: Did the glue sticks come out each time without incident?

Perfect question for today. I epoxied 18 yesterday and was all excited to test the stretch-clip pull from the other side method Simeon suggested. I had a few minutes before leaving for work.
This morning it was less than 50 degrees out. The glue stick I grabbed was rigid and snapped right off. All the other tests I did, removing the glue sticks was no problem.

Today I learned this isn't a cold temperature task. I'll know more this afternoon when it warms up. Maybe I'll even hit it with the heat gun. What is the safest high temp for West Systems Epoxy? (I've got an infrared thermometer).

I think the time installing 20 recessed deck fittings would be about two hours, 20-30 minutes to pull out the sticks and sand smooth. Filling and second coats can be done as part of other tasks. Time wise this is a winner project.

I do want lines that I can grab with gloves or mittens on. Raising a 'bump' above deck does seem a little counter productive... For me this is a safety-plus over aesthetics issue. If you don't usually wear gloves, no issue.
I'd like to use balls or spacers--but I've got so many wear through spots on my 6 year old Great Auk, I'm a little reluctant to begin the process. Maybe some kind of plastic or soft wood that would be softer than the Epoxy coat? Any suggestions? from the SOF guys?