finishing before or after

[EMistral]

Hi all,

I am facing a dilemma.
I am currently making a cabinet.
The timbers used are Camphor Laurel, an exotic wood that has very nice red/brown pattern and yellow/gold and a very strong camphor smell, and the red carribean timber which had a redish/ chocolate brown colour
my question is very simple:
- should I stain and finish lightly all the pieces before assembling and then apply a final coat when the cabinet assembly is over
or
- should I assemble it first then stain it and finish it ?
What would be the best solution and why ?

By staining, I mean a slightly red colour on top of the red carribean
The camphor laurel should keep its natural colour or have it slightly stained with a hoey finishing solution.
I built a minibar last year and I stained all the pieces prior to assembling.
But that was my first project and the staining/finishing was just applying with a brush on of those all-in-one solution from Cabbot
This time I want to use the proper technics
Thanks for your help

[ubeaut]

Mask all the glue joints and stain first.