: The problem with cove and bead is that it was popularized with
: canoe building which does not have the shear curves, bends and
: convex shapes that kayaks incorporate. When you do flush strips,
: just over-bevel a tiny bit favoring the outside joint.

: If you do a pre-wet with water on your kayak, you might be
: surprised that it will look a lot better than you might have
: imagined. the wood will darken and the spaces or gaps will be
: way less noticeable. You can still fill a few but going over the
: whole thing with water putty� is asking for disaster. Elmers
: wood filler comes in about 5 color tones, sands easily and is
: water soluable. I would try that if you have some larger gaps or
: with wood slivers filling gaps individually.

: If it's a kayak your building, just let the epoxy fill any gaps on
: the bottom and just take care of the bow and stern end sides and
: the deck. Those are the areas that are most seen.

Your observations on wood putty are spot-on; I had my reservations, but that's what was recommended on my first build - and it's not a purty effect! Luckily, I was going for 'rustic' on that one, and it floats, so... all's good.