Overheard a trim carpenter talking about prefinishing at the lumber yard yesterday

I was picking up some maple plywood and this older guy told the clerk he prefinishes every single piece before assembly because "once it's together, it's too late." It hit me how much time I waste sanding and finishing inside tight corners on assembled cabinets. Has anyone else tried doing full prefinish on their face frames and doors before assembly?

2 comments

2 Comments

sean_cooper581mo ago

Wait, he prefinishes every single piece? Even the face frames before assembly? That's insane but also genius honestly. Doesn't that mean you have to be super careful with the glue though, like making sure it doesn't mess up the finish?

spencer7821mo ago

Same here, I used to think prefinishing was way too much hassle and not worth the extra effort. Watched a buddy do a whole kitchen that way and it completely flipped my opinion, the final result just looks so much cleaner with no brush marks in tight corners. You just need to use a little wax or tape on the glue joints and wipe any squeeze-out right away, it's not as bad as it sounds once you get the rhythm down.