Black Cat Tarp -Triangle reinforcements

**AndrewB** · 10-26-2013, 11:15

For me, this is the most irritating part of the project. It's impossible to get the patch and tarp perfectly flat with one another. One piece or the other will be pulled tighter, and the other will "pucker", at least a little bit. Under tension, this means that one piece will take more pressure. You want the patch to be that piece, so you want to pull it a bit tighter than the sil when you sew. This isn't a terribly easy thing to accomplish, but do your best.

I used 3M Super 77 spray glue to attach the triangles to the tarp. This hold pretty well to sil. Still need to run stitching to permanently attach the reinforcement, but it makes it much easier to sew. You can buy at Home Depot, Lowes or even craft stores.

Step 1) Mark where you want the glue. Put the triangle down on the edges, then slide it down 1/4" and put 2 marks there.

Step 2) Use a disposable straight edge and lay down on your 2 marks. I used the flap from a cardboard box.

Step 3) Spray the adhesive from about a foot away on your exposed corner.

Step 4) Wait 30-45 seconds to let the glue dry slightly. If you put down your ripstop right away it will soak through the fabric, leaving the surface sticky.

Step 5) Carefully lay your triangle down. I put the 90* tip down first, then 1 edge, then slowly lowered the rest down. The glue is super sticky. As soon as it touches, it will stick! You can spread out a fold by pressing/pulling the fabric, but only a little bit.

Step 6) Let it dry for at least an hour. I used a pin to push through a dozen times and checked for any gumming on the pin. I don't want to gunk up my sewing machine.