How to best finish a large built-in?

[Wakahisa Shinta]

This last weekend, I finished building the boxes for this large built-in bookcase/AV shelf for the living room (size 6' W x 9' H x 2' D each, x2). The backs are not attached. I have been thinking about finishing steps for it, but unable to decide.

I will be spraying EM6500, top coat with EM9000 satin, using a Fuji Q5P with a T75G gun.

Originally, I planed to spray the boxes, backs, base-cab tops, shelves separately, prior to installation. Problem is that the face frames and moldings need to be fitted and scribed during installation. I think taping everything up, masking walls, dust proof the room, just to spray the face frames and moldings is too much work. Spraying the FF and moldings before scribing and nailing them in place leave nail holes to be filled, sanded, and then touched up with a brush, NOT ideal.

Now, I am thinking I should install everything, caulk all the gaps, mask off walls, floor, etc. then spray the entire finished built-in in place. Not really liking over-spray flying back at my face with the backs installed with this option, but it might be the most rational. The built-in is captured between three walls.

My goal is to try to get the best finish that I can manage.

How would the experienced folks here approach this project's finishing?

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[Stew Hagerty]

I think I would prefinish everything, scribe & install the face frame & moldings, then use either a small touch-up sprayer like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 or an airbrush to go over them with a very light touch. That small gun (and others like it) gives excellent coverage with minimal overspray. I use mine all the time. Oh, in fact I have two. I use one for touch-up work like this, and the other one is my go-to shellac gun.

[Wayne Lomman]

I agree with Stew. Finish everything in the shop and do a final touch up after installation. I would paint the back separately but have the carcase assembled before painting. This is the only way to do it professionally. Customers won't put up with spray painting in their lounge rooms. Cheers

[John Blazy]

Totally agree with above great advice, but to add that scribing, cutting, nailing and filling pre-finished cabinetry is commonly done, easy, and if done right will look like its been sprayed on site.

I used to pre-spray my 4 x 8 sheet cabinet backs and then cut to size, and apply later to eliminate blow back inside the cabinets when spraying them too.

Main thing is to mask when cutting to the scribe line. masking protects the wood from your saws bottom and later will be used for caulk masking. Cut right through the masking, and machine to fit well, then using your finger as a margin guage, or use an actual marking gauge, cut back the masking about 1/8" from edge on the FF. Then after installing, mask the wall, and run your caulk bead, and finger it to a nice fillet, then pull the masking.

Filling nail holes is also easy if done right. wipe off excess with alcohol or whatever solvent thins your filler but doesn't affect the finish.

[Wakahisa Shinta]

Thanks for the replies. This built-in is for my own home. I don't do this for a living and therefore, need to think and plan 3 steps ahead for every step taken. Even then, I make plenty of mistakes! I suppose I will stick with the original plan; finish prior to installation. I knew this was going to be a larger project than ones I have done in the past. Surprised! I have a whole garage full of boxes, backs, shelves, and FF lumber waiting to be primed, sand, spray, sand, spray, etc. I have not ever considered drying rack until this project!

Stew, that gun is interesting. Would you happen to know if it will work with a Fuji Spray Q5 Platinum?

John, I will utilize your tip of caulk masking. Didn't know that trick until now.

[Stew Hagerty]

Stew, that gun is interesting. Would you happen to know if it will work with a Fuji Spray Q5 Platinum?

Actually it just plugs into an air hose from a compressor. No HVLP Turbine needed. I have a Turbine for most spraying, pretty much everythjng other than shellac and touch-up. But this inexpensive little gun really does an amazing job. It's super easy to clean, adjusts accurately & simply, holds plenty of material for touch-up, and is light and easy to control. Oh, and you don't need a big compressor to use it. I have just a small pancake compressor and it works perfectly fine.

[Jon Nuckles]

Actually it just plugs into an air hose from a compressor. No HVLP Turbine needed. I have a Turbine for most spraying, pretty much everythjng other than shellac and touch-up. But this inexpensive little gun really does an amazing job. It's super easy to clean, adjusts accurately & simply, holds plenty of material for touch-up, and is light and easy to control. Oh, and you don't need a big compressor to use it. I have just a small pancake compressor and it works perfectly fine.

Stew,
The Amazon page you linked to says the gun needs 5 cfm at 43-50 psi. Does your pancake unit produce that? I have a Rolair JC10 and the specs say it delivers 3.8 cfm at 40 psi and 2.35 cfm at 90 psi. I'm wondering if I can take a chance on this.
Thanks, and I hope this is not a hijack of the thread.
Jon

[Stew Hagerty]

Stew,
The Amazon page you linked to says the gun needs 5 cfm at 43-50 psi. Does your pancake unit produce that? I have a Rolair JC10 and the specs say it delivers 3.8 cfm at 40 psi and 2.35 cfm at 90 psi. I'm wondering if I can take a chance on this.
Thanks, and I hope this is not a hijack of the thread.
Jon

I will check my compressor tomorrow. It's just a small pancake compressor.

[Todd Burch]

I have both pre-finished built-ins before installing and finished after the fact. It's easier, but not necessarily faster, to finish after installation. It's easier because you don't have to concern yourself with scratching the finish, you don't have be as precise pre-fitting parts and you have a multitude of fastener choices and locations.

I will most always pre-finish the interior of closed cabinets before installation.

When I apply a finish after install, depending on where it's installed, I either spray or brush. I've done both. Spraying is fast, but prep is slow and inconvenience to the homeowner is big. Brushing is slow, inconvenience is low and prep is minimal. It's all a trade off. For your own home, brushing (your top coat) after installing (& staining) is probably the best and least expensive option. I brush Pratt and Lambert #38 Varnish, with a quality foam brush, when I brush. 3 coats over 3 days, sanding between coats.

Day 1: Fill, sand, stain
Day 2: 1st coat varnish
Day 3: sand, wipe, 2nd coat varnish
Day 4: sand, wipe, 3rd coat of varnish
Day 5: #0000 steel wool, wax. Done.

Let us know how it goes and take pictures!

Todd

[Hoang N Nguyen]

I did 2 built-ins the same exact size as you're doing now for my home. I installed everything and sprayed all at once when I was done. I masked off everything and picked up some 3 mil plastic to make a curtain wall and went to town. I came out looking like Casper the friendly ghost but I was able to finish spraying both built-ins within 1.5 hrs plus 2 hours of prep. Hooped in the showers after I was done and everything washed off just fine.

[Jim Becker]

I came out looking like Casper the friendly ghost but I was able to finish spraying both built-ins within 1.5 hrs plus 2 hours of prep.

Um...next time we want pictures! LOL

[Hoang N Nguyen]

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Um...next time we want pictures! LOL

Unfortunately, "next time" will come sooner than I'd like. We're building a new home and the fireplace layout is very similar to what we have now. Wife is already on pinterest looking for ideas.

When it comes time for me to do this again, I'll do it the same way. I can man handle the parts when fitting them in without worrying about the finish.

[Patrick McCarthy]

Hoang, pretty sure meant pictures of YOU covered in overspray/ blowback.

Nice work, sir.

[Hoang N Nguyen]

Hoang, pretty sure meant pictures of YOU covered in overspray/ blowback.

Nice work, sir.

I understood what he met and wished I did have pictures of me covered in overspray. It would make for some good laughs.

The picture was intended for the OP to show how I covered the whole project and just sprayed in place.