I’m trying something new and I’m unsure of what the procedure is…
I’m building a set of barister book cases. I’ve decided to do them in a mission style with frame-and-panel sides. I’ve made these before but I’ve never prefinished the panels before. So I stained them last night but now I’m wondering:
Do I put a top coat on them now or do I wait until after the glue up and stain the frames then top coat the whole works? And how do I keep stain from darkening the edges of the panels as I stain the frame or keep it from ruining the top coat if I go that route?
ChuckN and I have nothing of value to add to this discussion.
Replies
And how do I keep stain from darkening the edges of the panels as I stain the frame or keep it from ruining the top coat if I go that route?
Maybe shellac or sanding sealer applied with a small brush would keep stain from penetrating the edges...
anytime I do frame construction, I find i far easier to pre-finish the panel prior to assembly. I know this won't help you much, but I avoid the stain issue by avoiding stain altogether... I let the natural tones of the wood speak for themselves.
Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
The subject of prefinished panels brings up another interesting question. On "The New Yankee Workshop" the other evening, Norm was making a kitchen island, and he advised ordering and using prefinished cabinet grade plywood for the cases, for a major savings in time in the finishing room. I thought "great idea", but I suddenly wonder how you deal with gluing up the cabinets when half of each joint's long grain has finish on it? It's my understanding that getting finish on the joint area renders the glue in that joint practically useless, as it can't form a proper bond to the wood, and simply pops off the finish surface if put under stress.Is this true?
Edited 3/26/2007 6:21 pm ET by Mike_D
Mike,
Build 'em just like the master: "I'll just add a few nails here for strength'" Thwack, thwak, thwak, thwak, thwak, thwak!
Ray
Yes, but...was that "thwack" with his narrow-crown staple gun?, or his 23 gauge pin gun?, or with his 18(and/or 16) gauge brad nailer?, or one of his two finish nailers? (angled or straight), or his.....oh, I lose track...Mike
:)
Mike,
Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.
Ray
I've worked in cabinet shops for about 5 years now. I have built cabinets with pre-finished plywood and never had a problem, but then again, I've never glued a plywood cabinet together either. When building cabinets with sheet goods, I nail the pieces together just to hold the pieces in place, then screw it all together. And, no, I've never had a cabinet fall apart on me. 8^)Laura
doesnt anyone route dadoes anymore for cabinets, how bout rabbits. what about trimming the the finished edges ? I remember the term "glue and screw" and use that practice. Never used prefinished plywood though. does it really save time and maintain appearance? How do you get nice tight connections if finish is in the way?
Hey chuck, I use some of that blue masking tape around the edges of the panels before I finish the rails and stiles. works good with a poly finish. make sure the edges are stuck properly though as stain will leak under the edges. Good Luck, Chris
Chuck,
You're going to need to mask the panels while you finish the frames. If you're spraying the topcoat, then the entire panel will need to be masked. If you're brushing or wiping, then it will be enough to mask the perimeter that is close to the edges.
Personally I would prefer to finish the staining and then spray a clear topcoat over everything at once. But you can also take the panels to completion and then do the frames.
David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e
Okay. So I mask the edges of the panels. How do I get the masking out of dado when I get ready to top coat? And how is all of this making the task of finishing easier if I have to hassle with masking tape?
ChuckN and I have nothing of value to add to this discussion.
Chuck, I never implied that prefinishing the panels was going to make anything easier. It was your premise.
Anyway...don't get the making tape in the dadoes, put it on the exposed part of the panels after glue-up. Yes, it's a hassle.
The only advantage I see to pre-finished panels is that shrinkage later on will not reveal an unfinished sliver of panel. David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e
Sorry Dave,
Didn't mean to sound like I was mad at you or anyone.
You're right; I was under the impression that this was going to make the job easier. I have to learn that, in the woodworking world, the right or best way is not always (and seldom is) the easiest.
I will endevor on.
ChuckN and I have nothing of value to add to this discussion.
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