Holes in good mesh... (PURELY theoretical, of course)

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

I'm completely positive that all damaged screens are always replaced immediately in everyone's shop.....except mine. In fact, unless I'm MISremembering again, I've really never done this.

I have so few tips and tricks that I believe are worth a share. But I'm POSITIVE this will work...ahem....IF I'd ever tried it, which of course, I haven't... many, many times.

If one should accidentally knock a hole OUTSIDE of the sweet spot in new or serviceable mesh it could theoretically be patched. If it had emulsion it wouldn't ravel, so you could use Plastic Welder and smooth it out to a RIDICULOUS level of smoothness with screen tape on both sides. (Rubber adhesive tape.) DON'T reclaim first, no no no...unless it is really work-hardened or it will unravel. Probably....

The tape would release clean and leave a smooth patch. It would theoretically survive the chems I use including many, many reclaims...only darkening somewhat.

O'Reilly's Auto Parts has it locally. I also used to be able to buy CHEAP it at Walmart but no more. Tractor Supply and Atwoods have had it.

There. I've done it.  I hope you never have to use it.
Stan

P.S.  It's been my imaginary favorite plastic glue for years. Also marketed under DevCon Plastic Welder. Just remember DevCon or VersaChem. One of them is branding for their industrial division but I forget which. I've fixed unfixable acrylic signage for years with this stanky stuff. It DOES yellow and it won't work on polyethylene or some other plastics.

[Frog]

Back when I got holes, I would use regular epoxy similarly to your method. Straight epoxy when the hole was tiny, mesh patch when 1/4" or bigger.
As for holes in the "sweet spot", the screen just became a heart print screen.
Remember that about for about a 1/2" around the repair (no matter how smooth) coating will always be a little weird.

[mimosatexas]

I have a few knicked screens with holes near edges, but have never bothered to patch them.  A few have been going strong for probably 4+ years like that.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Does screen tape stick to straight epoxy?  And does yours survive a dip tank repeatedly?

I always have this stuff around anyway, because of its excellent capabilities with plastic, but it's shelf life is poor. (as opposed to "pot life"...for clarity.) That and it's pretty fast.

I fixed a broken Goldwing Windshield with it years ago and it gets LOTS of stress. It is still going strong.

Unhappily, the repair shows, but it demonstrates its plastic welding abilities, which is why I USED to keep it around. Nowadays, I buy it for screens. You know.....JUST IN CASE.

[Inkworks]

Crazy glue and scrap screen mesh.

[Frog]

Does screen tape stick to straight epoxy?  And does yours survive a dip tank repeatedly?

I always have this stuff around anyway, because of its excellent capabilities with plastic, but it's shelf life is poor. (as opposed to "pot life"...for clarity.) That and it's pretty fast.

I fixed a broken Goldwing Windshield with it years ago and it gets LOTS of stress. It is still going strong.

Unhappily, the repair shows, but it demonstrates its plastic welding abilities, which is why I USED to keep it around. Nowadays, I buy it for screens. You know.....JUST IN CASE.

I don't dip

[tancehughes]

Yeah, if it's a good screen and has a hole, we still use it. Maybe we relegate it to left chest designs only so that we stay away from it, but it's hard to re-mesh a good screen over a small hole somewhere.