Spidey,

Please give me a few more tips: What grit paper do you finish with between epoxy coats? Dry or wet? What do you use to apply the epoxy? Roller, brush, squegee?

Thanks,

Dwight

: Hello All;

: I was a bit surprised by a number of replies to my "Fisheye"
: thread, informing me that once the cloth was filled I should end the epoxy
: operation and move onto the varnishing stage. I respectfully disagree.

: To obtain a great finish, one only has to be diligent. There are just a few
: rules, and the number one rule is "Get the surface true with the
: sanding block before proceeding." From sanding experiences on complex
: 3D surfaces similar to what we face with a kayak, a long sanding block and
: controlled material removal are essential. It's never going to look good
: if we don't keep the surfaces absolutely true and fair.

: In the case of a strip built kayak, this will require both fairing the wood
: and then fairing subsequent epoxy coats. If you can read the wattage of
: the overhead incandescent bulb in the reflection off your kayak's polished
: varnish, I'd say the surface is fair. It got me $5K over market on the
: 'Vette I restored, so you could say I'm a believer.

: To accomplish this end, you have to produce a small build-up of epoxy,
: perhaps a weight gain of 6-9 oz worth of epoxy, which you then fair to a
: near perfect surface before you begin the varnish coats. If you don't do
: this then you end up with what looks like the next-door-neighbor kid's
: Chevelle with the lumpy sides. You need extra material and a long sanding
: block to fair it to a perfectly smooth surface! Glossy surfaces are
: totally unforgiving. Period.

: Keep it flat and smooth and you will always have a winner - Spidey