Finishing Table with Removable Leg - Finish Separately or Assembled ???

[Brian Hummel]

I have a large table to finish with Arm-R-Seal and the "square-frame leg" at one end is attached by bolts to recessed threaded inserts on the underside of the tabletop.

Would it be best to finish the peice fully assembled or finish separately with leg detached? I don't plan to remove the leg often but I have drilled 4 out of the 5 (all but the center hole) bolt passthrough holes on the leg extra wide to allow for potential seasonal expansion/contraction of the tabletop. If I finish fully assembled, the bond of Arm-R-Seal across the joints between tabletop and leg would be a point of resistance, I would think, for seasonal expansion/contraction.

Any thoughts on whether to finish fully assembled or not? If finishing separately, would I finish coat the surfaces where the tabletop would mate directly with the leg (since those areas would be left as unfinished wood if finishing table fully assembled).

Thanks!

489225

[Steve Jenkins]

I would finish separately and finish all.

[Brian Tymchak]

Yes, agree with Steve. If you finish over the joints of the separates, the finish will not resist seasonal movement and will crack there at that seam and look bad. Let the wood move as it will.