Debate: Should you stain your desk top before or after assembly? I did both and here's what happened

I built a new desk from a 6-foot piece of birch plywood last month and could not decide if I should stain the pieces flat before screwing them together or just do the whole thing after. So I tried both on two separate test boards. The pre-stained sections had zero glue issues but the seams showed up way more obvious where I missed a spot. The fully assembled one was a pain to reach the corners but the finish looked way more even. Has anyone else dealt with this and found a clear winner?

2 comments

2 Comments

tara_palmer8d ago

Oh, "the seams showed up way more obvious" - nothing says "I built this myself" like the little trophy marks of where you gave up on prep work. At that point you're not building furniture, you're just making a very expensive connect-the-dots puzzle.

leohart11d ago

Oh man, that's the exact dilemma I ran into last year! I did the whole assemble first route and honestly regretted it. What kind of glue did you use on the pre-stained pieces? I'm wondering if the type of stain you use matters more than the order. Like, did you use an oil based stain or a water based one? I feel like the oil based stuff might mess with the glue bond way more, but I haven't tested that yet. Your point about the seams showing up after pre staining is what really scares me though, I hate seeing those little gaps.

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