Shelf pins

[large red]

I'm in the process of building a couple of cabinets and inter to use shelf pins to support the shelf. The cabinets are being painted, should I drill the holes before or after I paint? If I drill before will the paint stop me from inserting the pin? Has anyone got a bit of advise I'm just about to paint and I keep picking up my template and drill ready to attack and then stopping myself at this rate I'm going to develop a RSI!

 

[thetyreman]

I'd drill it afterwards once the paint is fully cured, and use masking tape on the area you are drilling into to help prevent tearout

 

[Seiken]

I used shelf pins in a varnished bathroom cabinet. I drilled the holes before assembling the cabinet, glued it up, varnished then just cleared the holes with a sharp drill in a hand held chuck.

 

[Tasky]

Two options:

1/. Drill afterward, using masking tape, as The Tyreman mentioned.

2./ Drill first and plug the holes with cheap junkwood dowels, then remove the dowels before the paint has really started to dry. I recommend twisting them out.

I've used both methods and they work about as well as each other, in my experience.

 

[Jacob]

Easiest to drill the hole in the marked-up flat boards before you've constructed the cabinet.
Paint no prob - may need to clean out the holes a bit but the inside of the hole is all out of sight anyway.
Make your own pins - 1/2" hole plus short 1/2"dowel, hardwood or whatever.
I'ce got some ancient bookcases (100years +) with softwood pins which have been in from new I guess. They are very effective.