Panel Door Finishing

[David Hawxhurst]

I'm building a couple of doors with cherry stile and rails and using perforated aluminum sheet for the panels (for entertainment center). I've made all the parts and dry fitted to make sure everything fits. My questions is do I take everything apart and finish them before glueing up the doors or do I glue up the doors and tape off the aluminum (panels float and will be held in tight later with some rubber molding on the inside) then finish the doors? I plan on using waterlox as the other panels are all ready finished with it. Door or the only thing left to finish.

[Joe Chritz]

You should be able to tape it off, but I think I would have made them like a glass door and added the AL panel and some applied moulding inside. Especially since you plan on some moulding of some kind anyway.

It is a pain masking off areas but if you aren't doing a lot of them it shouldn't be to much trouble.

Joe

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Joe...treat the metal panels like you would glass.