Finishing raised panel

[brandon guthrie]

I have a couble doors with walnut panels and qswo rails and stiles. I have already prefinished the panels with laquer. I want to put a light stain on the rails and stiles. Should I prestain or put them together and then stain? Will an oil based stain effect the laquer on the panels?

[Jim Becker]

In most cases, an oil based stain will not affect your sealed panel, especially lacquer. Try it on a sample to prove it to yourself. (Always try things on samples before working on the real deal!!)

[Steve Schoene]

The oil based stain would be unlikely to damage the lacquered panels, but it might leave a bit of color that you wouldn't like, particularly if the stain is a combination of pigment and dye as many are. Like Jim says, test on sample wood prepared in the same way to see what happens.

[Larry Fox]

Brandon, if it were me (in fact, it WAS me about 6 months ago with 31 doors) I would;

1) Prefinish the panels (as you have done)
2) Assemble the doors (rails-stiles unstained).
3) Sand/scrape the rails and stiles as you see fit. If you do this before assembly you are likely going to ahve to do some after assembly anyway to flush the joints (at least I did anyway).
4) Carefully mask off the panels. This step is tedious but not difficult.
5) Finish the rails and stiles as you see fit.

As a disclaimer, I am not a pro, just a hobby guy. The pros (with good reason) are likely cringing and seeing $$$ flying out the door with the amount of time the masking takes but for me it worked out great. The masking also helps protect that beautiful panel finish while you are working with them

[Jim Becker]

3) Sand/scrape the rails and stiles as you see fit. If you do this before assembly you are likely going to ahve to do some after assembly anyway to flush the joints (at least I did anyway).


Caveat to this one is to be sure and sand the edges that abut the panel prior to assembly so you don't get anything near the pre-finished panel that would scratch it. DAMHIKT!

[Bob Glenn]

Why not finish the whole thing after it is assembled? The only reason I can think of would be the expansion and contraction of the panel might leave an unfinished space next to the stile, but that could be eliminated by kiln drying the panel prior to assembly.

Or.......assemble the rails and stiles dry, sand the joints flush, finish, then reassemble with the panel installed.

Inquiring minds want to know!

[brandon guthrie]

There is not a wood kiln within 60 miles from where I live, I could assemble and stain/finish the rail and stiles, but trying keep it clamped together and still finish the wood under the clamps seems like a challenge.

[Jim Becker]

There is not a wood kiln within 60 miles from where I live, I could assemble and stain/finish the rail and stiles, but trying keep it clamped together and still finish the wood under the clamps seems like a challenge.

In talking about the suggestion to dry-assemble for finishing--what kind of joinery you use will affect that...no clamps necessary for some options. But I don't think anyone was visualizing finishing while still in the clamps.

[Steve Schoene]

It's a fine practice to stain the panels before assembly and then apply the clear finish after assembly. But in this case, with stiles and rails being stained and the panel not, (Did I get that right.) the only option is to keep the stain off of assembled panels. The lacquer helps with that but possibly not enough, so that if a test shows that the lacqered panel does pick up some stain then it will have to be masked,as was already suggested, befoe the stain was applied.