> Hi. I'm building a CLC Chesapeake 17 and having a lot of fun doing it.
> This is my first boat. I have a total of 4 (lightish) coats of epoxy on
> the hull -- and I've got some runs here and there despite being obsessive
> compulsive about such things. My questions are these: how smooth can I
> expect to sand down those runs, and how smooth does the hull have to be
> for a good paint/varnish job? (I haven't yet decided whether to paint or
> varnish the hull.) What should a final sanded epoxied hull look/feel like?

> Thanks to all who respond!!

> John

I built a Ches 16 in the cold (50 degrees), which resulted in very thick uneven coats of epoxy, with many runs. It took 60 grit until I got things real even, then went to 100, 150, then 220. Be careful with the heavy grit as not to sand thru the cloth. I used a B&D quarter sheet sander. It's a tough job and took be at least 6 hours.

Try as you might to keep the sander flat at all times, do not try to edge it to remove runs more quickly. This will result in a nice flat surface.

The finished hull should be very smooth. I painted, so I applied a primer to fill in all of the imperfections. I sanded all of the primer off, leaving just the imperfections filled with primer behind. BTW: After the final 220 grit sanding, and the first coat of paint, the result was impressive, with a mirror smooth/glossy surface. The effort at this stage is worth it.