Pre-finish prior to cutting dados, tongues, slots rabbets?

[George Bokros]

If you plan to finish a project prior to assembly do you pre-finish prior to cutting dados, slots, rabbets, tongues, etc.?

These are time consuming and tedious to mask to prevent finish from compromising the glue joint. I had some ply pre-finished by my supplier for another project and it was great not to have to worry about finish compromising glue joints. I did not experience any problems with scratching etc. when I did this.

Thanks

[Charles Taylor]

If you plan to finish a project prior to assembly do you pre-finish prior to cutting dados, slots, rabbets, tongues, etc.?

I don't have a consistent habit of doing it, but on the last project I completed, I partially finished parts before milling joints and grooves and then assembling. That made it easier to keep excess glue from sticking where it wasn't wanted. I probably would have been better off had I completed the finishing prior to assembling.

[Peter Quinn]

Couple of things to consider....pre finished plywood comes with either a heat cured conversion varnish or a uv cured finish, in either case they are fully cured and generally much more durable than anything you can apply in a small shop. So it's possible to prefinish your plywood but you may get scratches yiu didn't experience from commercial prefinished plywood. In any case it's a good idea to spray and then allow at least a full weeks cure. For dados you might try a router jig that operated from above the work to minimize scratching because the router never drags over the finish that way, you can line the jig with thin cork or rubber to eliminate scratching. Pushing freshly finished panels over a table saw dado seems ill advised.

another thing I've seen done is to spray sealer plus one or two top coats, lightly sand, then dado, assemble, and shoot just your last coat post assembly if the work allows. That way you get most of your work done quick and easy, dados don't have to be masked, only one finial coat to spray post assembly.

[Bruce Wrenn]

For my case goods, I prefinish while it's whole sheets. Use Varathene's "Diamond Floor Finish" from Lowes. Wipe it on with one of those edging pads for painting. Titebond's Melamine glue for glue ups.

[George Bokros]

[QUOTE=Bruce Wrenn;2468612]For my case goods, I prefinish while it's whole sheets. Use Varathene's "Diamond Floor Finish" from Lowes. Wipe it on with one of those edging pads for painting. Titebond's Melamine glue for glue ups.[/QUOT

Bruce is this the Varathane you are referring to? http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?productId=3153381