Painting Garage Cabinets

[icecactus]

Hey guys,

What do you guys use to paint your garage cabinets?

Right now im "trying" to use Rustoleum hammered paint through a HVLP on my custom cabinets i made. Its not working out so hot. This stuff is very hard to get even. I finially figured out to use Penetrol, 4 oz per quart. I think part of it is the heat right now. Its over 100 degrees.

Anyway, im thinking abut using a 100% acrylic instead. Like Dunn Edwards Evercoat. This oil based stuff is a PITA to clean and its getting on my nerves.

Do you guys spray? roll?

 

[KCarGuy]

I rolled on Primer and then Rolled on Rustoleum Enamel Paint.
Really Important to get a coat of Primer on First.

 

[wolflrv]

Over 100 degrees, your HVLP paint will dry before it hits the surface. High humidity also affects it. Unless you've got a temp controlled environment, I'd wait a month or two till it cools down some to try and paint.

 

[icecactus]

Over 100 degrees, your HVLP paint will dry before it hits the surface. High humidity also affects it. Unless you've got a temp controlled environment, I'd wait a month or two till it cools down some to try and paint.

Thanks for the advice. That's what i was thinking myself. Its just to hot. Its about 108 outside and around 98-99 in my garage. I have swap cooler going that makes it bearable. Wouldn't humidity slow down the drying?

I think once the weather gets down to around low 80's ill retry. I'll recut some new panels and try the waterbased stuff this time. I like the hammered look but trying to roll/spray it on has been a real pain.

Still curious as to what everyone else does though...

 

[wolflrv]

You want lower humidity for air spraying. You also want temps between 70 to 85 max. You also need to make sure that when you cut the paint, that you only use the recommended thinner. It should tell you on the can exactly what to use and the ratios. Mixing spray paints is a lot more tricky than just rolling or brushing. I'm no expert at it for sure, but I've been reading and learning a lot. If in doubt, call Rustoleum support line or your local paint shop and they should be able to tell you. I'm also sure that since you're in AZ, there may be some climate tips since it's super dry there.

 

[buening]

I'm spraying mine in HVLP as well, but will be in cooler temps. I have the Rustoleum Professional Gray Primer layed down, but am finishing up the steel workbench before I lay down the Rustoleum Smoke Gray paint from the same HVLP gun. I may opt to scuff sand that and then lay down a coat or two of polyurethane for added protection.

 

[countryroad82]

When I painted my old cabinets I just wanted them all one color and I'm not too much of a perfectionist when it comes to how they look, anything looks better than they were; beat to death and every one of them were a different color. I just wiped them down with laquer thinner and shot them with Rustoleum Industrial Grey. The key to making Rustoleum lay out nice is to thin it a little more than the recommended 8:1, I do something more in the lines of 4:1. Yes I know I preach to read the directions but this is one time I veer from my words LOL. They still look good after about 5 years seeing as how I didn't do any prep to them.

 

[buening]

agree, I had to thin mine quite a bit to get it to lay down. Rustoleum is pretty thick stuff and I think their thinning directions are for brushing and not spraying, but I could be wrong.

 

[icecactus]

I found 8:1 was pretty good with the hammered. I think if it was cooler i might get more of hammered effect then what i was getting since it wouldn't dry so quick. Using penetrol instead of Xylol def gave me more hammered effect. The can does say that you can spray it. Says to thin 1.5 to 2 pints per gallon. Which 2 pints would be 25%, but i hardly got an hammered effect at all at 4:1.


Is there any reason you guys aren't using regular house paint from like sherwin williams or ben moore? You all seem to use rustoleum...

 

[Rickenbackerman]

Rustoleum here too, but they were metal kitchen cabinets. Sprayed with my HF HVLP gun - primer then about 3 coats of regal red on the doors and white on the cabinets. Thinned about 5:1.

 

[csp]

Is there any reason you guys aren't using regular house paint from like sherwin williams or ben moore? You all seem to use rustoleum...

Probably metal cabinets.

My wood cabs get latex paint, metal gets paint meant for metal.

 

[Duker]

My favorite medium duty water based enamel for durability is Krylon Industrial Iron Guard. It sprays well through a HVLP gun (although in 100 degree heat is tough) It doesn't come in a bunch of colors but a gallon goes a long way when spraying. I used it on my Rousseau cabinets ( Vidmar / Lista type) and it has resisted dings & chips and cleans easily.

