Suddenly very worried I've bitten off more than I can chew!!! Finishing cabinets!

[Ole Anderson]

Ole, gonna tell you something you already know...that color variation works a lot better on your carefully matched wider boards than it does on the Borg stuff.

Actually, I was going for the more rustic look, so I declined when my local supplier asked if they wanted me to have them pick all darker wood.

[Jamie Buxton]

You are absolutely correct, that explains why I had problems with the 50/50 drying properly on my pool table project. Would naphtha be a better choice? I like your saucer test.

Oh brother, you're having the same issue in Michigan? Not good.
Naptha evaporates quite quickly. You may have trouble keeping a wet edge, or you'll see wipe marks. (Just as a aside, I can't buy naptha any more here. There is now something on the shelf called "naptha substitute". I haven't tried it.)
I have a couple of possibilities for you. One is Minwax Wipe-On Poly. In my shop I can get two or three coats on in a day. The other possibility I've considered is to use genuine turpentine with your P&L #38. At least you'll know what your solvent actually is. You can get real made-from-pine-trees turpentine from art supplies dealers. It is expensive compared to Borg paint thinner, but you're not going to use much.

[Ole Anderson]

MinWax wipe on satin poly used to be my go-to finish, but I think they changed the formulation as I can't replicate the finish I used to get.

[alice shockley]

Ole, gonna tell you something you already know...that color variation works a lot better on your carefully matched wider boards than it does on the Borg stuff.

This is the second time I've seen the term "Borg". What exactly is that outside of the Star Trek universe?

[John K Jordan]

This is the second time I've seen the term "Borg". What exactly is that outside of the Star Trek universe?

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...4-What-is-BORG

Also called the Big Box or Box Store.

JKJ

[alice shockley]

Thanks...all I could think of was "Resistance is futile." I kind of feel that way when I walk into one of those stores.

[roger wiegand]

Exactly.

My memory of the origin of the term (which I first saw on rec.woodworking many moons ago) is not as an acronym, but rather directly referencing Star Trek-- they come in very large box-shaped units and take over all of the small independent stores that might have existed in an area. The acronym explanation (big orange retail giant) came later. I haven't done the research to prove that, just my memory

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> Do I do the insides of the cabinets too?

A universal rule is not to use an oil based finish on the inside of cabinets and drawers. The oil based finish will heavily off-gas as is dries producing a long term odor. The odor will off-gas a very long time and anything you put in the space will pick up the odor.

The acceptable finishes for inside spaces are shellac, lacquer or waterborne finish. These finishes dry quickly and the odor dissipates quickly.

[Jamie Buxton]

The current conventional wisdom is to not use oil-based finishes like varnish inside closed cabinets. I don't believe it. I used varnish inside cabinets for decades without issue. In face, the biggest complaint I've ever had about this was with a waterborne lacquer. The customer wouldn't use the cabinet for six months.

[David Eisenhauer]

The wipe-on poly or varnish method is a good one for finishing neophytes. As stated above, cut the poly 50/50 (does not have to be dead-on perfect mix) with naptha (quicker drying time than mineral spirits if you want to use it instead) and use a shop-type paper towel to wipe it on. Let the towel dry, then dispose of it. The coats will be thin so I recommend at least four coats. I would put a finish on the inside of the cabinets because it is a kitchen and kitchens/bathrooms have a higher moisture content than other rooms of the house. No, I don't use oil finishes inside clothing drawers because of the danger of odors lasting forever, but have done so in kitchens without issues. You can use Zinzer Sealcoat (shellac) for the cabinet insides if you prefer to avoid any danger of odors at all, but it does not offer as much protection as a poly will.

[Dan Hahr]

I'm going to say what you need to hear right now although you will probably not like it. I'm not trying to sound mean. Several things:

Nothing you see on the DIY channel is as easy as it looks or as nice as it looks like on TV.

Finishing something professionally is not easy if you have no experience. Learning any method is not going to be easy, regardless, especially when it comes to a large project.

A DIY cabinet job is not going to help your house sell when the time comes, unless it looks professional. Sags, runs, overspray, orange peel, etc. will be obvious to many buyers when they are looking closely at them.

This is much more of a job than you are imagining.

If you can't afford to pay a local shop to spray them for you, at least spend the money on a decent sprayer and learn to use it properly before even starting on the cabinets.

Spray the insides with at least shellac, or a good waterbourne finish, 'cause the oil based varnishes or lacquers smell..simple as that. Don't spray the drawer slides or hinges.

Anything you put in your house should be an investment. The last thing you want to do is lose $10000 in equity because you wanted to save $1000 on a professional finishing job. However, in this throw away society we live in, many people look at cabinets as disposable anyway.

Don't edge band the plywood edges on the drawers. It will look obvious unless you do it perfectly, and it will not look good. Just sand them smooth and ease the edges a bit.

Finally, unless you have really low expectations, you probably have bitten off more than you can chew.

Dan

[Randy Goodhew]

Finally, unless you have really low expectations, you probably have bitten off more than you can chew.
Dan

Spot on!

Blessings.
__((( )))__

[Ole Anderson]

I'm going to say what you need to hear right now although you will probably not like it. I'm not trying to sound mean. Several things:

Nothing you see on the DIY channel is as easy as it looks or as nice as it looks like on TV.

Finishing something professionally is not easy if you have no experience. Learning any method is not going to be easy, regardless, especially when it comes to a large project.

A DIY cabinet job is not going to help your house sell when the time comes, unless it looks professional. Sags, runs, overspray, orange peel, etc. will be obvious to many buyers when they are looking closely at them.

This is much more of a job than you are imagining.

If you can't afford to pay a local shop to spray them for you, at least spend the money on a decent sprayer and learn to use it properly before even starting on the cabinets.

Spray the insides with at least shellac, or a good waterbourne finish, 'cause the oil based varnishes or lacquers smell..simple as that. Don't spray the drawer slides or hinges.

Anything you put in your house should be an investment. The last thing you want to do is lose $10000 in equity because you wanted to save $1000 on a professional finishing job. However, in this throw away society we live in, many people look at cabinets as disposable anyway.

Don't edge band the plywood edges on the drawers. It will look obvious unless you do it perfectly, and it will not look good. Just sand them smooth and ease the edges a bit.

Finally, unless you have really low expectations, you probably have bitten off more than you can chew.

Dan

I will agree that one needs practice and have the right equipment to spray cabinets, and it is the easiest way to mess them up big time. That is why I and others recommended to the OP to use a wipe-on finish. Yea, I would probably not edge band the drawers unless a cheap plywood was used, but have no qualms edge banding the cab edges as long as one takes a few practice tries and sands the edges perfectly removing any traces of adhesive. And unless you are a woodworker or a perfectionist, most folks won't notice small issues with kitchen cabinets as long as the overall look meets their expectations.

[alice shockley]

Gentlemen, I thank you all for the information and advice - even you who say I can't do a good job . What's done is done. They were purchased before I even posted, no turning back now. I'm definitely going to take my time and we'll see how it goes.

Again, many thanks.
Alice

[David Eisenhauer]

Of course go for it, never any doubt about that. You will do a fine job, maybe taking a little longer to do it than an experienced finisher would, but that's the way with almost everything. Thin coats of whatever finish/however you do it is the rule.Please do consider applying a finish on the inside of the cabinets due to the inherent moisture present in a kitchen. Post finish photos please.