane adapter, you will encounter a problem
  • The airplane adapter socket is glued to the inner lining
  • You either remove it or you can just pull it away from the side of the case enough to work behind it. This requires a bit of force to remove the top layer of glue
  • If you remove the socket completely, be carful not to rip the lining. You made need some heat or chemical to dissolve the glue

Once you get to the airplane adapter, you will encounter a problem

The airplane adapter socket is glued to the inner lining

You either remove it or you can just pull it away from the side of the case enough to work behind it. This requires a bit of force to remove the top layer of glue

If you remove the socket completely, be carful not to rip the lining. You made need some heat or chemical to dissolve the glue

Step 11

  • Remove the remaining stitches and peel off the fabric from the back of the socket

Remove the remaining stitches and peel off the fabric from the back of the socket

Step 12

  • The zipper tape is still held to the case by one thread
  • Cut it and work your way around the case, the same way as for the first fabric, to undo the seam
  • On the inside there are 2 seams: one that holds the tape to the leather, and one that holds the outer fabric (the sort of “back pocket” of the case) to the leather. To avoid mistakes, undo the seam from the exterior of the case (orange stitches)

The zipper tape is still held to the case by one thread

Cut it and work your way around the case, the same way as for the first fabric, to undo the seam

On the inside there are 2 seams: one that holds the tape to the leather, and one that holds the outer fabric (the sort of “back pocket” of the case) to the leather. To avoid mistakes, undo the seam from the exterior of the case (orange stitches)

Step 13

  • Once you have removed the seam all the way around, the zipper tap will slide off that half of the case

Once you have removed the seam all the way around, the zipper tap will slide off that half of the case

Step 14

              Repeat other half
  • We now repeat the process on the other half of the case
  • Chose a spot on the seam and insert a needle to make space between the fabric and the thread
  • Insert a knife or scissors in the space and cut the thread

We now repeat the process on the other half of the case

Chose a spot on the seam and insert a needle to make space between the fabric and the thread

Insert a knife or scissors in the space and cut the thread

Step 15

  • Work your way around the case the same way as the other half, pulling the thread out, stitch by stitch

Work your way around the case the same way as the other half, pulling the thread out, stitch by stitch

Step 16

              Dealing with the stopper knot
  • When getting to the place where the soft fabric overlaps, there will be a complicated mess of threads, and it will be simpler to cut them, and pull them out, rather than try to pull on them in the correct order

When getting to the place where the soft fabric overlaps, there will be a complicated mess of threads, and it will be simpler to cut them, and pull them out, rather than try to pull on them in the correct order

Step 17

  • Once the thread has been removed all around, pull the soft concealer fabric off

Once the thread has been removed all around, pull the soft concealer fabric off

Step 18

  • The tape is still held on, like for the other half, by a single thread.
  • On the inner bottom section of this half, there are 2 seams. One is to hold the inner pocket, which we don’t need to remove. So as before, undo the seam from the outside.

The tape is still held on, like for the other half, by a single thread.

On the inner bottom section of this half, there are 2 seams. One is to hold the inner pocket, which we don’t need to remove. So as before, undo the seam from the outside.

Step 19

  • Another point of note, is where the two half of the case were joined: There are 2 seams here as well. One is holding the tape to the leather, and the other is holding the soft stopper fabric to the tape.
  • It’s easier to remove the seam for the stopper fabric later, but if you cut it and pull on it, it’s no big deal

Another point of note, is where the two half of the case were joined: There are 2 seams here as well. One is holding the tape to the leather, and the other is holding the soft stopper fabric to the tape.

It’s easier to remove the seam for the stopper fabric later, but if you cut it and pull on it, it’s no big deal

Your case should now be fixed.

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                    Sam

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