How do I protect dados when prefinishing

[Matthew Curtis]

I am getting ready to pre-finish a large glue up that has many dados. How do I protect the data so that they do not get finish in them?

[Dan Rude]

I use Blue Painters tape, get it wider than the dado Press in the middle first, then to the sides. Or if you only have narrow tape start down the Middle and then do the sides. Dan

[Bill Carey]

not sure if it will work with dados, depends on how deep / wide they are maybe. But when I pre-finish, I use backer rod in the mortises to keep them clean. Works great. Or search for weather strip - hundreds of shapes and sizes. You might get lucky and find just the right thing.

438506

[Jim Becker]

I tape them up, generally with blue tape. Yes, it can be tedious, but the easier "flat" finishing and end result is much preferred.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I cut dados using router with a reverse helix cutter, AFTER applying finish. Reverse helix cutter is a down shear cutter, so edges of dado are clean..

[glenn bradley]

Tape here as well. I have also used foam backer rod and keep a few sizes around the shop.

[Tom Bain]

I don’t do a lot of prefinishing so this might be a stupid idea, but if the dados are a standard size (say 3/4”), maybe you could just cut small strips of plywood and place them in the dados as “masking” while finishing and then pull them out.

[Phil Mueller]

I don’t use dados that often, but last time I just cut strips from a piece that was the same thickness as what was going into the dado at a height just shy of flush and pressed them in while finishing.

[Tom Bender]

My normal finishing schedule lets me repair easily so some joinery gets cut after prefinishing.