I enjoy building kits and have built quite a few over the years. I have done 5 or 6 in fiberglass cloth and polyester resin. They came out fine, but it can involve a lot of wet sanding. As i get older, I am also getting lazier. My question is, is the z-poxy system of covering with epoxy and fiberglass cloth easier than polyester resin? Does it sand easier? Is it durable? Easy to paint? Thanks in advance for your help.

I think it is easier then resin but I switched over to using Deft Sanding Lacquer Sealer to lay down my glass a few years ago and won't go back to either. The only problem is the stink of the stuff. I have also done a model just using a couple coats of the Deft on the finished model, lightly sanded then used water based Poly to do the glassing. It worked very well but I like using just the deft from start to finish. If you want to give it a try I will give you more detailed instructions. It's cheap too and sold at my local hardware store, Lowe's. Once you try the Deft it is hard to ever go back. It requires very little sanding before painting, just finish sanding with fine grit. You need ventilation though or it will knock you over with the stink!!

Not to bash the Deft method, but I tried using it on a sample and I could easily peel up the glass that I put it down with, not exactly something that I liked.

I just finished glassing a large warbird with Z-poxy and I am pretty impressed with the results. After it cures out, it dry/wet sands easily and doesn't clog the paper up. I mix it 1 part resin,1 part hardener, 1 part alcohol, this helps it flow out and keeps from putting on too much.

Before priming I wiped the whole plane down with lacquer thinner and just started spraying. Use a high quality primer for automotive applications (no rattle can) and you won't have a problem with the paint not sticking down the road. I'm planning on a Klass Kote finish for this one.

I have used both the poly design and epoxy system over the years. Both have their advantages.

Honestly I don't sand much at all with either system. My methods are below.

Polyester resin method:

I mix my resin (sig finishing resin) this way: 1 ounce resin, 1 ounce MEK, and 20 drops of hardener. Yes most brands say 10 drops. Mix the resin and hardener first, then add the MEK.
Using a 1 inch camel hair brush I then brush the resin on the cloth. Start in the middle and work out. The consistency of the resin is more like milk. You should be able to glass one side of a wing panel in about 5 minutes. Once done, clean brush with MEK and do another panel.
This stuff dries in about 30 minutes.
Next dry sand the cloth lightly to take the glaze off with 220 grit garnet paper. Do not wet sand. Apply another coat of resin the same as the first.
Let dry and dry sand once more lightly to take the glaze off with 220 paper.
Brush on 2 coats of primer and let dry. I use PPG K-36 personally.
Normally I could do a set of wings and stabs in a day from bare wood to primer. This was back when we were building BVM jets on a regular basis.

Z-poxy resin method:

Mis resin per instructions.
Spray the cloth with a light coat of 3m77 spray adhesive and lye and work in place on part.
Pour a small bead on the cloth beginning in the middle . Using a playing card squeegee the resin all over the part.
Once it is fully covered, continue to squeegee all resin off. You should be able to touch the surface with dry fingers and not stick to it at all and get almost no resin residue on your fingers.
When dry, sand with 220 garnet dry lightly.
Repeat the resin procedure as above to include the primer.

I prefer e poly system as it is faster, but does smell. If you can handle the smell it is the answer.

Sorry to hear you didn't like the Deft system. I have never had a problem with the glass lifting using it, mater of fact the last two glassed planes I crashed didn't look that bad as I walked up to them, the glass was on so well it was holding all the wood together so they looked better then they really were. I'm getting this one ready to paint too using both the old Hobby POxy and Klass Kote. Waiting on the yellow KK but just started setting it up. I have used both primer and un-primed and found the KK sticks very well without the primer. I just wipe them down with lacquer thinner and paint. After doing the weave filler coat there is nothing to fill with primer. The Deft leaves a nice smooth finish on the plane without even sanding marks, it's very smooth and blemish free. In the photos I was just testing the old Hobby Poxy hardener part B with the Klass Kote blue. I have to mount the plastic wind screen over the fuse before painting so I can use a filler to blend it into the fuse then mask and paint. Going to try to brush on the main KK color this time instead of using a spray gun then do the other three colors with an air brush.
I just find the Deft easier for me then either the poxy or resin. I am using the Poxy to make the glass cowls though. I do like the Z-poxy for making glass cowls much better then the Deft. Deft is pretty hard on the foam plug!!

Thanks for all of the replies. Each method has it advantages and disadvantages. Maybe I will pick up some Z-poxy and try a test sample. I already have the polyester resin. I can pick up a small can of Deft and try that. I imagine the Deft method would require a near perfect blemish free surface with no small scratches or dents in the wood as these would show up? (remember, I am lazy) How tough would the deft finish be when completed? The polyester resin is a royal pain to complete but it is super-tough. ..........thsanks again

I find deft as strong as any other way of laying down glass. I only use it with 1/2 oz and 3/4 oz glass though. If I'm going glass a center section on a wing with the thicker glass I use an epoxy. Any surface to be glassed should be as clost to perfect as you can make it because it will show up every bump or dent. Looking at a plane glassed with deft and light glass it looks like raw wood. I found a section where I didn't get the wing sheeting glued perfectly and missed it when filling the imperfections.
You slather on two coats of deft over the wood first then smooth sand. Then you lay on the glass as you would normally do but with a paint brush. I will put on from three to 5 coats, the deft gasses off and leaves behind very little weight. For the final coat I mix the deft about 50/50 with baby powder or talc. I let it sit for 24 hours then finish sand. When you are no longer removing any powder stop sanding! The finish coat is just to fill in any weave the deft didn't get. I usually only need three coats but I have had to go as high as four. Very easy to work with.

Thanks Gray Beard.........I'll give it a try and see what happens.