No comment on 1 since it's been about 20 years since I paddled a Mill Creek and that was for only 10 minutes or so. 

As far as item 2 goes, don't skip the tape. It's what gives the joint its strength. The fillet mostly just gives the tape a smooth surface to lie on so that it won't fold and cause a stress concentration.

Letting the fillets firm up some to prevent lumps is a good idea that's used by lots of builders, so you're on the right track there.

You can also use a gloved finger lubricated with unthickened epoxy to smooth the tape and underlying fillet while the fillet is soft.

My favorite way to get a perfect taped fillet is to lay down the fillet and immediately paint it with a chip brush dipped in unthickened epoxy to smooth it.. Then, I take the glass tape, roll it up and dip that into unthickened epoxy which I then work into the glass by squeezing the roll in my gloved hands. Finally, I squeeze the excess epoxy out of the roll, unroll the perfeclly saturated tape onto the still soft fillet and smooth it in place with my gloved finger. The excess epoxy gets spread across the bare wood, which you have to eventually cover in epoxy anyway, so there's no waste.

The edges of the tape can be hit with a scraper to get rid of most of the hardened edges, That's much easier than sanding it all. That's how I end up doing almost no sanding on my taped joints.

Finally, if you're painting your boat, you can make a mix of epoxy and phenolic microballoons and lay down a cosmetic fillet over the hardened bumpy ones. Since you won't be covering it with glass, this has a much better chance of ending up smooth and, if it doesn't, it's a lot easier to sand than epoxy/woodflour. The paint will cover it all up and you'll have perfectly smooth fillets.

Good luck,

Laszlo

I appreciate your detailed input re: fillets........I'll have to try that w/the next boat; thanks  

Hey!!!

When it comes to item 2, don't skip the tape. It is this that gives the joint its tensile strength. The fillet primarily serves to provide a flat surface for the tape to lie on, preventing it from folding and causing stress concentration.

Allowing the fillets to firm up a little to avoid lumps is a sensible notion that many builders employ, so you're on the right road there.

While the fillet is still soft, smooth the tape and underlying fillet with a gloved finger greased with unthickened epoxy.

Laying down the fillet and immediately painting it with a chip brush soaked in unthickened epoxy to smooth it out is my favourite approach to get a flawless taped fillet.

Then I take the glass tape, roll it up, and dip it in unthickened epoxy, which I then squeeze into the glass with my gloved hands. Finally, I squeeze out the extra epoxy from the roll, unroll the perfectly saturated tape onto the still soft fillet, and smooth it in with my gloved finger. There's no waste because the surplus epoxy is scattered throughout the bare wood, which you'll have to coat in epoxy anyhow.

Most of the firm edges of the tape may be scraped away using a scraper, which is considerably easier than sanding it altogether. As a result, I don't sand my taped joints nearly as much as I should.

Finally, if you're painting your boat, you can build a cosmetic fillet out of a mixture of epoxy and phenolic microballoons and apply it over the hardened rough areas. Because you won't be covering it with glass, it has a better chance of being smooth, and if it isn't, it'll be much easier to sand than epoxy/woodflour. The paint will hide everything and leave you with absolutely smooth fillets.