Assemble or Finish First?

[Tom Blank]

I'm building a couple of jewelry/treasure boxes for granddaughters – 7 and 9 years old. Boxes are 9” x 6” x 4” with a lift out tray. This is a dry fit test, the top will be cut off after final assembly.

09 Box and Tray.jpg

I have dyed one with Trans Tint (Bordeaux) and one will remain natural, their choices. I have been kicking around the next steps.

Finish before assembly. All flat pieces, no corners to mess with, easier to sand between coats. On the down side, there are a lot of individual pieces to mess with. Any glue squeeze out is easier to clean up. Do you need to keep the finish off the glue joints? That could be difficult if spraying.

Assemble first. Have all those corners to catch drips and runs, tough to sand between coats. Have only two boxes and two trays to manipulate. Would need to be cautious cleaning up squeeze out.

I could brush shellac or lacquer. I do not have any spray equipment, but could use rattle cans. I just read a thread on that issue and have no problem going with Deft or Behlen aerosols.

I’m thinking if I brush it, it's way simpler to finish and then assemble. If I go with the aerosol cans, I could assemble and then finish.

Thoughts and opinions? What have I overlooked?

Thanks,

Tom

[Scott Holmes]

If you do spray, it's much easier to spray the inside surfaces before the top and bottom are attached. That may not work depending on the design.

[Wade Lippman]

If you can do it, it is easier to finish first. But glue will not work on finish. Unless you can accomodate that, you must assemble before finishing.

[glenn bradley]

For inside corners or highly detailed areas, I pre-finish. I use blue painter's tape to mask the areas I will glue. I rarely spray but, that is just a choice not a "good" or "bad" thing. As an added bonus (at least for me because I am 'one with the shellac' glue squeeze out is rarely a problem when squeezing out onto pre-finished surfaces. I use a sharp chisel or razor knife to lift any squeeze out off after about an hour when it has reached that leathery stage.

[John TenEyck]

How about a wiping varnish on the inside, after assembly? No runs, no drips. You could use the same on the outside after you cut it open, of spray it.

John

[Tom Blank]

Thanks gentlemen. I'm not sure which way I'll go on finishing. Right now I have a bigger problem with cupped pieces I just posted on the General Woodworking board.

TB