Solid wood door panels should be finished before installing them in their grooves during frame assembly. The fact that the panel edges will be hidden in the assembled door means that you can avail yourself of a neat trick for efficient finishing. Set up for the job by pressing two widely spaced push pins into one end of your panel, and one in the center of the opposite end. Rest the pinned panel on a pair of 2x4’s as shown, and apply finish to one panel face. Then grab the pair of pins on one end, and flip the panel over, rotating it on the single pin at the opposite end. You can now finish the second side without having to wait for the first to dry. The same basic approach can be used for any tall door whose top and bottom won’t show in use. But instead of push pins, use nails or screws.
—Tim Markinson, Tulsa, Oklahoma
