Dan,

I vote for using a squeegee on the first fill coat, then three more fill coats, rolled on, after that, (this is using SystemThree Clear coat which is very thin). Using a squeegee does scrape the epoxy down to the top of the weave, (actually slightly below), but that's why you need three more coats after that. If you are going to use paint versus varnish, you can use some caloidal silica to thicken up the first fill coat.

You still need to be carefull when doing the final sanding, especially if you power sand, like with a ROS. I only lightly power sand the flat surfaces. I hand sand all of the edges, and finish up wet sanding with a block.

Good Luck, GB