hey ian:

varnish 1st, then apply would be the easiest - too much fooling around w/ masking the loops or trying not to accidentally varnish them.

pre sealing the grain makes the best idea. slight oversize w/ epoxy- then redrill, or dribble in CA,or dribble in CPES(thin epoxy sealer). test the thinner approaches out to see if prestaining.

check this thread for another loop approach that you might like better. but will be a slight problem w/ the sheer clamp, tho'.
http://www.kayakforum.com/cgi-bin/Building/index.cgi/noframes/read/60732
i'm sure you really don't want to express those screws and webbing ends.

since the shearclamp is not so structural after the yak is together, if its big enough - any thoughts about digging into it and using it as the backup for recessed fittings?? or would there have been ways to set it up?

one thing i was wondering about on another post abt s&gs that also have sheerclamps is if one had a squarish sheerclamp of abt 1x1 (i know they are useally diff), what would happen if just before final fill coats, you took a half round file and filed into the sheer corners say 5/8 deep by 1 1/4 long, so you had littl ehalf moons into the yak all along it. then threaded in say some 3/16 brass rod just under the strips, maybe slightly rounded and you'd have built in selfdraining fittings following the line of the yak. would be no good for those w/ a design strip in this location unless you picked up on it in the decoration(!) but do you think it would be possible. i guess you could even turn the fitting 90deg but then would be harder to controll the line orientation(would be possible to drape down)

anyway thoughts. we should talk sometime.

-mick