Questions about spraying a colored finish on new kitchen cabinets

[John Gregory]

We are bidding on a kitchen reface. The customer wants painted/colored, not stained cabinets. Kind of a creamy color with a glaze that highlights the grooves and crevices. The panel will be bead board. Can one use a color lacquer from Target coatings? I have a Earlex 5000 HVLP sprayer, but have only sprayed clear coats so far. I much prefer spraying over brushing or rolling. I just never thought of lacquer as a color coat!

Or would I be better off spraying a paint, not latex, from a premium dealer such as Sherwin-Williams?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

John

[Jamie Buxton]

Yes, pigmented lacquer works well. You can color your own, or you can buy pre-colored waterbornes from places like Homestead Finishing. (Homestead used to sell Target products which they'd pigment. They've now switched to General Finishes.) http://www.homesteadfinishingproducts.com/

I'd say that pigmented lacquer is a paint. It is a colored opaque coating for wood. That's what paint is. However, pigmented lacquer from Target or General Finished is thin enough to spray with an HVLP sprayer. Some kinds of paint -- for instance "latex" paint -- is thick enough that it doesn't spray well with this kind of equipment. It is really intended for application by brush or roller.

[Sam Hamory]

Lacquer is actually a preferred finish for kitchen cabinetry. Solid color lacquer is the right material to use for a painted look. Latex paint is never an acceptable finish for furniture or cabinetry. In this case I would comlete the finish with the solid color you want. Then I would use a quart of latex for your glaze. I would spray it on and wipe off the excess with a rag. Then one or two coats of clear lacquer.

[Roger Jensen]

Target will now tint their topcoats to match any Benjamin Moore color. I couldn't find the link on their user forum, but if you call them they will explain how it works.

Roger