Tried pre-finishing panels before assembly - total game changer

I've been building cabinets for about 8 years now, always did finish after assembly like everyone told me to. Last month I had a custom kitchen job in Portland with these dark stained walnut doors and the client wanted no visible drips anywhere. So I tried something new - I pre-finished all the panels and interior parts before putting them together. Man, the finish came out so much cleaner since I could lay everything flat and really work the stain in without fighting gravity. Only downside was I had to be super careful with glue squeeze-out during assembly because it won't stick to a finished surface. But I learned that a little blue tape on the glue edges saves you from that headache. Anyone here do this method regularly or am I just late to the party?

3 comments

3 Comments

felix4141mo ago

My buddy Mark tried this on a set of built-in bookshelves he did last year and it went sideways fast. He got too cocky with the glue and didnt tape anything off. When he clamped the panels together, glue squeezed out onto the finished wood and left these nasty white blotches that wouldnt come off. He had to sand down half the shelves and refinish them. Now he keeps a roll of blue tape clipped to his apron at all times like a security blanket. I remember him calling me at like 10pm panicking about it. So yeah youre not late to the party, but you definitely learned the hard lesson that a lot of us figure out after a screw up.

phoenix_bailey1mo ago

Did @felix414 ever hear if Mark finally learned to label his tape rolls too?

samk771mo ago

i mean, is it really that serious? yeah glue squeeze out is annoying but a little sanding and refinishing is just part of the deal sometimes. @felix414 your buddy sounds like he panicked over something that happens to everyone eventually. tape is helpful but not the end of the world if you forget it.