Need HVLP finishing advice!

[Ian Funk]

I recently got a job making some display cabinets for a local business. Basically it will be one large cabinet 45"H x 60"W x 18"D within that cabinet will be cubbies roughly measuring 15" by 15". Just imagine it being 3 cubbies high by 4 cubbies wide if that makes sense. I recently acquired an HVLP gun and have some experience on it but am no pro. I'm not sure if I should prefinsh all parts before assembly or put it all together and then finish it. I'm leaning more towards prefinishing everything, the only thing is I will be attaching a face frame. Usually if I attach a face frame I go over it with my RO sander flushing out any spots and sanding/scraping off any squeeze out on the shelves and outside of the carcass. So if I did prefinish the parts I would be removing some finish on spots were the face frame meets the cabinet. Which I guess I could just go back over with finish since it is out front more? Any help would be greatly appreciated, if you have any questions just ask. Thanks!

[John TenEyck]

I would design the cabinet so that the face frame overhangs the sides of the cabinet slightly, 1/8", 1/4", whatever. Then I wouldn't have to worry about the face frame being flush with the sides, or making it so. Then you can pre-finish everything, assemble it, and be done. You wouldn't even have to remove the finish of the front edges of the cabinet carcase to glue on the face frame if you use a spline or biscuits.

If that concept is a no go, and the face frame and sides have to be flush, then I'd assemble the face frame and cabinet carcase, flush them, and finish it as one unit. I'd design the cubbies so that I could still finish all those parts separately, and then slide them into the finished carcase, either separately or as an assembled unit, whatever makes more sense.

John

[Ian Funk]

The cubbies will be built in so I cant really slide them in separately. There will be a little overhang on the sides and tops of the cubbies but they wanted it flush on the bottom to were they can slide things in and out of them. I also usually just glue and clamp my face frames on.

[Tom M King]

Will it have a back on it?

[Ian Funk]

Yes, but I will be finishing that separate and putting it on last.

[Tom M King]

That will help a lot with spraying. Make a few practice cubbies out of scrap, and don't worry about what they look like. Use those to find the rhythm with the gun before you spray the real ones. I'd finish the face frame on it, and then spray it.

[John Blazy]

I did a huge library back in 91 - 92 or so, and hated the blowback I get from spraying interiors of cabinets. So I pre-sprayed all the cabinet backs - 1/4" oak veneer plywood. I stained the 4 x 8 panels, then loaded up conversion varnish, and put a big tip in my accuspray HVLP gun. Sprayed a whole 4 x8 sheet in three passes.

Glad I did that. I cut the veneer ply with my XL4000 negative hook laminate blade (ZERO bottom tearout on veneer ply). Then shot the backs into the bookcases.

I think I pre-sprayed the cases too. Then pre-finished the face frame woodwork and shot them on with PL Premium polyurethane glue. Then installed with pre-finished crown molding. Done deal. Pre-finishing is a real time saver.

Any issues after install can be hit with touch up.

[Ian Funk]

Thanks for all the help I think I'm going to make a test box and see how it goes. If that doesn't go well ill just prefinish everything.