Hey everyone,
I’m building some kitchen cabinets and was wondering what order of operations I should use in finishing.
The cabinet cases are of one side maple melamine and one side birch plywood. This was by request. The outsides, frames, drawer front, and doors will all be painted white (with my new Fuji spray SE4). What I’m wondering is if I should paint the face frames before I install them or not?
On one side if I spray them beforehand they will be a little unwieldy to manage and could get mared upon mounting to the cases. On the other hand, if I mount the face frames to the case first, will masking be a nightmare. What is the best way?
Replies
I've done it both ways and I prefer the assemble then spray method. It seems easier for me to sand the frames when they're attached to the box.
You can make overspray shields form hardboard, foam or cardboard that fit inside of the cabinet up against the face frame.
I do the doors laying flat on a pin board that spins on a lazy suzan...works great.
"I never met a man who didn't owe somebody something."
Jeff
How do you usually mask off the interior of the cabinet? Wouldn't you have to leave the back off the cabinet to get the insides of the face frame?
Maybe I'm missing something or making harder than it has to be. I just don't want to get myself in a jamb. As I said before, these will be painted. The bookshelf project I just finished was with a Zissner primer (thick as molasas) and Benjamin Moore latex enamel. The latex (thinned about 20% worked pretty well but I still had to have the air up pretty high. Also it was a tricky balance b/w coverage and runs on the vertical surfaces - I am addmitedly a novice at spray finishing. The Zissner primer while I'm sure is a good primer was incredibly viscous. There must be something better for spraying.
There are many different quality spray guns with different cap sizes. I do not have difficulty spraying paints, but I invested a good sum of money in my spray system, as I use it alot.
I am not a finishing guru, and there are several guys who frequent this section who will certainly guide you with knowledge of the system you are using. I was simply stating that finishing before assembly is much more difficult, in my opinion, to achieve professional results than after construction is complete.
If you don't get the answers you need here, you should check out Jeff Jewitt's website, homesteadfinishing.com. You'll certainly get pointed in the right direction, and will be let known if the spray gun you're using is adequate for the finishing materials you are using.
Jeff
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