Painting Oak Kitchen Cabinets

[scott vroom]

I'm remodeling a kitchen and am planning to paint the existing stained oak cabinets with HVLP sprayed General Finishes Enduro Poly, tinted white. I'm looking at Sherwood Wood Filler D70T1 to hide the oak grain. Does anyone have experience with this product on oak? The oak I'm working with has not only small pores to fill but it also has a "wavy" aspect between the light and dark grain patterns which I want to fill. At a minimum I'd like to save the carcases and face frames; if the raised panel doors proved impossible to fill then I'll make new maple paint grade doors.

Any recommendations on filler type & technique?

Thanks

[Josiah Bartlett]

Do you happen to know what the original finish is? Have the cabinets ever been waxed, pledged, or otherwise spit polished? You may want to prime them, fill the pores, sand smooth, prime them again, then paint.

[Sean Troy]

I threw up a little when I read you were painting hardwood

[Jason Roehl]

Along the lines of what Josiah said, I would sand them, then clean them before even priming them. People clean their cabinets with all sorts of finish-unfriendly products that leave behind a residue. Often, the culprit is a silicone-based product, one of the worst offenders.

[scott vroom]

I threw up a little when I read you were painting hardwood

LOL! Hey, it's only red oak not exactly the Holy Grail of hardwoods! Besides not my choice: customer is tired of oak and wants them painted white.

PS: try Pepto Bismol

[Joe Chritz]

Drywall spackel is a great filler for under paint.

Joe

[scott vroom]

Joe, are you referring to joint compound?