: Pete,

: Thanks for the response. I guess my real question is - Do I need to sand at
: all? Is there any reason that I shouldn't epoxy/fiberglass right over the
: raised grain?

: Thanks,

: Bill

Bill:

I would recommend doing a test piece with stain and fiberglass and seeing if the bond between the raised grain and glass is good enough as well as the finish. Maybe take a few glued strips and stain half and leave the other half no stain and then glass - see if there is a difference.

The combination of glass and epoxy to fill the weave may be enough to counteract the surface roughness from the raised grain. test it first so you don't have to potentially rip all the glass off your boat afterwards if you don't like the results.

please report back as I've considered staining also.

Pete czerpak albany, NY