: Depending on the answers I get, I should be ready to varnish. Question is,
: how nice of finish do I need on my epoxy? I've smoothed things out with
: 6o-grit on the ROS, then ran 80 & 120 lightly over everything to
: minimize the swirls. There are still swirls, just smaller. Can I expect my
: varnish (Pettit Flagship) to behave like the epoxy and erase those swirls,
: or need I treat the epoxy like wood and get it as blemish-free as
: possible?

: Note: I applied some varnish to a small area for a test, and it appeared to
: take care of the swirls. But it was just a small area, and my eyes aren't
: what they used to be. Looking for advice before I go further. The varnish
: isn't cheap, and I suspect removing it is not so much fun!

: Todd

Don't be in a hurry. Yes, it's the home stretch but what you do now can make your boat go from looking okay to great.

Take a STRONG spotlight and place it at a low raking angle to the surface you are looking at on your hull. Look at a small area at a time no bigger than 24" X 24". Wet the surface with a sponge and wipe off the excess. Look carefully for scratches. If you see them, they will show up through your varnish.

Try sanding out the scratches with 120 on the ROS. DON'T try to "erase" the scratches with an edge of the sanding disk, run the sanding disk flat over the surface and move over a larger area. Repeat the water wash. If the scratches are gone move on. If not, you need to go over them with 80 grit. Then 120.

When you feel the whole surface is a consistently sanded 120 grit level, then hand sand with 220 wet/dry paper and water. Sand an area and wipe off with a wet sponge. You will enjoy this because you can feel the grit cutting and the finished surface will give your varnish a glass surface.

Rob

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.
~Attributed to Harry S. Truman