Staining Before or After Gluing?

[Bill Borchers]

I'm building my first real piece of furniture - a Morris Chair. I'm very paranoid about getting glue all over my unstained wood. Does anybody stain first, then glue? What are the pros/cons of staining first?
Thx, Bill

[Steve Schoene]

While there are some items that are good to prestain--such as spindles or solid wood panels in frame and panel construction, generally staining after assembly is far superior. It is often necessary to "tweek" the surfaces after glue up--to bring rails and stiles exactly flush for example. If you have stained this becomes a serious challenge.

Remember there is a simple way of telling whether you have left glue on a surface. Just wipe the piece down with naptha or mineral spirits. This will quickly reveal the glue.

[Steve Clardy]

I always stain after assembly

[Jesse Cloud]

I'm with Steve on this one, mostly.

There are a few times when staining or finishing first makes sense:

- when the piece will have some places that are very hard to get to, e.g., small drawers and it will be hard to apply finish evenly

- when the piece will move, e.g. finish the panel in a raised panel door before assembly, or when it shrinks, you will see bare wood

- a variation on #1, when you expect some squeezeout at assembly time and it will be difficult to clean out of that tiny corner.

If you are looking for something that will protect the piece from glue, stain doesn't offer much. A finish that builds a film (varnish, shellac, poly) will keep the glue from penetrating and let you pop the glue off with a sharp chisel.

Bottom line, don't sweat it. If you want to finish first, go for it, but be prepared to do a little touch up after assembly.

[Bill Borchers]

Thanks for the great feedback guys!