Question on drawer finishing

[Larry Fox]

I am working on a set of cabinets for my kitchen and am wondering what other folks are using as finish for the drawers. I am making the sides out of maple and bottom will either be A4 maple plywood or Baltic Birch. I have quite a few to do so I prefer a finish that I can spray but it is certainly not a prerequsite. I kinda like the color of natural maple so a clear finish is fine. However, the face-frames, doors, and drawer fronts will be cherry so is coloring the maple prefereable in this case to avoid too much contrast? I realize it is all a matter of taste but though I would ask what is generally done.

Thanks in advance for your time . . .

Larry

[Per Swenson]

Hi Larry,

We just rub on 2-3 coats of shellac.

Per

[Jim Becker]

For kitchen drawers I use WB acrylics or super blond shellac. The former leaves the color pretty much intact and the latter adds a little bit of warmness. Do NOT use any kind of oil-based varnish to finish your drawers...the smell will last "forever".

[Jamie Buxton]

For kitchen drawers, I like sprayed waterborne varnish. Spray does the job quickly, and waterborne is safer and easier to use than solvent-borne.

Because spraying (and sanding between coats) is easier on flat stock, I varnish the parts before I assemble them into drawers.

[Bert Johansen]

If you don't mind a slight yellowing, spray on Zinnser shellac. It's available as an aerosol and it's quick and fool-proof. No clean-up, no oily rags--just toss the can when you're done.

Bert

[Larry Fox]

Jim, do you have a particular brand of WB acrylic that you like and have had good luck with. I also really like the idea of shellac but didn't really consider it before because of durability concerns (probably unfounded).

Have you ever used General Finishes Polyacrylic blend for this purpose? I have used their products in the past for other projects and have been really satisfied but none have been in an environment like a kitchen.

Link:
http://www.generalfinishes.com/finishes/water-base-finishes/waterbase_finishes.htm

Thanks for your time . . .

Larry

[Jim Becker]

Larry, I use Target Coatings USL for most of my sprayed finishing and have started to use their Emtech sealer under it. I pretty much do not use anything with polyurethane resin in it unless it's a kitchen table.

[Russ Massery]

I'll second that on the USL. It's by far the easiest finish I've ever applied. I'm in the middle of making kitchen cabinets for myself. I use it to finish the cabinets also. I'm using an inexpensive HVLP gun.

[Mark Singer]

I buy the baltic birch pre finished

[brent lenthall]

Larry,

I use conversion varnish or pre-cat lacquer from ML Campbell. I've never had an issue with an odor (after initial off gassing). A clear finish on drawer boxes is standard. Actually, anything behind doors is clear coat with the stain ending on the inside of the face frame. The exception would be behind glass doors.


brent

[Larry Fox]

Thanks for all the helpful replies, really helps clear things up. I will likely go with a WB acrylics (likely the Target Coatings Jim mentions) as I like the idea of spraying it without dispersing flamable solvents into my environment. Solvents aside, I love shellac though so it will certainly get further study as a possible solution.

[Quinn McCarthy]

Larry,

I am with Brent. I use a Conversion varnish. It works great. Leaves a great finish and after the initial gas off there isn't any odor. With CV I can spray drawer bottoms and door back,Then the cabinets and by the time I am done with the cabinets the drawers and doors are ready to flip over and spray. The key with spraying drawers is to cut your material back through your spray gun on deep drawers. This will prevent drippng in the corners.