Clear coating for kitchen cabinets:

[oldberkeley]

My wife and I just got some new dark stained kitchen cabinets, we’re very disappointed in the “fragility” of the finish. I’m thinking of applying a clear protective coating to them.

Planning to brush the cabinets, remove and spray can the doors, a few questions.

1. All we’ve used so far during installation is some occasional Old English furniture polish spray. There’s no cooking grease or anything like that. Prior to coating, I was thinking of wiping them down/cleaning them, no heavy stripping . What would be a good product to use? Just plain mineral spirits?

2. Most importantly, what clear protective finish should we use? Needs to be relatively easy to apply; if it came in a spray can and a regular can would be good, although I could drop the idea of spraying the doors and just brush them. Also just one coat, not getting into sanding between coats!

Considering Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish (water based) or Minwax Super Fast-Drying Polyurethane for Floors.

TIA.

 

[Kaizen]

its important to know whats there. are these ikea type cabinets? even though the finish might be fragile as you described if its super smooth you'll have anything you apply peeling off in a year if you don't sand with something. it allows the top coat to bite into something

 

[finn]

We just had new hickory cabinets built by a local cabinetmaker. He finished them with a clear lacquer, sprayed on.

They look great.

Using any sort of oil may preclude spraying something on later.

 

[Ainsley]

Going to be tough getting a nice finish from a spray can. If you had a compressor and gun or a turbine HVLP unit I'd suggest a pre-cat laquer.
For prep I'd definitely scuff sand everything so it will properly stick.

 

[Caman]

Minwax polycrylic is good stuff. Very easy to work with and rock hard when dry. I use it at work on all of our butcher block work stations (30+ total) and they have held up very well with constant daily use and abuse. Much better than the commercial laminate countertops that these are replacing, those lasted a year before they started to look like hell.

Use multiple light coats (I typically use 3 or 4)and don't overwork it or try and level it with the brush, it will mostly self level while drying.

Best part cleanup is a breeze, just rinse the brush and tools.

 

[kd3pc]

getting a finish that appears clear, blemish free, and hard on an unknown finish/coating already in place, is a job for the pros.

DIY will result in a mess.

Unless you know the underlying coating, you will have no way of knowing how it will react to your addition. And using a spray can is a disaster in the works.

Even with considerable skills in brushing an tipping and spraying boat, car and airplane single/multi part paints and coatings, I would not attempt this.

Many of today's coatings are just that, a chemical that is brushed on to a statically charged surface, exposed to UV light, high heat, etc and that chemical sets - perfectly.

You need to do some real research, else you run the risk of making things a LOT worse. I would speak with the maker or vendor of the cabinets and ask why the finish is so fragile...

 

[lynnbilodeau]

If you are dead set about going ahead with this, and I get that... at least find an inconspicuous spot to test whatever product you decide on.

Lacquer has been mentioned, but it is not as tough as polyurethane or the aforementioned polycrylic. Any varnish type coating will darken the finish slightly.

Biggest issue you have is not knowing what you have now. Some products will react. that is why you need to test. First clean it very well, then lightly scuff.

Second, spray cans sound like a good idea in theory. However, the content in most rattle cans is inferior. Brushing on one of the Minwax products following the directions will give a perfectly good result. Again, find an inconspicuous spot, and try it out. If you don't want to sand, at least go over it with a scotch pad to promote proper adhesion.

 

[Zeke]

The Old English will be your problem. If you put anything on the wood now it will fish eye wherever it finds some traces of the OE. Make sure you clean the surface with some TSP and then some naphtha or similar. Then you must scuff the surface completely and vacuum then tack rag.

Many finishes come in spray and bulk. That should not be a problem. 'Super fast' drying is not mandatory. Any water borne finish will be dry to handle lightly in 30 minutes at shop temps. In fact. if you are brushing, you need some open time.

Do some back sides of lower doors first to get the hang of it. Apply some finish with a mini roller spreading quickly and no holidays. Tip the wet finish off with a good quality brush (foam brushes are OK for this) and LEAVE IT ALONE! If you missed a spot wait a few hours before scuffing and re-coating. Using a roller to apply and tipping is actually faster than a spray can and you get more film thickness per coat. No reason you can't do this with one coat.

