The more removing fibers and smoothing where they
: were, the more fibers came loose. End result, epoxied fibers extending
: down the side of the boat. Very noticable. There also seemed to be a
: section of the glass that had lines that did not dissapear when wet out,
: obviously an imperfection in the glass.

: Questions: 1. Can the fibers be sanded out without damaging the glass under
: the fibres and/or ruining how it looks?

: 2. How can I be sure this will not happen on the deck?

Brian-

A good scraper will take off the strings without damaging the glass underneath. Sealing the edges with a propane torch worked really well with the 4 oz tape I used for the deck-hull seam on my boat. I could barely unroll the tape without the edges unraveling. After sealing I had no problems with strings.
Hang your fiberglass pieces on a makeshift clothesline. Clean up the edges by cutting off the longest strings before heat sealing to avoid clumping. With a little practice you'll get a good feel for how close to hold the flame to the edge to get a good seal. Neat to watch those pesky strands curl up. Be careful. The sealed edges are hot and sticky.

Wes Tanaka