Technique for spraying drawers?

[Chip Olson]

I have 7 kitchen cabinet drawers to spray with Target USL, and I'm wondering what's the best way to do it. Lay them flat and spray the bottoms, then the insides and around the sides? Lean them up against something? Something else? They're roughly 18"x22"x4"; I'd like to get 4 coats on in the least time possible and still have it look decent. I'm using a Campbell-Hausfeld HVLP sprayer.

[Steve Clardy]

My solution is I buy prefinished drawer side material.
I would suggest, if you can, remove the bottom, then spray everything, reassemble the drawer bottom.

[Steve Jenkins]

I lay them on the floor right side up. You may want to put down some paper or a drop cloth first.
Standing almost over the drawer I spray all four outsides first then straight down on the top edge on all four. then I hold the gun down inside the drawer at a slight down angle and cock my arm so i can spray all the way aound the inside sides in one motion then spray the bottom. It may take a bit of practice to get the inside in one move but it works really well.

[Chip Olson]

My solution is I buy prefinished drawer side material.
I would suggest, if you can, remove the bottom, then spray everything, reassemble the drawer bottom.

The bottoms are already quite securely glued in. :-)

[Nancy Laird]

What are you spraying into the drawers? If it is something like lacquer, you won't like the result. They will continue to "stink" for a long time. You are better off waxing them, IMHO. My husband has made drawers for cabinets, etc. in every room in our house over the past 13 years, and the wax is very much a preferred finish.

[Jim Becker]

Nancy, NC lacquer is fine. Water borne is fine. Shellac is fine. ANYTHING oil based will stink forever... ;)

[Quinn McCarthy]

Chip

I spray drawers all the time. The one thing I would add it to reduce the amount of material coming out of the gun. It's hard to move around in the drawers and it's common to get too much overlap when you move down the side. Make sure that when you get to the corner you stop the spray just shy of the corner. You want to make sure that all four sides are finished but you have to hatch out in the corners. WHen you have to scuff sand a bunch of drips from the insides of the drawers you will come up the learning curve very quickly. The advantage I have with my HVLP gun is that the gun is not connected to the pot and I can spray with the gun upsidedown. I use Velspar conversion varnish. I have read several posts on this sight about drawers smelling when sprayed with oil based finish. My nose may be numb but I never notice any odor lingering in the drawer. The way I look at it is if you are selling a kithen full of drawers and you are getting paid to do it you need to protect those drawer from years of abuse and from seasonal changes in RH and temerature. By spraying all of the sides of the drawers you are taking care if it. I am not saying that waxing drawers is not useful however when I do it it is usually on a smaller higher end piece of furniture.

Just my 2 cents. Hope it helps.

Quinn

[Charlie Plesums]

I stand the assembled drawers on the front and spray the outside, bottom, and inside (except don't worry about the inside back).

For the second pass, I stand the assembled drawers on the back, and spray the outside including the front, and carefully get the inside including the back. (second coat on most of the inside).

When I was using "real" lacquer, the percent solids were low enough that I needed a second pass on this procedure... with Target USL, less thinning and higher percent solids make one coat an adequate dust sealer on the bottom and back of the drawer.

After this procedure, I focus on the front, edges, and inside of the drawer for the wear coating, as required, most often with the drawer still standing on the back.

After a few days venting for the lacquer to really cure, I have not had an odor problem with either nitrocellulose lacquer nor with Target USL.