Replies

1. 
   lordulrich | Oct 27, 2021 10:52am | #1

   I have not used either of the finishes you listed. That said I am a fan of pre-finish. That said I usually only do one coat as a pre-finish and then additional coats after assembly. I figure wood movement is less obvious on frame and panel, finish gets applied in all the corners well and squeeze out is easier to clean up. Plus I find most finishing easier with parts laying flat.

2. 
   _mj_ | Oct 27, 2021 11:56am | #2

   I tape off the areas that will be glued and prefinish all interior surfaces whenever I can. Much easier to get to laying flat and no runs and drips in the corners to fight with.

3. 
   stantheman | Oct 27, 2021 12:32pm | #3

   Sometimes I will stain before assembly and topcoat after. But with oil finishes yes, I like to pre-finish. But I find it really important to tape all the near joint areas again before glue-up, as getting squeeze-out all over is a problem for me. I always end up with a few scratches and dings anyway.

4. 
   jharveyb | Oct 27, 2021 02:00pm | #4

   Fortunately for me, FWW had an article long ago about prefinishing all inside corners and panels before assembly. Much easier than trying to sand and finish into corners (or the tongues of panels already in a groove.) I put a seal coat on everything that will not need to be flushed after glue up or be marred by clamps (and I take a lot of care to do the minimal of that.) Also use a lot of masking tape to minimize glue squeeze out damage. If you use a wipe on finish, wait a day or so for the finish to cure some before gluing, as it needs to not only dry (solvent evaporation) but also cure some so the glue will pop off instead of sticking to the wood. I learned that from experience...
   As to finishes, my preference is Waterlox Original, a wiping varnish. I only use lacquer when I am matching another piece finished that way. (Usually when I do church carving and need to match the pews.) Industry loves lacquer because it is cheap, fast, and easy. Not because it is the best finish. A wiping varnish typically takes more coats than lacquer, and more drying time, but the results are well worth it. See the recent article in FWW about applying and rubbing one out.

5. 
   elmaduro | Oct 27, 2021 02:58pm | #5

   I’d spend the time, effort, and tape to prefinish as much as you can. I haven’t used OSMO enough to know if it will leave an odor inside the cabinet. Maybe someone else knows..

6. 
   Go_Bills | Oct 31, 2021 06:29pm | #6

   I prefer a 50/50 mix of Minwax Satin Polyurethane & Mineral Spirits.

   Use as a wipe on finish, let stand for 20 minutes and wipe down with shop towels. The thinned downed poly will penetrate into the wood grain. Applies quickly and it is easy to manage the runs.