As I said, do a few inconspicuous spots first. At one time I did this for a living. I used professional spraying equipment 90% of the time but you have to know how to do it by hand because sometimes that's the best way. The secret is, if you didn't catch it, is to get the finish on, lay it off to quell the orange peel all very quickly while the finish is still very wet so if will flow out. After about a minute the finish is too far along the drying process to mess with it. You will see more brush marks the longer you continue to brush until it looks terrible.

This technique is the same when using most acrylic house paints. I have passage doors in my house that look like you are staring into a cloud they are so smooth and yet not plastic looking.

 

[Elginz]

I don't know about the prep for what is on there now, but I have been using Minwax polycrylic for 15 years now. it is just about the only thing I use on cabinets. I spray it on with a cheap HVLP sprayer from Menards. 2 coats, let dry to not seeing any wet glare between coats, a little longer before sanding. sand, the sanding is very light and fast, a couple of minuets to sand. Some times with a finish sander and 400 paper, sometimes by hand with a sanding sponge, finish coat. Some things need 4, but not many.
I do tack rag before starting to spray after sanding.

 

[Boomer343]

You can get a two part clear in a spray can from an autobody supply shop. When you are ready to spray you activate the can and then use it within a certain time period.

You should also buy some proper degreaser/paint prep from the supply house to wipe down before painting.

You should also be taking proper precautions for ventilation and breathing.

Good luck you are going to need it.

 

[oldberkeley]

Thanks for all the replies. I appreciate that folks are being informative, practical, and realistic. And my reaction is that I'm not encouraged, and I'm rethinking the whole darn thing.

I'm trying to contact the vendor and the manufacturer (Wellborn cabinets in Alabama) as I'm aware of the potential problems between an original coating and an overcoat.

I have no sprayer and on a limited budget; no problem abandoning the rattle can idea and simply brushing everything.

Zeke: I'm not sure what you mean by "The secret is, if you didn't catch it, is to get the finish on, lay it off to quell the orange peel all very quickly while the finish is still very wet so if will flow out." Would you explain that? Also, what type of mini-roller cover? Foam?

I understand that a glossy surface needs to be given some tooth before anything is applied over it. I just do not have the mental or physical energy required to sand every bit of these cabinets and doors. I could wash with TSP, wipe with naptha, scuff with scotch pad, wipe with tack rag.

At this point, OT: in the woulda-shoulda-coulda category, we should have gone with a natural maple wood (what we've had before.) Maybe my whole clear top coat idea is stupid (would not be my first.)

We're going to sell the house in two years: I suppose we could just be as careful as hell, buy a dozen touch-up pens from Wellborn, and continually keep on top of things.

 

[Kaizen]

Wellborn website looks like they are a top notch cabinet place. I'd definitely have one of their people out and look at the finish. no way you should be chipping off finish on cabinets like these. seriously I just sanded, stained, and poly'd my 20 year old cabinets 6 months ago and I don't have one chip or blemish. for the price I'm sure you paid I'd be calling their corporate office

 

[todd_fuller]

You can get a two part clear in a spray can from an autobody supply shop. When you are ready to spray you activate the can and then use it within a certain time period.
...
You should also be taking proper precautions for ventilation and breathing.

I bought a can like this to respray some bronze house numbers that had become tarnished and unreadable. Excellent finish and it's very durable and so far doing good with the UV. Many of the 2-pack cans are isocynate which needs special respirator filters not commonly available. While some people do it without, I've read that even though an initial exposure many not cause respiratory issues, the exposure can then sensitize you for future exposures. Read the literature before spraying!

 

[Voi]

I'm trying to contact the vendor and the manufacturer (Wellborn cabinets in Alabama) as I'm aware of the potential problems between an original coating and an overcoat.

As has been suggested, the more large scale the cabinet company is the more likely you're going to have issues with trying to get some after market product to stick as they tend to use a lot of UV and oven cured finishes (as it turns out, Wellborn uses both). You could have a real mess on your hands if you try to topcoat with some 1K waterborne finish and it starts to peel away a month from now.

Here is a link to Wellborn's finishing process.

http://www.wellborn.com/d3Apages.php?item=D2WPWFS

I recommend not doing anything and getting the distributor you used involved, assuming you didn't buy direct.