> No, no no. NOT thinned epoxy. Regular viscosity. No need to thin
> it.

> Since you are coating top, sides and bottom of every part it
> helps to think through what you are going to paint first, second,...
> etc. You'll want to figure out how to support the frame while the
> epoxy sets.

> This raises my frame about 4 feet off the ground. I do't have to stoop
> while painting it, and I can get under it easily to paint the undersides
> of pieces. If you have sawhorses, just cover the crossbars with Saran.

> Usually I'll flip the frame and cover the bottom first. The first
> parts I cover are those areas that the frame will rest on when I flip
> it upright. After that I start at one end and work to the other. When
> the bottom is done I flip it upright, to do the sides and tops of
> all parts. Usually, somewhere along here, I find a spot that is underneath
> something that I missed before. This is where it is convenient to
> be able to get under things.

> Another thought is to put at least one coat of epoxy on the parts
> before you assemble them. After assembly you either put on the second
> coat over the entire frame, or, if you have already put two coats
> on the parts, just touch up the joints, and other areas where you
> might have cut through the surface of the wood with tools or fasteners.
> My references suggest this method.

> Sanding cam be minimal. Most of the boat is covered with fabric
> and the frame is not seen. Just sand off any lumps or bumps on the
> outside of the stringers which might cause extra wear on the skin.
> If you are planning to do a fancy job in the cockpit, then you might
> want to do more careful sanding there.

> Epoxy is pretty flexible. I doubt that it will crack. I understand
> polyester is much stiffer. I have some scraps of fiberglass fabric
> that have been saturated with epoxy. These are from pieces that I
> trimmed off after covering the hull of my canoe. I can roll them up
> around pencils, and unroll them without any sign of cracking. If it
> won't crack with that kind of flexing, it won't crack until the wood
> it is on snaps. I have heard of people using epoxy saturated fiberglass
> cloth as a skin for covering their skin/frame kayaks. (By the way,
> I`m interested in knowing how durable that is. A translucent cover
> that shows off the frame could be neat.)

> There are some varnishes that stretch a bit more than others.
> Doesn't hurt to use that brand. You don't need a lot of coats. For
> that matter, I can't think why you would need any varnish at all.
> The skin of your kayak is going to provide all the UV protection that
> wood is going to need. Maybe in the cockpit, and on the coaming you
> might want to put a couple of coats of varnish, but I'd say buy the
> smallest can, and plan to use most of it on other projects.

> Before finishing the frame I coated with epoxy the parts that
> I had assembled. After installing a few more pieces I thought I'd
> try just covering them with varnish. Bad idea. After two years I can
> very clearly see where the varnish has not done diddley in protecting
> the wood. The areas covered with varnish only have cracked and the
> wood underneath has weathered. The epoxy coated areas ( which also
> got a coat of varnish) are still bright and shiny, looking like fresh-sawn
> wood. Now that I can afford to put a skin on that frame I'm going
> to sand off all that varnish, and seal the wood with epoxy.

Thank you for all the great advice, I appreciate it.