Stain then assemble or assemble then stain?

David Agnew

Member
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I'm FINALLY back in the shop this week, working on the adirondack chairs I promised months ago.

Everything is cut, surfaced, routed, and prepped. Last night I drilled and countersunk all my holes. I am ready for assembly. OR AM I?

It's made of plain old PT pine. I will be staining w/ a redwood color deck stain.

Should I stain it BEFORE or AFTER assembly? My main concern is that if I stain AFTER assembly, I will miss many surfaces as they are affixed to other surfaces and/or impossible to get to.

I don't have a sprayer, I will be brushing.

Thoughts?
 
Since it's an Adirondack, I'm assuming there are no glue joints involved. So... stain it - and even varnish it - if that's what you want - before assembly, then go back and touch up any screw holes, etc. after assembly.
 
I frequently stain parts prior to assembly. Primarily areas that will be hard to reach or that are prone to application issues. I may only pre-finish certain areas. Once assembled, I finish the piece.
 
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