Duncan Cheslett
Member
- Messages
- 161
- Location
- Stockport, England
It's been a long time since I've built any cabinets from solid wood - I normally use veneered MDF for all my carcasses.
But this week we're on a job making solid oak bedroom furniture. I'd cut the side pieces for two large chests of drawers, machined the dadoes to hold the drawer rails, and was explaining to my guys how we would have to take into account wood movement when fixing the rails in place - something they've never had to consider before.
My finishing guy came up with some thoughts. Shouldn't the panels be sealed with lacquer before assembly to match the finish which will be on the outside when the project is complete? With the best will in the world no-one ever sprays the inside of a chest of drawers to the same extent as the outside; and this will inevitably help cause cupping of the panel as moisture enters and exits to different degrees on either face of the panel.
I told him to go ahead and finish the panels before we assemble them.
Two questions;
Does anybody else do this?
and Does it have any effect?
But this week we're on a job making solid oak bedroom furniture. I'd cut the side pieces for two large chests of drawers, machined the dadoes to hold the drawer rails, and was explaining to my guys how we would have to take into account wood movement when fixing the rails in place - something they've never had to consider before.
My finishing guy came up with some thoughts. Shouldn't the panels be sealed with lacquer before assembly to match the finish which will be on the outside when the project is complete? With the best will in the world no-one ever sprays the inside of a chest of drawers to the same extent as the outside; and this will inevitably help cause cupping of the panel as moisture enters and exits to different degrees on either face of the panel.
I told him to go ahead and finish the panels before we assemble them.
Two questions;
Does anybody else do this?
and Does it have any effect?
Last edited: