I to am a fan of thinning epoxy with acetone and not alcohol. I thin the finishing resin 25-30% for the first coat. I lay the glass cloth on the airframe and lightly brush with a drafting brush. That creates a little static electricity to hold the cloth down and smooths out any wrinkles. Then I pour a small amount of thinned resin on the cloth and spread it with a playing card. Light pressure on the card as it will pull the weave of the glass otherwise. The epoxy thinned at 20-30% is almost the consistency of water, so a little goes a long way. I squeege this first layer to a flat sheen. I let that cure, usually just over night in a 65 degree shop and hit it lightly with 100 grit paper. Then I mix up a second batch of epoxy and thin it 15-20%. Again pour on and spread with a playing card. Squeege with the card until the sheen is semi-gloss and let it cure. You will have a thin, strong finishing surface to work from. Lightly sand with 120 grit and you are ready to move onto primers and fillers.