Hey Rehd,

Paul here from the skin searing desert floor of Phoenix AZ. I don't know what kind of epoxy you are using - but I think your only hope is slower hardener. I've had excellent luck with the "Very Slow" Raka and the "Slow" MAS hardener. I prefer the Raka in general - but it is SO thin that you just about get tendinitis mixing thick enough goop for decent fillets.

Otherwise - you could try to develop some kind of new-age time distortion techniques - or become the fastest fillet-person in the west.

BTW - on my first S&G project I let my nasty first-timer lumpy fillets harden. I was using some incredibly hard epoxy / filler from a local laminate expert. I was quite crestfallen when I started trying to smooth the stuff out enough to 'glass over. I had a nice little two week break while I mustered the where-with-all to overcome this drawback. I think I used about every sanding / scraping / grinding technology known - but I eventually got through it.

Moral of the story - don't let those fillets harden before you 'glass tape over them. I would think that it will easily be worth the expense to go ahead and get some slow hardener before continuing. The filleting is really easy if you have time to scoop the stuff into a ziplock - squeeze beads into the seams cake decorator style - smooth the beads into fillets with your favorite radiusing thingy - I like modified bondo spreaders or modified and epoxy coated plywood scraps - then drop the 'glass tape on - wet it out - smooth it out a little further and get all the bubbles and concavities out. Then be sure to come back when the stuff is green with little paint scraper or similar and feather the edges of the tape in. Makes for a long session of hazardous material fashioning - but it saves lots of time and effort.

BTW - I'm taking August off work to drive up through the Northwest. I'm hoping to make it to Sequoia National Park on the way back - perhaps the last week of August. Wouldn't mind putting a face with your witty posts. Let me know if you are interested.

Good luck with those summer time fillets. If I can get this crick worked out of my back - I'm headed out for a sweaty paddle with the motor boats - but the sunset over the mountains by the lake and moon coming up over your shoulder and turning the sky all lavender is hard to say no to.

Cheers, PC