Maple neck finish

[Luke Single]

I know this subject has been touched on before but I haven't come to a definitive conclusion.

I am finishing a maple neck and I was thinking about painting it before fretting it.
I have finished one other maple neck and I did it with the frets already installed, sanding and buffing was a nightmare!
The slots are already cut. I know I can "do what I want" , in my mind it seems like the easier more efficient way to do it. The only downfall I see is the potential for scratching the new finish during the refret and possibly cracking the finish.
I know how fender does it or did it Im not concerned with vintage correct. Is there anything I'm not thinking about?
I am using nitro.

[Russell Vance]

Pre spray the neck with a half dozen skinny coats, fret the next day after the lacquer has gone off and finish the fret ends which will break through the edge of the fingerboard lacquer where the face of the board meets the back of the neck.   Wipe on new lacquer to touch up this area or simply spray with a fine tip.  Get rid of as much of the orange peel on the lacquer finish as possible with steel wool or similar, scuff with 320 Freecut of similar.

Then add another half dozen coats or more of lacquer to your desired thickness, wiping off the lacquer from the tops of the frets as you go or use a fret shield and abrasive (steel wool or a 3M pad or similar) after the final coat is on to remove the lacquer from the top of the fret without leaving a jagged step like "F" used to do.

Steel wool the lot to get  smooth vintage finish or wait a bit and buff it all to get a glossy. I think glossy sucks (literally, the nitro gets bit grippy when new - steel wool or matt finish helps to speed up the neck feel) anyway.

There are other schedules but this one will do OK to start you off.

Rusty.

[Luke Single]

Thanks rusty.