I am attempting to make a bathroom vanity and am probably in a bit over my head. I have two questions. First - which is better - using dowels or biscuits? I'm constructing the face of the vanity and have to do a bit of joining joints. I think using biscuits would be more accurate in regards to installing them and then lining up the boards to be joined but are they as strong as dowels? Second, I heard somewhere that if you stain the wood first and then glue the parts together you don't have to worry about the glue keeping the stain from taking as opposed to if they were stained after glued together. I would be interested in your thoughts. And thank you in advance for your help. This list and the people on it are a great resource for beginners such as me.

Pre staining will prevent the glue from good adhesion. Alternate the grain of the boards to prevent warping. I use bisquits it will align them better. Just wipe off the glue from the joints that protrude after clamping with a damp cloth. I usually will not do the final sanding until the panels are glued and set. That will also eliminate any glue residue for better penetration of the stain.