 

[gabeancounter]

I like the Tractor Enamel paint by valspar at Tractor supply. I used rustoleum but could not get it to lay flat. I used it thinned 20% with acetone. That is what it said to use on the can?

The TS paint I used the TS thinner. Worked great.

 

[rickairmedic]

I like the Tractor Enamel paint by valspar at Tractor supply. I used rustoleum but could not get it to lay flat. I used it thinned 20% with acetone. That is what it said to use on the can?

The TS paint I used the TS thinner. Worked great.

Same here I used the Ford blue on my cabinets since my garage is Ford Themed . I also used a detail gun to spray all of my cabinets .


Rick

 

[countryroad82]

Is there any reason you guys aren't using regular house paint from like sherwin williams or ben moore? You all seem to use rustoleum...

Its cheap, readily availiable, and as stated most of these are metal cabinets. When it comes to me painting wood I like enamels myself, it has a nice old school look to it and it doesn't peel when you pick at it like latex does. Granted it takes more coats and thus you use more paint but that is just a preferance of mine.

 

[Linda@Lista]

Hey guys,

What do you guys use to paint your garage cabinets?

Right now im "trying" to use Rustoleum hammered paint through a HVLP on my custom cabinets i made. Its not working out so hot. This stuff is very hard to get even. I finially figured out to use Penetrol, 4 oz per quart. I think part of it is the heat right now. Its over 100 degrees.

Anyway, im thinking abut using a 100% acrylic instead. Like Dunn Edwards Evercoat. This oil based stuff is a PITA to clean and its getting on my nerves.

Do you guys spray? roll?

Hi there, you should check out mixmstrmike's thread. He talks about what he did to repaint his Lista cabinet. It turned out pretty sweet!
Linda
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=107674

 

[icecactus]

Figured i would post a few pics of what i have done so far...

The panels are Rustoleum Hammered Gray.
The posts are Rustoleum Aged Iron Spray Paint.

You can see some of the hammered effect in the first pic. What you can't see is that one side of my panel is rougher and not as glossy. Which is the part that bothers me. You cant tell the difference from 3 ft away unless you wipe your hand across it. Im just ****, so it bothers me. The quart of hammered actually go pretty far, but its still $15 a quart. I have a lot of stuff to build and paint so im thinking i might switch it so 100% acrylic paint as its cheaper and i can clean with soap and water.

Im not sure i like the color combo either. What do you guys think about red for the panels?

Small cabinet panels and posts

Large cabinet panels and posts.

Panels on the right are primed still waiting for paint.

And to help with vizualization a pic of what they look like put together - minus the back board.

 

[chadman]

I painted my wood cabinets first with S&W oil based primer for wood. I then top coated them with the gray Rustoleum oil based enamel rolled on with a foam roller. I chose enamel for the durability and easy cleaning of a gloss finish. Everyone asks if I sprayed them. The foam roller is the key IMO.

 

[zmotorsports]

When I built my workbenches I sprayed Zolatone hammered gray over the plywood doors with my primer gun (larger fluid tip/nozzle). They are now a little over 15 years old and holding up great.

Mike.

 

[Zeke]

Stand alone HVLP systems have hot air so the heat problem is compounded. Plus they aren't known for that smooth of a job. I'd look into a cheap pressure pot system. That will move heavier material (even though you should thin it) with cooler air. You can trim a PP to spray with less overspray, not so much a suction system. Gravity systems are in the middle.

If you meant an HVPL gun powered by compressed air, well the hot air point does not apply.

 

[icecactus]

Stand alone HVLP systems have hot air so the heat problem is compounded. Plus they aren't known for that smooth of a job. I'd look into a cheap pressure pot system. That will move heavier material (even though you should thin it) with cooler air. You can trim a PP to spray with less overspray, not so much a suction system. Gravity systems are in the middle.

If you meant an HVPL gun powered by compressed air, well the hot air point does not apply.

I'm using a Gravity "Conversion" HVLP with a 2.5mm tip.

 

[ericburns4]

I always wait for cooler temperatures before breaking out the interior paints. It's so much easier to get an even coat, not too mention much more comfortable!

