The Wampum VM received its first coat of epoxy and fiberglass today! Well, OK, it received its only layer of fiberglass, but the first of probably three coats of epoxy. Pouring the epoxy over the white cloth is magical. The cloth disappears and the wood takes on a saturated look. Here are pictures from today's adventures: I used one piece of cloth with a slit cut in it instead of two overlapping pieces. It just makes for a nicer finish with less sanding to do. I trimmed it with about an inch or two overhang.  Here is a lesson in why you MUST examine your faired hull closely BEFORE applying the epoxy. I had inadvertantly scratched the hull with a knife at one point. I immediately sanded it off, but clearly not well enough. Take a close look after you fair your hull for any scratches. If the wood fibers are torn, then it will show up. Ugh!! At least most of this scratch will be under the bottom paint, so no worries. This was the best part of the hull af...

The epoxy filler on the Sun Wind II RC sailboat dried completely by the next day, and then I was able to sand it. The Interlux Primekote 404/414 filler is wonderful stuff. It sands much more easily and finely than epoxy. It allows you to get a plasticy-smooth finish that when painted will look amazing. You actually end up sanding most of it off. It may look a bit blotchy, but that's because it has filled some of the low spots and scratches. The scratches you see in white are actually scratches in the epoxy underneath that have now been filled and sanded smooth. Pretty cool, huh? The pictures below are after the hull has been sanded and then wiped down with a damp rag to remove the dust. (By the way, this job gets messy! Best if you wear a mask!!)   More later. Aloha!