Drilling Shelf Holes: Before or after finishing plywood panels?

[Jim Kaczmark]

Simple question this time... from your past experiences, would you drill your shelf holes into plywood to be used for shelf sides before or after finishing of the plywood. Guess the question is would you feel the overspray from finishing alter the hole dimension too much.
Thanks,
Jim

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Jim, when I'ved made cabinets from BB plywood with shelf pins, I've drilled the holes first, and driven the sleeves into the cabinet after finishing.

Regards, Rod.

[Jamie Buxton]

Overspray doesn't change the hole diameter enough to matter.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Spraying really shouldn't matter; I would drill before. It's brushing on a finish where the shelf pin holes present a problem with finish accumulating in them.

[Joe Scharle]

I don't spray, instead I wipe-on. After each coat, I twist a waxed dowel into each hole to spread the accumulated puddle, wipe the dowel, next hole. Darkens the holes and is actually pretty fast. 1/4" dowel, centered into a 1/2" dowel.

[Prashun Patel]

I always drill first, before my final sanding.

If yr painting yr uprights, use a low nap roller; nothing'll get in the holes.

Any other clear coat should really be wiped on after drilling; brushing WILL deposit stuff in the holes. But even a very few wiped coats should be adequate on the interior sides.

[David DeCristoforo]

Well, here's a little bit different way to look at this. Over the years, I have discovered that people rarely adjust their shelves. So once they have decided on a shelf location, the shelf usually remains in that location. Combine that with the fact that I very much dislike the "look" of those rows of holes and you come up with this: Don;t drill the holes at all! What I do (and I make a big thing out of this with my customers... "special attention for them, etc.) is to go to the customers house and "set" the shelves for them. At that time, I drill only the holes needed. I tell them that if they ever did want to move a shelf, it's easy enough to drill the extra holes. And I will even go back and do it for them. But in all the years I have been doing this, I have only had a customer call me to come and move a shelf twice.

[Jerome Hanby]

Hi Jim, when I'ved made cabinets from BB plywood with shelf pins, I've drilled the holes first, and driven the sleeves into the cabinet after finishing.

Regards, Rod.

Ditto, I do the same after having to do some touch up on a previous project

[Ellen Benkin]

Of course you are right and people don't actually move the "moveable" shelf. Drilling only the holes needed is a great idea, but how do you get the drill into the confined space -- especially at the back?

[David DeCristoforo]

"...but how do you get the drill into the confined space..."

http://www.toolbarn.com/product/milwaukee/0370-20/

[brian watson]

I drill first, finish afterwords.


"...but how do you get the drill into the confined space..."

http://www.toolbarn.com/product/milwaukee/0370-20/

Toolbarn nice place, decent prices. I drive by it every day on the way to work. Sad thing is they won't honor their internet prices at their retail location.

[David DeCristoforo]

"Toolbarn..."

Not recommending Toolbarn... just the right angle drill.....

[Jerome Hanby]

Almost nothing a retailer can say to me can make me madder than "the store and the web site are not the same company/division/whatever". Never happens at Harbor Freight or Woodcraft (to pick to examples from opposite ends of the spectrum :D).

If they use the name, they should honor the prices.

[brian watson]

Almost nothing a retailer can say to me can make me madder than "the store and the web site are not the same company/division/whatever". Never happens at Harbor Freight or Woodcraft (to pick to examples from opposite ends of the spectrum :D).

If they use the name, they should honor the prices.

Toolbarn.com and Tighton Fasteners are the exact same address here in Omaha. Toolbarn.com uses pictures from the interior of Tighton fasteners on their web site. Its the same company.

If I walk into the store i pay the Tighton fasteners price which is usually full retail. I can order it off the internet and pay shipping and taxes and have it delivered to my house about 8 miles south of their retail location.

What usually happens is the product can be purchased online from someone else for cheaper and I don't have to pay sales tax and can get free shipping many times. Quite annoying. I'd rather support local companies but I'm not going to pay penalty pricing to do it.

I'll keep my big mouth shut before we get to far off-topic here.

[David DeCristoforo]

"...before we get to far off-topic here..."

Too late.....