Hard Spots in Hull Side

[Capt. Chris]

Hey All,
Project Topaz is still moving along. I'm at the point where the hull is done from the rub rail down. Transom and bracket are finished and the hull is faired and Awlgriped. I noticed some faint hard spots starting to show thru the nice shiny paint, easy to see when looking aft. I did add some ribs on the inside of the hull since the entire hull was gutted and replaced all the stringers. Stringers were soft and since we are going from inboards to twin outboards the new stringers have different spacing and large knee braces against transom.Anyway... The ribs I would eventuly trim down to fasten the hull liner, but for now I'm wondering if I should cut them from the hull and retab? What's the correct procedure to aviod these hard spots. I've grinded and faired this hull for so long to get this beautiful finish that it makes me alittle ill to look down the side, it almost seems like their getting worse. Any suggestions??? Chris

[alan white]

A fairing strip might give some relief as these things often look worse than they really are. Seems while doing things in the right order ensures a near-perfect surface, fiberglass still telegraphs through a bit of the structure.
My suggestion is to let it go, let it go. One mil of variation can jump out when light is cast across a super-glossy surface. It can't be helped. I can sand varnished wood for hours with 1000 grit and lay on the last coat perfectly, and the next day I will see imperfections, often in the form of faint lines perpendicular to the grain, as if such a thing could be due to anything that makes sense. I'd like to know what causes it, but I'm sure I could compound it out if I cared to.
Let's not get too crazy! I'd almost bet your imperfect fairness is not more than a few thousandths of an inch.

Alan

[Capt. Chris]

Alan,
I see your point, thanks. I'm at a stage in the construction where the hull liner in the cockpit isn't build yet, so if I could cut, grind and tab where these ribs meet the hull I might be inclined to fix it before it gets worse. I've become quite close with my sanders and grinders since I started this madness 4 years ago. In the home stretch now.