New here, have a few questions

[loren forney]

Long time diy woodworker, new to cabinet work/high quality finish demands.

Built new kitchen cabinet faces from poplar and maple plywood. They look great, tight joints, etc. This was the easy part. Now it's time to finish the job.

The original plan was to paint them with latex semi gloss in light gray for top cabinets and a slightly darker gray for the lowers and the baseboards. Interior colors to be white tinted slightly to a lighter gray than the cabinet doors.

I have decided it's time to try a grown up finish. I am looking at the little Rockler HVLP unit in as much as I can't really justify the expense of a larger unit as school/ work responsibilities are going to keep me pretty much out of the workshop over the next 3 years.

I am looking for suggestions, other than latex paint, for an opaque 'system' to finish my project.

Sealer, primer, .......................

Oil based paint?
Tinted lacquer?
Other?

Thanks in advance for your help,

Loren

[Mark Kay]

Any help yet? By the way, Rockler has a Wagner HVLP unit on sale for around $80 until tomorrow...

[Scott Holmes]

That unit may not be able to spray paint... That said, latex paint (for walls) is not good for cabinets. 100% acrylic is a better option.

I would stay away from oil-based anything on the interiors; the off gassing smell may never go away in the closed in spaces. Shellac is an excellent universal primer. One brand you may want to try is Target's EM6000 line they will custom tint it for you.

Practice with your sprayer before you start spraying you cabinets.

[Julie Moriarty]

As a newbie to HVLP spraying, I did lots of homework before buying a HVLP system and lots more before using it. I've used an airless sprayer many times but I'm finding the HVLP gun more sophisticated. If you're spraying in the basement or even in the garage (if the door is not open and a fan blowing behind you - as in out the door) I'd steer clear of any solvent-based products. You either need a spray booth designed for it or you'd have to spray outside. It's too dangerous otherwise.

For which system to buy, read reviews online before buying. I probably read a hundred of them for different systems before buying. Just make sure they work for paint. I've read a lot of good reviews on the Earlex 5500 system but a guy at Woodcraft told me they don't make finer tips and wouldn't work well with dyes. But for paint, I've seen videos using the Earlex and it seems to work fine.

Whatever you decide to buy, make sure you have the right tip for the product you're using. I know General Finishes tells you what tips to use for what. Maybe the product you use will have the same. Otherwise get the information from the HVLP manufacturer. And when you're ready to start spraying, the paint has to be properly thinned, using a viscosity cup to test it. So you'll need one of those too.