So I’m at the final epoxy fill and sand stage of my Petrel Play strip build. I did a squeegee second fill coat, then long board leveling , then I rolled on 2 thin coat West 105 and 207 with RO sanding in between and have a nice level surface at this point no bubbles, pinholes or dust bunnies.
The issue (or maybe not a big deal) is There are a few spot where I slightly sanded to the weave with 80 grit run (just touching the top, see photo below}. How are you seasoned folks dealing with that? I’m guessing multiple coats of varnish will fill those fairly well . But my inclination is to fill those with thin “spot” of epoxy and then sand/blend in. But I’m getting a bit of “finish fatigue” and wonder if that’s worth it. With temps in my shop running mid 60’s without cranking heat ($$$)it takes a while for the epoxy to get to sanding cure
With weather getting nice I’m dying to put this baby on the water !
Ahoy William,
No intention to step on your toes but, take all of your 80 grit paper and put it back into the cabinet. You are doing finish work now - 80 is too aggressive for this stage. You are working on “floating furniture” and it is looking pristine.
If this is a small area you are addressing, then hand sanding is in order (elbow grease). This is no chore for a young energetic woodworker as yourself and you would be able to hear your tunes in the background.
Carry on …
Grandpa, , ha! I may still be somewhat energetic, but definitely no spring chicken
But I do appreciate the feedback.
l may not have clearly described my sanding schedule here (and I do come from furniture cabinet work) .
I was following Nick Schades petrel play deck fill and sanding process , where after the initial wet and fill, he does squeegee fill, rolls on additional thin coat (while first fill is still tacky) then longboards that with 80 grit, then ROsand with 80 and medium pad.( I did try 120 grit at that point to play it safe, but wasn’t getting anywhere leveling off the minor dips and high spots )
Then he switches to 120 grit and soft interface pad which is where I am today. The few places where I sanded to weave happened in that last 80 grit stage. I was able to do the whole boat with the 120 today without sanding thru any additional spots and the surface is very smooth and ready for final 220 sand before varnish (and paint for part of the hull )
I’m sure with Nick’s 1000’s of hours under his belt he’s able to walk the fine line between leveling and hitting the weave and I’m not there quite yet (understatement of the day).
So would you lay down a thin coat of epoxy just over the exposed weave and then “carefully” blend with sanding block or will varnish adequately fill that?
Hi William - Since you come from the furniture/cabinet side of fine finishes, you know the type of finish you are striving for on this project and in that respect, I am with you.
IF it was Grandpa’s boat, he would thin coat with epoxy and feather out the edges as best as possible - then whatever final finish you will employ and it will be a good recovery.
After that, if you get any snide remarks for an onlooker - push him off of the dock ! (Grandpa !! you know better than that)
Dave
Before you add any epoxy, wipe it down with denatured alcohol. If the weave pattern disappears while it’s wet, you don’t have to do anything - you haven’t actually sanded into the weave, just extremely close to it and varnish will also make it disappear.
If the weave pattern stays visible while wet with alcohol, it will never go away, even if painted with epoxy. The only way to get rid of it is to pull up the glass and replace it or paint it.
Laszlo
ditto what laszlo says:)
assuming you pass the laszlo test, the only thing you need to sort out is if you have a fare surface or a gouge that shows an uneveness.
if you have a gouge, i would add some epoxy and re-fare it. varnish is not a great filler…
but as you and even nick suggest, at some point you need to sort out whether you want to go kayaking or you want to keep polishing. as i have gotten older, i have tended to bend to getting out paddling 
it takes the edge off of the first time you scratch the boat when you didn’t go for the mirror finish look…
i have a funny story…not funny at the time…about a boat i put a polished varnish finish on…looked like a high end coffee table… and then ran it into some rip rap on its maiden voyage putting a three foot tear into the bottom. got quite a chuckle from my paddling buddies…last time i ever did a polished varnish finish on a boat…been there, done that
h
Howard,
I can clearly picture you heading out to sea in a museum quality craft and returning somewhat crestfallen. To that point, I have to remind myself that when watching a Nick S. build, it is often for a client, and also demonstrating all the materials and methods as benchmark for all of us aspiring builders. As my first build I had to reign in the desire to make a work of art and focus on building the skills and accept that it was going to be a learning experience, and a great kayak at the end.
So with Laszlo’s advice, I wet the the area with DNA and all is clear. So today push forward with the final sanding with 120-220 and get ready to varnish and paint. I am painting most of the hull up to the cheater strips as the stained paulownia wood I used doesn’t look that great and I actually like the look of painted hull with bright deck
Our pond is thawed and ready for an initial “sea trial”
