The responses indicate, I think, that I should minimise obstruction from the wire before filleting to keep these fillets at a mimimum. What if I was to remove the wire altogether - for example, by tacking (either on the outside or inside) the panels together. The local builder of canoes (just outside Belfast) called Tyrone Canoes removes his wire ties completely and seems to use quite small fillets. I bought my MAS from him and he suggested that I seemed to be using a lot (6 litres - about 6 Kg). Any comments on that?

Philip