I'm refinishing a bathtub, and one option was to use epoxy. I went with that option partially because it'd be a good way to gain some epoxy experience. I have a couple of questions that some of the epoxy experts here might be able to answer.

1) The instructions say to mix equal parts, stir well, then wait for one hour before applying. This still allows for a thre hour pot life. Why the wait?

2) It says to brush or spray on, do not use a roller. Why? It seems like I could get a nice finish with a good roller, as I have with enamel in the past. Is it bubbles from the roller that drives this?

3) Even by moving the brush slowly and carefully, some bubbles occur. They are visible as we apply the epoxy (it's consistency is about like a good enamel paint). Temp is not changing, the bubbles aren't forming after brushing on.

4) There were some fish eyes where the old silicone sealant was. The tub was cleaned with 30% HCL, and still the slicone seems to have left some residue. The fisheyes were cleaned with lacquer thinner after the first coat of epoxy cured, and that seems to have fixed most of the fish eyes. What is the best solvent to remove silicone?

5) After cure, there are some mild brush streaks. Should I attempt to wet sand and rub / polish to even out the surface? Wil I be able to use polishing compound to get a high gloss finish?

Thanks for any help. I know this isn't a boat, but the info may be usefull to kayak builders, and I know most of you guys enjoy a challenge.