kitchen cabinet interiors

[Anne Gray]

I recently posted questions about finishing kitchen cabinets, and I've been experimenting with Waterlox, which may be a winner. I was hoping that there might be a different way to do the interiors; I dont want to be too lazy, but 5-6 coats of Original/Sealer and then 2 coats of Satin is..... a lot.

Is it reasonable to to the insides differently than the outsides? (birch plywood)

Any recommendations on a good product(s) I can do in 2-3 coats? I dont want to paint them- I like the wood look.

Thanks!

[Anne Gray]

I should add that part of the reason I am considering doing the insides and outsides differently is that it'd be nice not to have the smell on the insides forever (ie, use waterbourne?), but I'll deal with that and the extra time for lots of coats if needed.

[Paul Girouard]

Try Daly's Aqua spar a water borne clean finish with a hint of amber tone to it . Builds great, dries fast , I roll it on with a peanut roller then brush it out , tip and roll style , 3 coats would be fine inside a cabinet ,

All this clear finish is Daly's aqua spar ,

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/May5th3.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/May5th1.jpg

Finish remodeled cabinet ,

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/July3rd8.jpg

Pantry draws/ interiors with Aqua spar ,

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Nov193.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Nov192.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Nov191.jpg

I think if you try it, you'll like it , good luck.

[Jim Becker]

Anne, it's best not to use an oil-based finish on the inside of a cabinet unless you want to smell that finish "forever". Use a water borne or shellac and you will not have that issue. If you already coated the interiors with the Waterlox, you can use Zinsser SealCoat (shellac that is easily sourced) to seal in the odor with a coat or two.

[Todd Burch]

I spray precatalyzed lacquer inside my cabinets. Fast to spray, Fast to dry. Fast to cure. Easy to clean up. Two coats. One light sanding between coats. Done in an afternoon.

It is my humble opinion that anyone who puts 5 coats of anything on the inside of a cabinet needs to have their head examined. Life is too short.

Todd

[Jim Becker]

One must have the right setup and environment to spray pre-cat lacquer safely, however...the same general result can be had with a water-borne product in 2-3 sprayed coats with easier safety considerations.

[Anne Gray]

Thanks guys!

I'm loving the Waterlox on the exteriors, but thank you for not thinking me lazy for not wanting to do all those coats on the inside. I did do a few coats of the original/sealer on one set, just to see how it went. Jim, I saw you post elsewhere about the odor, and that got me thinking.....

So I picked up General Finish waterbased Polycrylic, and will give that a try. Would SealCoat be better? I bought this stuff before these posts were up. I was hoping to put a coat or two over the oilbased stuff I already did, to help keep the odor in? Polycrylic is still ok to go over Waterlox, as long as it is very dry first, right? I should add that I need to stick with brush/wipe on products. Low tech, here.

Thanks for all the help. Aside from wasting a small bit of time and money on waterloxing my interiors, I'm super excited about pulling this off.

[Jim Becker]

The waterborne is fine and yes, you can put it over the Waterlox if it's cured and you scuff sand it very lightly to give some "tooth" for the acrylic to adhere to.

[Anne Gray]

Thanks! Here it goes!
:eek::D:eek::D

[Phil Phelps]

Anne, it's best not to use an oil-based finish on the inside of a cabinet unless you want to smell that finish "forever". Use a water borne or shellac and you will not have that issue. If you already coated the interiors with the Waterlox, you can use Zinsser SealCoat (shellac that is easily sourced) to seal in the odor with a coat or two.

I've used oil base enamel over forty years. I've never had the oder linger. My last cabinet re-model was in '04 and there is no oder whatsoever. I've been using Benjamin Moore paints for the last thirty five years, and the results are super. However, when it comes to the shelves, I use a laminated plastic. Show me a finish that will hold up to an iron skillet dragged over it time and time again and shows no wear and I'm changing my method. Otherwise, a laminate shelf bottom is the most durable and easily cleaned surface I know.

[Jim Becker]

Phil, she wasn't asking about paint...it was oil-based varnish which does have a tendency to off-gas for a long time and is noticable when closed spaces are opened. I do agree that for pure durability that laminate on the shelving would be, um...top shelf!

[Phil Phelps]

Phil, she wasn't asking about paint...it was oil-based varnish which does have a tendency to off-gas for a long time and is noticable when closed spaces are opened. I do agree that for pure durability that laminate on the shelving would be, um...top shelf!

....if you can't see it, why waste a good finish on it?

[Howard Acheson]

>> I dont want to be too lazy, but 5-6 coats of Original/Sealer and then 2 coats of Satin is..... a lot.

I'm new to this thread by I certainly don't see the above schedule as making any sence. In general, the Waterlox Sealer/Finish is used as a first or prime coat. They 2-3 coats of either the Waterlox Original Gloss or Original Satin.

That's not to say that multiple coats of the Sealer/Finish can't be used but it is a softer finish containing a higher percentage of oil. Some use it as a wipe on and apply 2-3 coats. I've never heard of using 5-6 coats let alone 5-6 coats under two coats of the Original Satin.

You will end up with a harder and more durable finish with just a single coat of the Sealer/Finish overcoated with two coats of the Original Gloss or Satin.

[Anne Gray]

I was recommended to use 4-6 coats of the original/sealer, and as I was testing the wood, it really started to have a nicer sheen and smoother feel after 5-6 coats compared to 2-3. So that is where I stopped. I thought that the satin finish on top was supposed to be more minimal? I dont want to dull them with too much satin.

Should I do fewer coats of the original/sealer, 1-2 of the gloss, then finish up with one of the satin, to bring down the shine?

[David Ramsey]

Jim,
Another newbie here. I appreciate your many postings I have read. I too am doing my own cabinets and was thinking of Mniwax water-based Polycrylic for the interiors which are birch. Your thoughts on Miniwax??
Thanks,
David Ramsey

[Jim Becker]

David, the Minwax polycrylic is one of the few Minwax products I'll actually use, but it's my "in a pinch" go-to for a water borne finish. (I generally use Target Coatings USL or Hybrivar) It's downside for me is that it contains polyurethane and that's something I just prefer not to use on furniture, although there is only a limited amount in a water borne acrylic. I have sprayed the product right out of the container with very good results, both on wood prepared with BLO and a seal coat of de-waxed shellac as well as over flat latex paint that I used for a particular product purely for color.

[Sam Yerardi]

Anne,

A couple reasons for multiple coats in any finishing schedule is to add extra layers for 'protection' or to bring the finish to a smoother result as in filling the pores, etc. Since this is the inside of a cabinet, there will be very little wear to contend with. There are other reasons but in this case that's where I see the resultant benefit. In this case, and I think we're still talking about the inside of the cabinets, IMHO the only reason I would do multiple coats is if it was obvious I wasn't getting good coverage with one coat. With the schedule you indicated in your last post, it sounds good to me, but I'm not sure that you would need multiple coats given that you are finishing up with at least a single gloss coat. As in all finishing schedules, try it on scrap birch ply material and see if you like it. Place it inside the cabinet afterwards to get an idea of what it will look like inside the cabinet. Try different approaches, etc. as you will get a million suggestions here but the end result will be what looks good to you in your application.