Thread: Finish before glue up?

I'm not sure that most textbooks say this. Some I've looked at certainly suggest it for hard to reach areas - inside cabinets or boxes etc. Others tell you how to do it without suggesting that you should do it. If you watch the woodworking shows, they do this rarely if at all. I've never seen David Marks apply a finish to anything before assembly.

My opinion on it is that applying the finish first is making life very much harder than it needs to be. You have to be so much more careful with glue and clamps and even where you put it while it's drying. I've also yet to make something that didn't require at least a touch of work post-assembly - like a bit of a plane or sand here or there. Maybe I'm just not at that level yet.

So would panels in a frame and panel piece come under that category?

I think it all depends on the piece and the finish used. If you have a box with corners which maybe difficult to get at, and you want to stain it and then apply a clear finish, it would be easier to do the staining before glue up. The problem is avoiding the sections where you want the glue to go and that's a real pain.

If it's just a wipe-on poly or similar, it's far easier to do it after assembly. Even Roger Gifkins (of dovetail jig fame and one of the country's foremost box makers) suggests that his dovetails be cut so that they are slightly pround on the ends. He recommends sanding back after assembly so you obviously can't apply finish before that step.

I'm with Silent on this. Genereally, I'd be finishing 95% of pieces after glue-up.

Ok I think I must have missed the point. I thought it was kind of standard practice. Given that I'm using an orange oil and traditional wax finish, it's probably best that I glue up first. Sweet!

The panel in frame and panel is worth finishing first.
So are the tongues in the lining board backs in a bookcase etc

Originally Posted by LineLefty

So would panels in a frame and panel piece come under that category?

I always finish my panels before glue-up.

I don't but it's a good idea. If the panel moves, you'll see an unfinished bit sticking out. You'd want to make them a looser fit than normal if you were using a hard finish though. I guess with oil it's not going to be an issue.

I suppose with the majority of finishes you could get away with one coat on the panel and then another (or more) after assembly, if you're a bit rough during assembly like I am