Finishing Question

[berry]

I'm building a bathroom vanity. Everything is cut and I've dry fit the pieces and this is the point I always ask this question - should I
assemble the unit and then stain/finish or should I stain/finish and then glue and screw it together.

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I find it a lot easier to put apply sealer, stain and a top coats to small straight pieces rather than a large face frame unit. I have a
nice drying rack that works great for rails and stiles. BUT there is all that taping to do first.

So what's your preferred method and why?

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Thanks for reading.

[chris jay]

I was taught to shellac wash first (3 parts shellac 7 parts denatured alcohol) then stain, then two coats of poly urethane. I used oil base Armor Seal satin finish. Let dry, then VERY lightly sand with 320. Blow off dust instead of cheesecloth. Then assemble. When assembled look for any dings that may need touch up, address them, then apply the last coat of urethane. Also use a foam brush for the urethane going with the grain, and apply in in direction. Doing so lessons the bubbles in the finish. The reasons why, is so the project will be built mostly finished, any flaws addressed, lastly only the finish coat is the last step

[garys]

I like to finish each piece as it gets ready to assemble whenever possible. I use only urethane to finish my projects. I'm not pleased with any other finish. Urethane likes to run if you get it too thick, so finishing each piece when you can lay it horizontally eliminates runs.
Premium wood species don't need any stain, and I feel that if I'm going to build something, why not use a premium species. This way, I can also eliminate the step of staining.

Some projects just don't work well to finish individual pieces, so sometimes I end up finishing them after assembly even though it isn't my preferred way.

My only advice is to do whatever works best for you.

["Wild Bad Bob"]

Berry
I do both depending on the size and complexity of the project. Right now I am in the procces of making an Arts and Craft cabinet for my micro wave. It will be finished prior to assembly, shoot finishing takes longer then making the thing usually!!!! I use premium woods, Walnut, Red Cherry, Decrative Maples or Quatersawn Oaks. I have found dyeing them for the color I want, then a wash coat of thinned oil based poly, buffed with maroon pad, then a pigment stain of color of choice or thinned BLO, really makes the wood grain pop and contrast!!!! Then 2-3 coats of oil based poly or shellac.
Works for me, Bob

[dgale]

FWIW, I do the same when I'm painting a piece - I prime and paint, then assemble, then touch up and apply a final coat...too many nooks and crannies is asking for flaws when you need to apply multiple coats.

[forrestb]

The complexity usually determines it for me. These racks for hanging glasses just had too many glue joints to tape reliably before finishing. I taped them to minimize glue squeeze out and will finish them later.
Forrest
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[rcplaneguy]

Anyone here using HVLP equipment they really like?

["Wild Bad Bob"]

A complex question I think!!! I love machineing wood for a project, dont mind sanding, I dye and stain the wood depending on the project and final color I want. THEN the finish, most are done B4 assembly almost all.
I owned a residential remodeling company the last 15 years, called in to fix hubbies project because he watched too many home redo projects and did not have the patients to finish it. I am anal retintive, even wanted to call my bathroom remodeling company "Anal Retentive Bathroom Remodeling", figured most could not figure it out!!!!!!! Or were Homophopic!!!!!! And would not call me.
I aways have said the "last 25% of a project is 95% of it"!!!!!!!!! DETAIL. DETAIL AND MORE ATTENTION TO DETAIL!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a trditionalist, but up to modern things if they are equal, and faster. I have looked at HVLP units, WoodCraft has one on sale for about 300$, the blue one I think Exolus or something like that. Seen demos, seen Lphv on wood worker shows used, but cant be used for all applications, can the cost justify it? The clean up of it after each coating??
I have a limited budget, if I did not I would buy one and use it where applicable, can you hang stuff to get to all sides? Not "glue" up the when doing an assembled project with finish? For 300$-700$ it , to me would be a luxury item and not useable in most apps. IMHO!!!Bob