Working with Epoxies Part III is just a continuation of part II The easiest fiberglass that I have found to work with is 1 1/2oz Matt and 10oz cloth. Alternate layers. Poor man's vacuum bagging can be done on large flat surfaces for sandwich construction using polyethylene film, duct tape and a shop vac. A word of caution about fiberglass. Although I am one of the lucky ones and can swim in it without itching there is ample evidence to suggest similar health problems to asbestos with inhalation of fiberglass. Even for small work or cutting I use a full respirator if working with glass. The best place that I have found to buy glass is Noah. If someone has a cheaper source lets hear it. For wood saturation. Many say don't thin epoxies for this work as you don't get a good layer. This is all true if you use a fast epoxy. Fast epoxies tend to trap solvents in the resin that later migrate and leave the work porous, blushed or blistered. The 127/350 combination or the table top resins are so slow that the solvents have enough time to evaporate pretty well before the resin sets up. That is, in thin watery layers. I thin with denatured alcohol or ethyl acetate for this work. You need only about 10-15% alcohol to thin to a watery consistency. Some air movement over the work tends to aid greatly in solvent removal. Epoxies raise the grain so plan on light sanding and recoating when you are done. If you are laminating woodwork, saturate the wood, let it cure, sand the grain, then laminate. If you do not, the wood will absorb all the resin and leave you with a weak joint. A word about subsequent layers of resin. One of the best things about using the 350 hardener or the table top resins is the absence of blush. They are slow enough and blush resistant enough to just wipe down with some alcohol and recoat with another layer of epoxy without sanding. The bottom layers will not be fully cured for a couple of days. That gives plenty of time to work and the next layer can bond chemically as well as mechanically. Epoxy putties can be made using glass bead (easy to sand) Cabosil (tough thick and hard to sand) Mica(smooth as silk and easy to sand) talc (cheap, adds build, medium sanding) or any combination. I have used burnt rice hulls but they are not available that I know of to the general public. Burnt rice hulls and Mica make for butter smooth fairing compound that is bubble free. The pilothouse on my boat was done in eastern white cedar (very light and strong) saturated with epoxy then laminated and covered with epoxy glass. The house was then faired with epoxy compounds and coated with one part Alkyd Urethane paint. The exposed cedar was sanded to the grain the coated three times with clear Cetrol. A final word. Once you tackle a job of repair or building once using decent epoxy and a little knowledge you will never be afraid of damage, cutting a hole in something or repair again. You will install something and say to yourself. "Well if I don't like it there I can always move it and repair the hole in short order". My boat can be seen at http://groups.msn.com/TrawlerMV/piouspuffin.msnw