Kitchen Cabinet finish question?

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi All,

I have a kitchen in my new house that has cherry cabinets with flat panel doors. The only thing my wife and I don't like about them is that the finish has hardly any sheen at all and they have a lifeless look to them.

I tried waxing them and that helped a bit but they still look bad. How would you go about applying a finish with a little more sheen. I'd be happy with a satin finish or even slightly more sheen. Do you have to apply shellac first to bond the new finish to the old? This is not a large kitchen so I'll just do what I have to to get the desired finish. I don't have any spray equipment. How about spray lacquer in a can? Thanks for any ideas! Alan

[Jude Kingery]

Alan - you might try a very small test area with wipe-on polyurethane. Although I've only used it on wood with no finish at all, I do like it because it doesn't drip nor run, just wipe on with a cloth. I use old t-shirt cut squares; I've heard some folks like paper towels. Just a thought, wouldn't hurt to test about a 1" sq. and see what you think. Jude

[Loren Hedahl]

It may be unfortunate you waxed them, since finishes don't adhere to wax. However, wax can be removed. It just takes a solvent, rags or towels and a strong arm.

As for finishes, I recently tried Varathane Water Based Polyurethane (indoor) on a built-in where I couldn't spray. I actually sanded the old finish away, used one coat of dewaxed shellac to seal, then 3 thin coats of WB poly using a fine bristle brush, sanded with 220 grit to a smooth finish and added 4 more coats of poly.

The new WB stuff is amazing the way it levels out, doesn't smell and dries quickly. I've had problems with other brands developing bubbles when brushing in the past, but that is definitely not a problem with this stuff.

Anyway, like any other recommendation, you would want to try some on a small unobtrusive spot first to make sure you are getting the results you want before committing the whole project.

Loren

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Thank you both very much. I'm going to try the wipe one poly method. But I first want to apply a dewaxed shellac. Thanks for the ideas. Any other thoughts on this?

[Jim Becker]

Refinishing in a kitchen poses it's own special problems...you not only need to clean away the wax you applied, but you also need to thoroughly clean any grease and other contaminants that WILL be present no matter how fastidious you are about keeping your kitchen "sparkling". I could be wrong, but I think that the pros use TSP or something like that for this job. The coat of de-waxed shellac isn't a horrible idea and will further prepare the surface for your work at hand.

As you know, I'm not a fan of anything containing polyurethane outside of floors finished where the abrasion resistance is necessary and I am fond of water borne finishes. One that I'm trying out for my bath cabinetry is a new hybrid product from Target Coatings that brings the properties of an alkyd varnish to the water borne world, including the "warmth" of color. It sprays nicely, but I believe it can also be brushed or wiped. It's available in "all the sheens".

[mark page]

Jim,

Are you using the new Emtech 8000 series varnish. If so, let me know how it sprays and the results. Have been considering giving it a try.

Mark

[Jim Sheen]

The shellac base coat is a good idea - easy to apply and allows good adhesion. I've used a few different kinds of w.b. poly, and I really like the General Finishes. It flows well and builds quickly if you use multiple coats. It can be wiped, brushed, or sprayed (stir, don't shake to avoid bubbles). In fact GF now has it in a spray can - check Rockler.

You could also consider lacquer over shellac (also available in spray cans), but you need to consider whether any solvents will come in contact.

[Jim Becker]

Are you using the new Emtech 8000 series varnish. If so, let me know how it sprays and the results. Have been considering giving it a try.

The new finish was originally based on the Emtech 8000, but is a different product. Jeff had samples in display at the recent Mid-Atlantic Expo in NJ and it looks awesome on cherry...which is what my vanities are build of.

More info: http://www.targetcoatings.com/oxford-hybri-varnish.html