I am finishing out my shop cabinet build and looking for some durable paint. I built a router table cart a few years ago and sprayed it with BM Advance (cabinet grade paint). It looks terrible now with chips all over it. Should I be looking for a lacquer or epoxy based paint? What other options are there?
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Durable paint for shop cabinets?
- Thread starter jbass350z
- Start date
glentre
Well-known member
Chipping of paint is usually caused by improper surface preparation before painting or laying on prime coats too heavy where there is poor adhesion between the wood and the primer or between the primer and final color coat. Lacquer, unless it's the modern catalyzed type, would be an inferior coating for shop cabinets. I would stick with an epoxy or urethane paint but pay particular attention to using the same brand compatible primer and follow the manufacturer's instructions. A properly applied primer and paint top coat should not chip but will, instead, only show some depressions into the wood when dinged with tools or other objects.
Glen
Glen
csp
Well-known member
Alky enamel is very durable
hefnerconstructionlc
Well-known member
The advance is a very good paint being hybrid and all. The impervo is very nice also. Im going to guess a bonding issue also. As above precat lacquer is fantastic but no durable.
hefnerconstructionlc
Well-known member
Not durable.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
One step beyond. Implement/tractor alkyd enamel. Limited colors, but incredibly durable. Add enamel hardener. Once cured (>24 hrs) it is almost as hard as epoxy.Alky enamel is very durable
Surface prep is critical !
rburke65
Well-known member
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation
Jazz1
Well-known member
Automotive paint might be better if they prone to ”contact”
Painter friend recommended melamine paint to redo cabinets in washroom. It laid down smooooth and quite durable. I’ll use melamine in my shop upper cabinets some day
Painter friend recommended melamine paint to redo cabinets in washroom. It laid down smooooth and quite durable. I’ll use melamine in my shop upper cabinets some day
csp
Well-known member
So calling it implement/tractor and selling at Tractor Supply makes it a step beyond? Honest question. That happens to be the stuff I have used, but always felt like labeling it as tractor paint was a marketing ploy.One step beyond. Implement/tractor alkyd enamel. Limited colors, but incredibly durable. Add enamel hardener. Once cured (>24 hrs) it is almost as hard as epoxy.
Surface prep is critical !
Using the hardener is a good idea as this stuff takes forever to dry/cure without it.
duneslider
Well-known member
I have had extremely good success with the BM Advanced. Was this painted over raw wood and did you use the BM advance primer?
K'ledgeBldr
Well-known member
Alkyd Enamel!
Prep- sanding, priming, etc., is a given.
Prep- sanding, priming, etc., is a given.
Two part epoxy paint or catalyzed waterborne are the standard for high impact cabinets. I used a hammered paint on my own shop cabinets and its bulletproof and easy to use, but you have to like the texture for that to work....
It is an industrial enamel. Most brands are similar and work well for general use around the shop. The hardener helps with drying time, gloss and durability. It's 'tractor' when formulated to match original tractor maker paints.So calling it implement/tractor and selling at Tractor Supply makes it a step beyond? Honest question. That happens to be the stuff I have used, but always felt like labeling it as tractor paint was a marketing ploy.
Using the hardener is a good idea as this stuff takes forever to dry/cure without it.
Check out PPG Breakthrough. I did a lot of reading that led me to select either BM Advance or the PPG product for a murphy bed project. It turns out I have a PPG store just down the block and my wife gets a discount as an Architect so I went PPG.
I used PPG's extender on the advice of the representative (I told her I was going to spray it with an HVLP gun) because it dries soooo fast. I also had to water it down a little to get it to flow in my gun, even with a pretty large tip. But the results were unbelievable. It was dry enough to handle by the time I got my gun cleaned and dry enough to install in a few hours. It super hard too. They apparently use it for floor paint.
I used PPG's extender on the advice of the representative (I told her I was going to spray it with an HVLP gun) because it dries soooo fast. I also had to water it down a little to get it to flow in my gun, even with a pretty large tip. But the results were unbelievable. It was dry enough to handle by the time I got my gun cleaned and dry enough to install in a few hours. It super hard too. They apparently use it for floor paint.
csp
Well-known member
Here's the part you're missing to my question as it relates to what I quoted. "Tractor" paint is alkyd enamel with the words tractor paint on the label. It isn't a different formulation of alkyd enamel that makes it "tractor" and it isn't any more durable than other alkyd enamels because they call it tractor paint.It is an industrial enamel. Most brands are similar and work well for general use around the shop. The hardener helps with drying time, gloss and durability. It's 'tractor' when formulated to match original tractor maker paints.
I'm well aware of how the hardener works and that it's color matched.
I didn't need anything fancy on the stuff in my garage. I used black oil-based Rustoleum.
oldmachinenut
Well-known member
I did mine with Rustoleum hammered and it is very durable