 

[buening]

I'm getting ready to shoot my final cabinet with the Rustoleum oil based paint and Valspar hardener. With an 4:1:2 paint:hardener:mineral spirits mix, I'm getting a gloss that I can see my reflection perfectly in (similar to automobile's clear coat), with a few specks of dust here and there. As mentioned I'm using an HVLP gun (Devilbiss Starting Line) with a 1.3mm tip and 30psi.

I tried 10%, 20%, and other smaller thinning combinations and couldn't get the gloss I wanted. The hardener also helps increase the glossiness, and makes it much more durable. The key to getting consistent gloss/sheen, is to ensure you are using the same mixing proportions each time. The above mix is hard to prevent runs on vertical surfaces though, and works best for doors laid flat while painting. The hammered paint is much more user friendly in terms of hiding imperfections.

My experience with typical latex paint has been pretty bad in terms of durability. You can wipe a wall with a rag and your rag turns the color of your wall. Benjamen Moore, PPG, Sherwin Williams, etc are brands I've used in the past. For a living room wall the latex works for me, but for a garage cabinet it is nothing but enamel with hardener!

 

[icecactus]

I'm getting ready to shoot my final cabinet with the Rustoleum oil based paint and Valspar hardener. With an 4:1:2 paint:hardener:mineral spirits mix, I'm getting a gloss that I can see my reflection perfectly in (similar to automobile's clear coat), with a few specks of dust here and there. As mentioned I'm using an HVLP gun (Devilbiss Starting Line) with a 1.3mm tip and 30psi.

I tried 10%, 20%, and other smaller thinning combinations and couldn't get the gloss I wanted. The hardener also helps increase the glossiness, and makes it much more durable. The key to getting consistent gloss/sheen, is to ensure you are using the same mixing proportions each time. The above mix is hard to prevent runs on vertical surfaces though, and works best for doors laid flat while painting. The hammered paint is much more user friendly in terms of hiding imperfections.

My experience with typical latex paint has been pretty bad in terms of durability. You can wipe a wall with a rag and your rag turns the color of your wall. Benjamen Moore, PPG, Sherwin Williams, etc are brands I've used in the past. For a living room wall the latex works for me, but for a garage cabinet it is nothing but enamel with hardener!

I think i have decided to stick with the rustoleum hammered for a couple reasons.
1) I only need 1 coat for good coverage and durability.
2) Hides imperfections/scratches well
3) Durable

I think i would have to do primer, latex paint and polyurethane to get same durability. Thats another whole step to add the poly, so even though cleaning is a pain, i think im further ahead.

The temp has FINALLY started to cool off, so i am going to build a drying rack and do some modifications to my portable paint booth and i'll try painting again.


Are you guys using a Gravity HVLP or a Pressure (pot) style? I have heard the pressure pot is better for thicker paints. Im using a Gravity with a 2.5mm tip right now...would a pressure pot with a 1.8mm be better?

 

[buening]

Below is what I'm using hooked up to my air compressor:

That sure seems like a large tip assuming you are thinning your stuff correctly. Does the hammered paint instructions mention thinning proportions? With my standard Rustoleum paint, I don't have to worry about the texture coming out correctly like with hammered....so my proportions may not work well with your type of paint. Typically a 1.0 is recommended for clear, 1.3mm or so for base coats, and 1.5mm for primer. Your stuff may be thick enough for a larger tip though.

Keep in mind the poly will yellow over time, so I'm not so sure that would even be a solution.

Edit: I found a link of people spraying the stuff: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=963125

I'd recommend experimenting with the thin % on some test panels and see how it affects the color and texture.

 

[icecactus]

The can says you can thin up to 1.5 to 2 pints per gallon with Xylol. Its VERY thick paint. I seem to be able to thin it 8:1 xylol without it effecting the texture. 4:1 xylol didnt look good.

I tried shooting it out of my Porter Cable 1.5mm tip, and it worked OK. Was slow coming out. Takes a while to cover anything.

I think i am going to experiment again now that its cooling off. I would like to do 4:1 as it would come out much faster. I may have been expecting TOO much hammered effect though. I just bought a grizzly table saw and it has a hammered green paint. The hammered is a lot less then what i was able to get using penetrol, but is similar to what i got with the 1.5mm tip and thinning. The pic on the can wrapper makes it look like it should be large hammered texture.