METHOD
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Spread the curtain over a flat surface in the trailer and clean the area thoroughly with white spirit. "If you don't, the dirt becomes impregnated in the weld, the outer edges turn black and the patch starts to lift. You cannot weld onto dirt," Farrell warns. 'It just won't take." 2 Measure the damage and cut one or two patch pieces big enough to cover the curved slit and with margins of two inches at either side. Trim off the corners or they'll snag and the panel will lift. Don't fill a panel with a large square patch—you'll leave lots of air bubbles and it will look unsightly.
To make the work easier, Farrell suggests overlapping the slit edges slightly and then tackwelding them together before beginning the full patch repair. This way, he says, you will avoid leaving unsightly ripples or blisters behind.
Apply the first patch shinyside down to ensure matching surfaces. Start at the middle of the patch and direct the heat under it. Pressing on the roller, run it over the heated area as the nozzle is steadily withdrawn from under the patch. Then repeat the process, working the gun and roller steadily towards the ether end of the patch.
Cover the rest of the slit with the second patch but make sure that the overlay is adequate and evenly spaced. Using the heater and roller apply the patch, carefully kneading the area where the two pieces overlap.
With the patches flush, turn the curtain over and, once again, clean the exposed outer side thoroughly, Using a liberal amount of heat, carefully knead the rollers along the edges of the original slash.
This should leave you with nothing worse than a barely perceptible ripple in the material.