Debate: Pre-finished vs field-finished maple ply - which one holds up better in a shop?

I spent 12 years always spraying my own lacquer on maple ply, thinking pre-finished stuff was a rip off at $45 more per sheet. Then last month I got a rush job for a dentist office and had to use pre-finished and holy crap the factory UV finish didn't scratch from assembly dings. Am I wrong for still thinking my own sprayed finish looks more pro and worth the extra time or is pre-finished just better for real-world abuse?

2 comments

2 Comments

sage5210d ago

Wait, you actually sprayed lacquer on maple ply for 12 years without trying pre-finished? That's wild to me because that UV finish is basically indestructible compared to anything a spray gun can lay down. I've seen pre-finished take a beating from clamps and workbench drops without even a mark.

simon_wood7210d ago

You ever have one of those moments where you just get stuck in your ways and don't even question it? That was me with the spray lacquer for sure. I mean, I knew pre-finished was out there, but for some reason I just figured it couldn't look as good or feel as nice as what I was doing. But @sage52, you're making me think I've been missing out all this time. The idea of something that tough that still looks clean is pretty appealing, especially when I'm always worried about dinging up panels during assembly. Maybe I need to finally give it a real shot on my next cabinet build.