Kitchen Cabinet alternative to SW ProClassic Alkyd

[mark mcfarlane]

It's time to repaint our kitchen cabinets and some new trim as part of a remodel. SW ProClassic Alkyd is the local spray finish of choice.

There are 3 version of SW ProClassic nowadays,

Alkyd (oil),
Waterbased Acrylic-Alkyd
Waterborne Interior Acrylic Enamel


All 3 are 'out of stock' or 'not available' in my area, in all sheens. Occasionally a gallon or two of Satin shows up.

My local SW dealers can't get any, won't let me order, and have 50-100 gallons of backorders. Apparently the situation sourcing oil-based enamels locally is the same with BM, PPG, Kelley Moore, and others. Some pandemic/supply chain thing, I've heard different unsubstantiated stories from 'on a shipping container in Los Angeles' to 'Texas freeze chemical plant disruption last year'.

Anyone have some other favorites that can be tinted locally?

This job will be sprayed by a contractor. It's too big a job for me. I'm already building a wall of cherry cabinets and a laundry room of painted birch cabinets for this project, and doing electrical,... I can't do everything if I want to move back in before next summer.

On SW's website they are recommending 'Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel' for kitchen cabinets (https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/shop-by-project/kitchen-cabinets), although it is also not currently available.

I think the shortage started with ProClassic Alkyd but has spread to other paints...

[Jim Becker]

The industry is in a bad way due to component shortages along with the same transportation issues that are affecting "everything".

Target Coatings EM6500 tinted to the color of your choice if not white is a viable solution. General Finishes Milk Paint is a similar product, albeit in fixed colors. Both are satin sheen out of the container but both can be top-coated with their respective compatible clear coats. (EM6000 or EM7000HB for Target and whatever "water clear" that GF recommends...I'm not familiar enough with their line) For Target, get on their email list for the discount codes which more than make up for shipping cost in my experience.

[mark mcfarlane]

Thanks Jim.

Target Coatings doesn't seem to have any info on spraying this on top of ProClassic Alkyd, they only talk about new surfaces and top coating oil stains.

Does this spray similar to ProClassic, or perhaps it is thinner?

FWIW, most of the paint guys in southern Texas don't speak much English so it can be hard to communicate something new.

I found a third of a gallon of ProClassic in the right color in my shop which may be enough to brush the new trim after using a white primer. Then I could put off painting the kitchen cabinets until I can get more Alkyd ProClassic. It would be nice to paint the kitchen before the new floor goes in.

Thinking out loud, in public...

[Jim Becker]

The consistency is similar to the normal waterborne ProClassic from SW or even a little more viscous. Once the gun is dialed in, it sprays beautifully, but I suspect your painters will use an airless so "no problem". No issue spraying over ProClassic or any other finish if the surface has been properly prepared. That's no different than ANY other existing finish being covered by something else. Prep matters. Degreasing matters, too.

But what's nice about going this route (or the other one I mentioned) is that it's safe to spray in your house. Little or no VOC and odor. Water cleanup. Fast recoating time (several coats a day so the job gets completed quickly), etc.

[mark mcfarlane]

Thanks Jim.

[John TenEyck]

Mark, have you considered BM's Advance? It's similar to the ProClassic WB Acrylic-Alkyd hybrid product. Goes on great with a brush or foam roller and sprays great with an airless. It takes a long time to dry, so recoat times are long, but when it finally cures it's really tough. I wouldn't recommend it for white or other light colors since it will yellow over time, but for medium and darker colors it's a good choice.

Another option if you can get it is PPG Breakthrough, not the low VOC stuff, the higher one.

John

[Robert Engel]

No pro finisher here, but I did a complete reface on my kitchen and I’ve also been very happy with TC products. TC and SW Pro Classic are about all I have experience with spraying, TC has been superior product for me. A topcoat over the pigmented lacquer made a difference.

My only knock is it takes a week or more for it to cure. I learned that the hard way.

I wouldn’t anticipate a problem after light sanding and cleaning, but I would give them a call. Jeff Weiss has been very helpful to me.

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[mark mcfarlane]

Thank you John and Robert. It is a white paint finish we are going after. The new tile floor is fairly dark. I'll give BM a call next week. Our GC said BM was out of oil locally, but maybe they will have the hybrid.

I need to match an existing yellowed ProClassic finish. The kitchen is in a large space, maybe 200' of 12" built up crown, 9 doors, differing ceiling heights,... The person who did the trim work in this house was gifted and had a large budget.

FWIW, I give ProClassic about 30 days to cure properly. That will be a nuisance in our lived in kitchen, but we have a large adjacent butler pantry/laundry room with plenty of countertop to hold kitchen stuff.

I'd complain about all the 'crap' we have stored in the kitchen, but then there is my shop to consider...

[Jim Becker]

The existing ProClassic likely is ambered "because" it's oil based. You can try to tint to match or...pick a delineation point between old and new. That might include recoating some existing trim outside of the primary area to visually keep things from being a hard line of color change. This is regardless of what product you choose (or can actually get...)