I've used a Sandvik carbide scraper extensively on my Pygmy Arctic Tern--it has been the most useful tool, by far that I have used. It is the type that has a long handle and a knob for control. It works well on green and set epoxy. You can get it at Home Depot for less than $20. The blades on this one are 2.5" long and double-sided--they cost about $7.50 and are worth every penny. The scraper, along with an inexpensive wood file, made shaping and smoothing the plywood combing a breeze. After letting the deck setup for another month (it's gotten pretty cool in my area), I'm going to scrape the whole boat for a couple of hours--after that it should be ready for a relatively minor amount of finish sanding. I've found the scraping to be the most fun (and therapeutic) part of building this beast.
-Mike

: I am in the process of building a Pygmy Tandom - my first build project. So
: far, I have the hull glassed and coated with two coats of System 3 over
: the exterior. Everything so far is going great. It seems that most
: builders now wait for the Epoxy to set for a few weeks and then sand with
: a random orbital sander (after attaching the deck, etc). I am finding that
: using a cabinet scraper when the Epoxy is still slightly "green"
: works SO WELL that I don't know why more folks aren't doing it. The
: Scraper provides a perfectly smooth surface result without all of the
: Epoxy dust/mess of a sander. I expecially like using the scraper with a
: Cabinet scraper holder which provides a slight flex to the scraper as well
: as more control. If things continue as they have been going, I may never
: have to pick up my electric sander AT ALL!

: I would like to hear your thoughts about this approach.

: Gary