Finishing is where a good piece becomes a great one, and where most rejections happen. Each rejection costs 5% of your share and the on-time bonus, so it pays to get it right once.
Prepare the surface
- Sand through the grits in order, without skipping. Each grit removes the scratches of the one before.
- Always sand with the grain. Cross-grain scratches show up the moment stain goes on.
- Remove every bit of dust before you stain: a brush, then a slightly damp cloth.
Test before you commit
Try your stain and finish on an offcut of the same timber first. Colour changes from one species to another, and the customer approved a colour, not a product name.
Give it time
Humidity slows drying. Follow the drying time on the tin, then add more in the rainy season. A finish that's dry to the touch can still mark when it's wrapped or stacked.
Check it like your lead will
- Every measurement against the drawing.
- Drawers and doors open and close smoothly, with even gaps.
- No runs, drips or dry patches in the finish, looked at in daylight from an angle.
- Hardware fitted straight and tight.
Protect it on the way
Wrap corners and edges, and keep the piece covered until it's in place. Damage in transit counts as much as damage in the workshop.
