See the discussions on microballons with the last comment on Feb. 11. You didn't say if you are planning to use it to fill in a weave or just to seal the wood. Keep in mind that it may take more than two coats to fill the weave.

Thank you for directing me to the February 11 post.  Very helpful.  Yes, I do plan to use the microballon mix to fill the weave.  I just wasn't sure if the microballon mix was acceptable as a first coat on bare wood and how to apply it. 

Perhaps my confusion stems from a lack of understanding about the word "fairing."  I noticed that Lazlo used the word "fairing" in his post.  What does that word mean in the boat building world? 

"Fairing" a hull or other surface means eliminating "waviness" or undulations in the surface.  This is done by knocking off the tops of the waves , or filling in the low areas, or both.

If you have waves in the surface that are 2 feet from peak to peak, then a sanding block that's 4 inches long won't make it less wavy.  That is because when it hits a trough it will make the trough deeper.

So, for knocking off the tops, a fairing board is used.  A fairing board is just a long sanding block.  It is at least as long as the waves.  So when the front is grinding down one wave top, the middle is not touching the trough which would make it worse, and the back is grinding down the next wavetop.

(Fair means "pretty", handsome, pleasing, or beautiful. A fair maiden is a pretty girl.  A fair surface is a pretty surface, so fairing a hull means "making it pretty".)

Thank you Camper for that excellent explanation.  

Thank you Camper for that excellent explanation.  

You're welcome and thanks for asking a good question!  Boat-building's like any old trade or hobby, it's got a funny language of it's own and you have to ask or you will never learn it.