Painting Pine?

[Mike Allen1010]

I have a Laundry room full of built-in white cabinets with plain particleboard doors covered in white veneer.

I'm thinking of replacing the doors with some quick and dirty frame and raised panel doors that will need to be painted white to match.

In the interest of cost,I'm considering using Pine from the local BORG. I can probably avoid most but not all of the knots. Will I be able to prevent the knots from showing through once the doors are painted?

1) If this is feasible, what finishing strategy would you recommend?

2) What kind of sealer should I use over the bare wood before painting?

3) In the interest of durability and matching the existing face frames I'm thinking a satin finish, white enamel paint would be best? However really have no idea.

Any thoughts and recommendations would be much appreciated.

I figure I can't really go too wrong here because what I have now looks terrible and if I can come up with some kind of acceptable finishing/painting solution I will score major points with with the LOML! (which should soften the blow when the next Lie Nielsen bill comes in! Operating theory -- best defense is a good offense).

Thanks, Mike

[Rich Engelhardt]

Prime with B*I*N.
Finish with whatever you desire.

B*I*N will block any sap or resin the pine may bleed. It will also seal the knots.
B*I*N's reputation for this is well established.

It also delivers excellent stand out - even sheen of the finish coat.

Honestly though?
I'd call around some local yard and see what they charge for poplar.
I can get S4S poplar for only pennies more than the borg charges for their crappy pine.

Since it's being painted, I'd also give a serious thought to using MDF for the panels.

[Conrad Fiore]

Whatever you choose for the material, as Rich noted, BIN is the best primer you can use.

[Quinn McCarthy]

I would echo what Rich said. Get yourself some harder wood. Like birch or poplar. Even soft maple will work.

Quinn

[Mike Allen1010]

Honestly though?
I'd call around some local yard and see what they charge for poplar.
I can get S4S poplar for only pennies more than the borg charges for their crappy pine.

Since it's being painted, I'd also give a serious thought to using MDF for the panels.[/QUOTE]

Thanks a lot guys I really appreciate the advice!

I'm on the way the lumberyard now to check out the poplar. I'm surprised to hear that its comparable In price to Pine-- at my local BORG poplar was 3X more expensive.

Since these cabinet doors will be painted, I would consider using MDF for the panels. A quick question:I will be raising and fielding these panels using a router bit, will the MDF take the detail of the "raised" portion of the panel or will it look "crumbly" and irregular? (I'm thinking maybe because of the composition of the material? I have never done any molding profiles or used router on MDF).

If I can get away with MDF and it will look halfway decent under paint, I would consider that. Otherwise, as long as I'm going to the trouble of building Cabinet door frames out of poplar with molded edges and M&T joints, if the compromise in appearance by using MDF would be too much, from my perspective it's not too much trouble to just use poplar for the panels as well.

For me, the primary driver of this decision will be cost of materials. I enjoy doing the work (although candidly the thought of running 12 MDF door panels past the panel raising bid sounds nasty). I work mostly in case piece hardwood furniture. This will be my first "built-in", large scale project and I really know zip about MDF. Maybe I'm making this way harder and more expensive than it needs to be.

Again your Advise and recommendations are very much appreciated!

All best, Mike

[Stan McCartney]

What is BIN? Thanks for your help.
Stan.

[ben searight]

BIN is shellac based primer.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I will be raising and fielding these panels using a router bit, will the MDF take the detail of the "raised" portion of the panel or will it look "crumbly" and irregular? (I'm thinking maybe because of the composition of the material? I have never done any molding profiles or used router on MDF).

I can't say 100% since I've never used a router to surface MDF like that. I'm guessing here,,,,but,,,I believe the proper response would be to ask how sharp the bit is.
IMHO - a table saw would be a better choice, if for no other reason than dust. As bad as the DC is on my contractor saw, it's worse on my router table.
There's several jigs you can make for cutting raised panels on a table saw.

MDF is also kinda hard on blades/bits due to al the glue.

The surface of the MDF left by the cutting can be filled and smoothed by using drywall compound. Just apply a thin coat and sand it smooth.
Depending on how sharp your blade is, a coat of B*I*N then sand it smooth may work for you also.
I just got away with that a couple weeks ago. I had a brand new combo blade and it left a very smooth surface.

BTW - Borg wood is/can be rediculosly priced. Around me, poplar and red oak are nearly the same price @ the borgs. I can buy S4S poplar from Terry Lumber for just about the same price the borg charges for their warped and twisted pine w/knots. For less than the borg charges for their "clear pine" - which is the warped and twisted pine w/out the knots, I can buy red oak.

YMMV & since you're on the West Coast you may need to adjust the type of wood you'll find at a local lumber yard.
Just tell them you'll be painting it and let them tell you what the most economical way to go is going to be.
I'm in Ohio and pretty close to where poplar, red oak and cherry grow.

This will be my first "built-in", large scale project and I really know zip about MDF

MDF stands for medium density fiberboard.
It should be called MDD - for miserable damned dust.
The stuff is heavy and generates piles of very very very fine dust.
It's only saving grace is that it's very paintable.
Well, that and you can spot glue the corners of the panels in so they don't rattle since it has no movement to it like wood panels do.
If cost is the primary consideration, MDF is also cheaper than wood.

Again - in all honesty, since this is for a laudry, I'd consider using flat panels and skip raising them.
That would also give you the option of using plywood for the flat panels.

[Don Jarvie]

A little late but MDF is great for the panels. The edges come out nice and it will paint well.