Trimming Windows - Stain before or after ?

[Shawn]

I'm about to trim in 8 windows on the second floor of my house. First time I've ever done such a thing. The drywall is painted already. My question is - do I stain and poly the 1"x4" pine FIRST, then rip, cut, shim, nail etc., or is it easier to do all my cutting and nailing, have the window trim on and finished, then apply the stain and poly ?

I see a drawback to both. With method 1, the stain and poly will likely chip off around the table saw and mitre saw cuts, requiring it to be touched up anyways after it's up. With method 2, it would be a pain in the *ss to stain and poly it once it's up because then I either have to tape off the drywall around the trim or be damn careful.

Any tips are welcome !!!

Thanks - Shawn

[I-zheet M'drurz]

Method 1, without a doubt. Touch ups are a breeze, you can even do some of thom on-the-fly if you "stage" your work and do a few at a time. for example: Window 1 cut & measure your vertical pieces, touch 'em up, move to the next window and repeat, then repeat again. By the time you've cut the 3rd window, the first will be dry enough to handle and nail. After you nail the verticals, measure & cut your horizontals, stain the touch ups, move to the 2nd window, etc, etc, etc.

No masking or painstaiking slow edging of the whole pieces, and even your touch-ups are done away from the drywall.

At least that's how I would do it.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Method 1. Don't even think about method 2. The tiny amount of touchup for 100 windows is still faster than the masking and staining of 1 under the #2 method.

Make that 500 windows compared with even a tiny screwup of #2.

[xrongor]

method 3. cut the wood, fit it in place. cut any 'special' pieces, drill pilot holes for nails, etc... then stain it in the shop, getting all the ends, bends, whatever. then bring it back to the house to install. note the location of each piece on the back and make a sheet mapping them out so they go back where they are supposed to go. touch up nail holes as required.

randy