Hey Paul:

>My box knife is just barely able to cut through the epoxy.

STOP! Stop, stop. Any material that offers sufficient resistance to a box knife is the wrong job for that tool. Think for a sec. Were you just about to take a /razor blade/ and aim it at yourself and then pull really hard against something that you /hoped/ would give way? The epoxy is notoriously brittle, that's why we use the glass in it. Crack! Gash! Gush! Brrrrrr! Chills... Whittle if you must, but yikes.. them box cutters are car-ni-vores. be careful, willya?

> Anybody else make these mistakes? How did you trim off the excess hardened
> epoxy, is there a time saver here?

Yes, same mistake, *ahem*, more than once... the Surform is the tool for you. Look for the unit with the 6-8 inch orange handle and the 1"x2" curved cutting surface. It will be your friend.

> Also, I accidently ...(I'm almost done blaming myself for being ignorant
> enough to damage it)?

> Paul (boy am I nervous) Williams

Relax. The boat is ok and you learned something. I built a stripper, so I didn't have exactly that problem, but there were many many times I smacked my forehead in surprised disgust at what I just did. The boat was ok, every time. The things I agonized over, cosmetic errors, are actually fading from my memory, and nobody else has found them. Or if they have, they've been really polite. Actually, the whole of your boat will be so stunning that the civilians in the crowd will be blinded by it's beauty, and the veteran builders will share the bonds of having made minor, recoverable mistakes themselves. Relax... don't be nervous.

Ed Valley