Best Finish for Kitchen Cabinets

[Eddie Ormerod]

I built my own cherry kitchen cabinets about a year and a half ago. I used a pre-cat lacquer on them, no stain. My wife wanted the dull satin look. Now after the year and a half, I hate the dull satin look. I plan on adding a satin or semigloss coating to them.
Anyway I don't want to use pre-cat lacquer to them. I need something a little more moisture and wear reistance. Also, I am not taking the cabinets out. I can remove the doors and drawers to spray them but I need a way to coat the exterior sides of the cabinets without spraying.
What's the best clear coat to use and what preparation do I need to do since i have already used pre-cat lac.
Thanks,
Eddie

[Charles Brown]

I built my own cherry kitchen cabinets about a year and a half ago. I used a pre-cat lacquer on them, no stain. My wife wanted the dull satin look. Now after the year and a half, I hate the dull satin look. I plan on adding a satin or semigloss coating to them.Anyway I don't want to use pre-cat lacquer to them. I need something a little more moisture and wear reistance. Also, I am not taking the cabinets out. I can remove the doors and drawers to spray them but I need a way to coat the exterior sides of the cabinets without spraying.What's the best clear coat to use and what preparation do I need to do since i have already used pre-cat lac.Thanks,EddieEddie, at work we spray 'flat' lacquer but finish the process by running the piece don with 0000 steel wool and then adding paste wax and buffing to he desired gloss. That might be an alternative solution to completely respraying your fronts.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Eddie - I found this thread


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?75601-poly-over-lacquer

I think this agrees with Charles' approach...you might be better with a buffing/rubbing approach over adding another type of finish. If you were willing to remove the cabinets I would say go with another spray of lacquer, but 'in place' your options are limited.

[Jamie Schmitz]

You just might be able to put a WB finish over the Lac. Flecto's(Rust-O-Leum's) Varathane Diamond Finish is really durable,brushable.
Maybe do a test on the back of a drawer/door.

[David Werkheiser]

A post cat lacquer is a better finish, and you may be able to recoat over the existing finish with out problems. You will need to scuff sand everything.
The problems I see are: being able to brush these finishes as they dry so fast (retarder may help) and the bigger problem is getting all the oils from cooking off the existing finish, so that you don't get "fisheyes" when spraying. Scuff sanding alone will not remove oils, you will need to wipe everything with TSP 2 or 3 times, and you may have to spray a barrier coat of shellac.
I agree with you that cherry looks best finished "natural".
David

[Steve Griffin]

Definitely try a paste wax, which will liven them up and add a nice layer of protection. I bet it moves the sheen up a notch for you.

I like Bioshield floor wax or Scidmores beeswax.

Both are evaportive finishes, so do it again every couple years.

[Jim Becker]

Wax isn't a good option for sprucing up things in the kitchen...the mere act of cleaning up will remove it. Given you have to finish "in-place", I'll also suggest you work with a water borne product, both because you can brush it and because it will be safe to use in your home. There is no way I'd ever use a solvent based lacquer in that environment, personally. But that's me...others may feel differently. And a water borne will spray very nicely on those doors and drawer fronts back in your shop which is nice since they have larger surface areas and will be harder to deal with if you had to brush them.

Do note that you must...and I do mean "must"...absolutely clean everything top to bottom to insure there is no grease or other contaminants on the cabinets, doors and drawer fronts before you start to add your finish. The suggestion to scuff the surfaces is also sound to insure good adhesion. What finish you choose is also important. Some water bornes are less durable than others, although the state of the industry has come a long way. I happen to like and user Target Coatings products, but there are many others to choose from, too.

[Larry Fox]

Wax isn't a good option for sprucing up things in the kitchen...the mere act of cleaning up will remove it. Given you have to finish "in-place", I'll also suggest you work with a water borne product, both because you can brush it and because it will be safe to use in your home. There is no way I'd ever use a solvent based lacquer in that environment, personally. But that's me...others may feel differently. And a water borne will spray very nicely on those doors and drawer fronts back in your shop which is nice since they have larger surface areas and will be harder to deal with if you had to brush them.

Do note that you must...and I do mean "must"...absolutely clean everything top to bottom to insure there is no grease or other contaminants on the cabinets, doors and drawer fronts before you start to add your finish. The suggestion to scuff the surfaces is also sound to insure good adhesion. What finish you choose is also important. Some water bornes are less durable than others, although the state of the industry has come a long way. I happen to like and user Target Coatings products, but there are many others to choose from, too.

+1 to everything Jim said. I also use Target Coatings waterbased products. I am finishing up a new cherry kitchen build at the moment myself and used EM8000 Conversion Varnish and they turned out nicely so far.