HELP please:

I am assembling a clc cradle kit and following the directions for sealing the hull I got nice sags decorating the hull. Yuck.

I tried using a brush as the epoxy cured to prevent sagging. I think it sagged after the surface was hard enough not to respond to the brush.

I'm certain I applied it too thick. But how do you prevent this? I tried using a squegee, credit card, on a flat surface and it seemed to turn the epoxy milky. Was this fine dust or something else?

The hull finish will be paint, but the blemishes will show thru this. I am inclined to use 80 grit in the jitterbug and get aggressive with the surface. I am also inclined to let it go and just accept the surface 'irregularities'. 'Cause eliminating them might exhaust my time budget. I want a good looking job, but I'm not after the 30 hand-rubbed coats effect.

I am tempted to just paint the interior and skip the epoxy steps. After all, it's an indoor piece of furniture.

So I have two problems.

1. How to make the most effective and least time consuming exterior adjustments for an acceptable finish.

2. How to prevent the same problem on the inside.

Thanks in advance for whatever info you might have.

Michael