I have just completed (but not finished) 22 shaker style frame and panel doors. The frames are hard maple, the panels 1/4 maple ply (This matters for my second question.) 10 doors are 20×30, 12 measure 20×38. I have drilled the 35mm cup holes. I will spray all the doors. I have two questions (that apply to this post):
1) Is there an efficient way to suspend (or otherwise manage) the doors to facilitate spraying all 6 sides? I was thinking that maybe I should use a screw in the hinge screw holes, and a wire from a rod. But you may know a better way. (Garage shop, no spray room or booth; limited drying area.) I figure a batch of 4 or 5 doors.
2) I ran all the doors through a drum sander 120/150/180/220 grit with 2 passes at each grit, one additional at 220. In a raking light I can still make out very fine vertical scratches on the rails. My finish schedule will be two coats of amber overprint sealer followed by two of semi-gloss clear poly. Is it likely that the scratches will catch color as they might if I were using a pigmented stain? In other words, I’m wondering whether you think I need to sand the rails. I know that I can test, but I hate to do the whole-shop dust removal trick twice, or load the sprayer for a test piece, then clean it up if the scratches show. I put mineral oil on one of the rails, and the scratches don’t amplify, but are still visible in the raking light.
I want to finish the doors, set them aside, and then assemble and finish the boxes. I don’t have the room to assemble the boxes first.
Thank you for your help.
Bob
Replies
Bob,
1) My shop runs a lot of these doors thru an oscillating drum sander at 180 grit, but we still go over the frames lightly with a hand orbital at 180 or 220 just to take out the scratches on the rails. On a clear finish it doesn't show, but anything tinted may pick them up.
2) Do not spray them any way except lying flat. Improvise a turntable to work on and a drying rack to hold all 22 doors, one above the next. By the time you've sprayed number 22, then the first should be dry enough to turn over and spray. We give a light coat to the edges on every spray run. No drips and they end up with the same amount of finish as the faces.
DR
DR
Thank you.
Your suggestions sounds like the way I'll go. So I'll spend a bit of time on infrastructure.
Bob ,
Finish sand to 220 with a orbital or what ever finish sander you use . The wide belt sanders will leave crossgrain lines on the rails . The oscillating models such as Ring uses leave fewer scratches on the rails . One main difference from custom and factory modular doors is the crossgrain scratches immediately visible to the trained eye . Don't save time here , remember the doors are like 90% of what you see . I was taught , " the part you see first do best " Typically wide belt sanders do not eliminate hand sanding , but largely decrease the amount of it .
dusty
Thanks. I followed your advice (and Ring's) and sanded both the rails and stiles (thought they'd look better with consistent scratch). There is a definite improvement in their appearance! They looked good before, now they look great.
I finished building a drying rack (thanks again, Ring), but we're calling for rain this weekend, and I don't know whether spraying water-base is a good idea--I'll call the supplier.
Dusty (or others) I noted in an older thread that you use pocket screws for plywood. I'm using 11 or 13 ply 3/4 birch and plan to use pocket screws, titebond II and butt joints for the carcasses: 38 inches high by 40 inches wide, three tiers 14/16/18 deep. Is there any reason I that I should be worrying about strength of the boxes?
Thank you again for the help and advice.
Bob
Bob,
You're right about problems when spraying water-borne finishes in areas where high-humidity conditions exist. The same goes for cool (less than 10 degrees C) weather. Now that I've converted wholly to water-borne finishes (I use Target's product line most of the time, but have had good luck with Fuhr) I spray in my basement shop, using a portable spray booth I made. See Bob Flexnor's (spelling?)excellent book on finishing for details on the spray booth...
Marty S.
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