Fabricate Missing Siding Piece

Tools:

workbench
piece of steel
clamps
hammer
block of wood
power drill
duck-billed clamp
tin snips
combination square
putty knife
mallet
pencil
file
heavy work gloves
safety glasses
extra aluminum siding
nails

1. Before starting, put on safety glasses and work gloves.

2. Remove existing corner piece and use it as a template (figure A).

3. Gently flatten existing corner piece using the duck-billed clamp (figure B). You're going to reuse this piece, so be careful to only bend it and not break it.

4. Finish flattening out the existing corner piece by laying it on a workbench and tapping out the creases with a small rubber mallet (figure C).

5. Take a piece of leftover siding and cut out a chunk just large enough to make your new corner piece. Use tin snips to cut the siding. Unfold the folds using the duck-billed clamp then flatten the seams with the mallet. A block of wood can also be used to smooth out creases.

6. Once your new piece is nice and flat, place the unfolded corner piece on top and trace along the new piece (figure D).

7. Cut along the lines using tins snips. If necessary, drill holes for nails. File down the cut edges.

8. Clamp a piece of steel over your new piece on the workbench and use the steel as a folding line to bend the piece into a 90-degree angle (figure E).

9. Use the duck-billed clamp to fold the new piece into a replica of the piece you've copied. Also refold the piece you removed and copied.

10. Fit both pieces into place on the corner and nail them into place (figure F). Snap everything back into place and clean the area well. If the replacement piece is a different color, paint it to match. Take a piece of the old siding to the paint store and have them match the color if you do not have matching paint.