Who finishes face frames before attaching to the case? I am putting hard maple face frames on some cabinets. They are going to be stained and sprayed with poly. Cant decide if I should attach to the boxes and then stain or stain and then attach to the boxes. I'd like to hear your opinions.
Face Frames
- Thread starter jwkilgore
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2007
- Messages
- 13,127
I have always finished them on the carcass after they are fixed and glued in place and sanded to match the cabinet sides. I suppost that if you could trial fit with positive placement like narrow dominoes then sand you could protect the back where they will be glued and then reassemble. Seems like more work to avoid protecting the inside of cabinet from errant finish.
Peter
Peter
When I built the cabinets for the bathrooms I built the face frames to the cases by using dominos as the attachment and pocket screws for joinery. Then I removed them and finished the face frames off of the cabinets. The primary reason I chose to do so is I wanted a factory finish which I felt was easier to accomplish with an HVLP and the secondary reason was I didn't want to spray inside and deal with fume containment and over spray. The results were awesome and I'll never do it another way again.
Another benefit was I was able to build some of the bases as modules so they were easier to move around/install and then build a single face frame to hide the complexity of doing so. The near 8-foot base in my kids bathroom would have been impossible to get up the stairs and into the room otherwise but to all viewers, is a single cabinet.
Another benefit was I was able to build some of the bases as modules so they were easier to move around/install and then build a single face frame to hide the complexity of doing so. The near 8-foot base in my kids bathroom would have been impossible to get up the stairs and into the room otherwise but to all viewers, is a single cabinet.
mleny77
Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2015
- Messages
- 52
The first few cabinets I made I attached the face frames to the cabinets with pocket screws and then finished them attached. My current build I'm using the Tongue & Groove Bit set to attached them. I dry fit everything, then pocket screw the face frame parts together. Apply finish with a foam brush to keep it out of the groove in the back of the face frame. Then glue it to the case, I shoot a couple 23ga pins in to help hold while it drys. I like doing it this way, you just have to find a way that works best for you!
i think finishing them off the carcass is more convenient. You can even line them up, and then sand, paint them all at once. You can also position them the way that's convenient to you, rather than maneuvering around the carcass. You have to extremely careful not to ruin anything. That holds true for me for bigger piece project when the top and bottom are feets apart.
