: I can NOT get the hang of dragging a pool of epoxy with a squeege for the wet
: out drives me nuts. I just make a big mess.

Sometimes it helps to lay out the glass then smooth it gently down on the hull or deck with a dry squeegee just to make sure it is laying flat onto the wood. It also helps to trim the edges of the glass so that there are no loose strings ends to have to deal with. Pouring the epoxy along the center of the hull or deck then spreading outwards with gentle strokes reduces glass-pulling drag that can cause a mess. I generally pour the whole batch down then work fast. This takes practice to learn how to do. It becomes a confindence thing, the more you do it the easier and more familiar the experience becomes.

I think this is the mess you are referring to. The initial appearance of the wetout will show as epoxy resting on top of the glass but a few seconds later the epoxy starts to soak though then the glass starts to disappear so that you get a clear-to-the-wood finish. Once that happens, then you can begin downstroking the glue to spread it towards the bottom edges, thus maintaining a snug fit with the glass, generally without rolls or bumps. It is important NOT to use too much pressure so that you squeeze the epoxy out of the weave of the glass. You can learn to do this effectively by using gentle pressure with repeated strokes so that only the top of the weave shows above the epoxy that has settled between the strands of glass. This also insures that the glass isn't floating on top of a layer of epoxy.

I generally mix up 5-8 oz. of epoxy, depending on ambient temperatures and the kind of surface I have to work with. If I am glassing the inside of the hull then I know I will have to work a little slower since there is more detail in there. I mix smaller batches. Sometimes I deliberately let the epoxy set a little so that it is thicker so that I can use it to fill in areas in which I want more epoxy. That would be along the keel on the inside of the hull. I tend to use a little more epoxy there to ensure that I don't accidently punch a hole through the keel while running the kayak over rock and gravel on the river.

I hope this helps you a little more.

Robert N Pruden