: Rob, I have read your advice on glassing so often, I should get
: royalties. I've pretty much adhered to it cept for the 80
: degrees and falling temps etc. I know the silver fleck look
: well!
: What I noticed is the weave pattern transferring through the fill
: coats. Does this ever disappear? I know, read my tips on
: glassing, right? Also, the finish looked incredibly clear and
: glossy indoors but more cloudy outdoors. I was happy with my
: strip pattern and color choice indoors but in the sun, it was a
: bit disappointing; progress, not perfection I spose.
: I'll stop whining now and finish the risers. I count 139, 5/8 wide
: strips. I did get a great tan today!
: Thanks, all, Jim

Well, in order to consistently get a transparent lay-up it is definitely important to work with
high temperatures to keep the resin thin.

I do this ALL the time on my boats and get consistent results. It's been so long since I wet-out
in lower temperatures that I learned the lesson all over again when I wet-out the glass for my soaking tub.

I did everything the way I explain on my web page EXCEPT I glassed with my shop temperature at 70˚
and I had a fair amount of sliver fleck and even a few whitish spots.

If you can work with a resin with a slow hardener, higher temperatures will keep all resins thinner longer
which will allow complete wet-out of all the fibers and will allow air and foam to dissipate.

Epoxy IS weird stuff.

If you have a totally level surface you can flood it with resin and get a glassy smooth surface.

BUT, the slightest incline, like the hull or deck of a boat, and it will run right off following the hills and valleys of
your cloth with each new coat doing the same thing. No, you have to sand it smooth, then coat it again if you want
a nice glassy epoxy coat. Thats what I do. Wet-out, fill coats, rough sand with 60 grit, then apply TWO new coats of
epoxy for a varnish like surface, which is then very easy to finish sand in prep for varnish.

Hey, but really, in a few weeks you'll forget all that when all the women, and few jealous men, surround you
on the beach asking, "did you make that?"

Have fun!

Rob