Hi Bill!
Some short answers
: Stripping:
The strips of Nordic Spruce (Picea abies) 4,5x19mm (11/64 x 3/4"(sic!)is so elastic you can bend them in every direction. I dont need any "cheaters" at all.

: If using Bead and Coved strips;
I turn the cove up for the hull, starting with the sheerstrip. I lay strips on both sides at same time up to two-three strips above(on the upsidedown hull) the waterline. Then I fill one side up to the keel line with an plus. After that I draw a line along the keel and put the dosouki to work. Then fill the other side with strips. The two last strips must be wrestled in place with some mild force.
On deck I mix bevelling, bead up and cove up depending on the pattern.

: When gluing strips, how do you handle the drools?
I leave them to dry. Then take a scraper and rub them off. I never again wipe the drools off. The glue soaks into the wood and its very hard to sand everything away. Glue spots left under the glass-epoxi will make very ugly spots after some sunlightexposure.

: Fairing the Hull surface for lay up:
See above. I try to do as tight as possible joints. There can be some minor cracks or mishaps sometimes. I seal them with "dookie smutz" thickened epoxi with wood dust. This makes it almost invisible. I have used other wood fillers but never again, why laborate when you can make it yourself easy with epoxi.

: Glassing the Hull:
I usually lay the entire hull first after sealing. Two layers. The outer stems gets an extra strip of biascut glass which is thoroughly wetout before application. Let it be quite tacky before app. and use your gloved fingers. It´s a real messy work. After curing you can bevel the edges to invisibility. I have once used glasstape from WestSystem for the stems. That was no good at all! It was visible and ugly and hard to get rid off. Now the tape is only used for inside seams where you cant see it and it´s very easy to put in place if you presoak it and lay it in the soft fillet.