To pre-paint my panel or not to pre-paint...

[John Viercinski]

That is the question...

I'm going to be assembling kitchen cabinets within the next month or so.. For the doors, I'm using poplar boards for rails and stiles with a flat MDF panel. My finish will be comparable to Norm's NYW finish this season, i.e., two coats of a sprayed on oil based primer followed by at least one coat of a thinned down latex based white satin paint that will be brushed on.

1. Should I paint or at least prime the panel before assembly?

2. I own a planer and a jointer, which for this project, will be the first time I use both. Would my results be better if I bought S4S and just ripped my boards to width then jointed them or should I buy rough sawn 4/4 boards and plane and joint them?

3. Will it be much cheaper to buy rough sawn poplar over the course of a standard 10 x 10 kitchen?

Thanks!

[Peter Quinn]

Round my way they don't even sell rought 4/4 poplar, everything is S2S 15/16ths, but it isnt flat enough or surfaced enough for cabinet work. I'd still go to the jointer/planer. I use 4/4 for 3/4" doors and 5/4 for 7/8"-1 1/8" doors.

I usually glue man made panels into the groove and prime/paint the whole assembly after final sanding. I typically fit the hinges/hardware before final sanding then remove them for finishing. In any case I wouldn't prepaint the panels myself before assembly as the groove tolerances won't tolerate the mil thickness of the paint ie:the panels aren't going to fit the grooves after painting. Prefinishing is typically only done for stain grade work with solid raised panels that expand and contract leaving a visable line, and stain/dye doesn't add enough thickness to be relevant.

For the top coat check out either Benjimin Moore's water based SATIN IMPERVO or another water based product called CABINET COAT, both are basically pigmented waterborne polyurathane and much tougher for kitchen cabinets than latex. You'll need a water borne retarder to brush them (not floetrol, but a real retarder made for water borne like XIM). They can be sprayed also if you choose. Latex would be my last choice on earth for kitchen cabinets, just not tough enough for the long haul.

[Jim Becker]

John, I also glue in MDF panels, so prepainting isn't necessary.

Peter, Satin Impervo is not a "water borne polyurethane"...it's a water borne 100% acrylic finish. There's no poly in it. Impervo water borne and Sherwin Williams ProClassic water borne (also 100% acrylic) are very nice finishes and give better results over time than any kind of latex paint. Personally, however, I like to spray Target Coatings USL and it can also be tinted to any color you want...and it's ready to spray out of the container without a projector set that has a hole the size of a golf ball... ;)

[David DeCristoforo]

1. Should I paint or at least prime the panel before assembly?

Short answer... yes. At least as far as priming goes. It does not have to be anything "fancy". Just a sealer/primer on the insides of the stile and rail grooves (not on the areas which will be glued) and around the permitter of the panel. Is it "necessary"? Not really. But your question asked if you "should".... and technically, you "should".

YM

[Ben Grunow]

I just made a few doors with poplar frames and mdf panels and glued them up tight. This is the strongest door construction possible if you ask me.

[Peter Quinn]

Thanks for the clarification Jim. I think of WB impervo as a poly because it reminds me of one application wise, but I guess in truth it is not.

Been itching to try the target USL, going to play with spraying it soon as my shop warms up. I'm finding a good cabinet grade paint finish more challenging to achieve than a clear finish in my little shop.

[Jim Becker]

Just remember, Peter...."poly" (polyurethane) is an ingredient (resin), not a finish/product... ;) ...but I guess we all call any kind of facial tissue "Kleenex" these days... LOL

[John Viercinski]

Thanks for the advice! I'll be sure to post pictures as I go through it.

R,
John V.