I headed out early to Home Depot on my way to the trailer. They were lacking in larger sheets of aluminum, so I had to settle for a 1' x 2', which turned out to not be big enough to cover the new opening. So I checked the closest Ace Hardware, and they did have 2' x 2' sheets, thankfully. Also grabbed a small can of white oil-based paint for the wood panel on the opposite side of the trailer.
I was initially planning on trying to cut the sheets with tin snips, but was worried about a crappy looking edge. My dad suggested scoring it, so I grabbed a utility knife and a metal straight edge, giving the sheet a few deep passes. After clamping it to a workbench, I gently bent the sheet at the cut edge up and down until the metal began to weaken. It snapped off nicely, leaving a clean edge. I repeated the process for a second cut to get the sheet down to size.
After applying liberal amounts of sealer in the slot at the bottom, I set the wood piece from yesterday in place. This will give the screws at bottom edge of the aluminum patch something to bite into.
Even though we don't have the proper sealant for permanently installing it yet, I marked and drilled holes - first in the sheet, then into the wood - for a temporary (theft deterrent) installation.
And finally, I put the initial coats of white paint on the wood panel. One or two more coats - plus a clear sealer - and it'll be ready to install.
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