Debate: Should you pre-sand before assembly or after? A shop in Portland told me I was doing it wrong

I got called out by a guy at a shop in Portland for sanding panels after I glued them up. He said I should sand every piece flat before assembly to avoid those hard to reach spots later. Now I'm split because it takes way longer upfront, but the finish does look cleaner. Anyone here got a strong take on which sequence works better for face frames?

2 comments

2 Comments

jenny5809d ago

Why fix what ain't broke, right?

johnthompson9d ago

Jenny580 has a point but honestly I think that Portland shop was right. I've been doing it the other way for years and the difference is night and day if you care about getting into corners without scratching up the glue joints. Pre-sanding means sanding every piece flat and then blowing off all the dust before assembly, which does add time upfront but saves you from having to go back and touch up spots you can't reach later.