Please go easy on me. Can I basecoat/clearcoat clean and roughed up stained wood?

[Dave Brunner]

I can get some kitchen cabinets that I am considering putting in my garage. However all of my tool cabinets/boxes are Black now so natural oak stained cabinets stick out like a sore thumb. i was thinking of basecoating and clearing these and using the same silver color handles to make them match the other items i have. I may even spray a nice silver racing strip or two on them if I get ambitious. i would clean the oil/grease off them and scuff/shoot. Would this be problematic? I am not a wood guy but am going to try to get there eventually. Before cost i brought up, I have a gallon of clear that is old enough I would not use on a car but I'd hate to throw it away. I can probably get the black base pretty darn cheap. Would you recommend priming also?



Thanks much

Dave

[Victor Robinson]

Clean, scuff sand and shoot primer (maybe something like Sealcoat), then your black and clear. Sealcoat is shellac-based and plays nice with a variety of undercoats and topcoats. I don't know what your topcoats are - sounds like you might be an auto guy?

The biggest issue I can see is if you're wanting a really smooth finish. Oak has open grain that will continue to telegraph through your topcoats. If you want to get rid of that to get a smooth metal/piano/auto type of finish, you will need to use a grain filler.

[Dave Brunner]

Yeah I'm a car guy so i deal in metal or plastics usually. I don't need the smooth finish, in fact I think seeing the grain through the clear may be a very neat effect.

Dave

[Wayne Lomman]

Prime, base and clear just like any other job. Most auto finishes work well on timber. Just clean and degrease as you would for any job. They only fail if the job is outside and the timber moves too much and cracks the finish. All my painting is done with industrial and automotive products. Cheers

[Dave Brunner]

Thanks much guys.

Dave

[Ken Combs]

I've done similar. Just clean and sand prep and apply a high build primer and block sand, just like finishing body filler that is shaped with coarse long board paper. It may take more that one primer coat to hide the oak grain. Base and clear just like you would a car body.

[Dave Brunner]

Thanks guys. These are the patients in question. I will report back when done.