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So I'm building a table similar to this Four Eyes design. The legs are assembled and the top is cut to size. I'm thinking about spraying finish before cutting the final domino shapes for the standoffs between the legs and top.
Any reason I shouldn't do this? Seems like it would be easier to cut them after finishing, so I don't have to mask it off, and I can just expose unfinished wood for the glue up.
Main risk is that you scratch the finish while cutting the standoffs, or that you run into an issue during final assembly that's harder to fix without damaging the finish. IMO, easier/safer to cut and dry assemble, then finish
I think that your vise would mar the finish, plus any errant layout lines would be harder to get rid of.
Oh yeah, I didn't think about layout lines.