Conntex,
I really enjoyed building my Pete 'n' Poke. I don't remember any inordinate amount of sanding or carving. I really liked the way the kit went together.
I covered my kit with Monokote before installing the struts. I just painted the exposed part of the struts with fuel-proof paint and then gave them a coat of clear Lusterkote. They look fine and have held up well. Make sure you get an incidence meter to set the wing incidence. It's easy to do by shimming the top of the struts.
Flying this plane is the best part. It looks great in the air and is easy to handle. It's one of those that everybody else will want to try once they see it go. Best of luck to you!

papermache