Professional Finish on Kitchen Cabinets

[Dan Hahr]

You can get a very nice finish with a $20 Harbor Freight gun and pigmented conversion varnish. I use ML Campbell’s Envirovar and it lays down very smooth in two coats. It’s not a piano grade polished finish, but it’s better than our better cabinet shops around here. I wouldn’t expect the gun to last more than a project or two but it’s only $20.

I prefer my Fuji mini mite, but the HF gun works fine with a cheap air compressor.

Dan

[John TenEyck]

You can get a very nice finish with a $20 Harbor Freight gun and pigmented conversion varnish. I use ML Campbell’s Envirovar and it lays down very smooth in two coats. It’s not a piano grade polished finish, but it’s better than our better cabinet shops around here. I wouldn’t expect the gun to last more than a project or two but it’s only $20.

I prefer my Fuji mini mite, but the HF gun works fine with a cheap air compressor.

Dan

Dan, is there a non commercial account source for ML Campbell products?

John

[Dan Hahr]

I have an account with a local store that carries it along with their Benjamin Moore line. I don't do a lot of business there, so they don't generally remember me when I stop in, but they don't hesitate to get me a few gallons of MLC. I was ordering it from Wurth, but found out that they had it locally. I've used it on cabinets and furniture and it works well enough that I haven't experimented with their other offerings.

Dan

[Jim Becker]

I would certainly try the ML Campbell waterborne product if I found it locally, but last time I looked, it was a very long dive to the closest place that sells it. When I order from Target, I have it in-hand in one or two days, including custom colors.

[John TenEyck]

I have an account with a local store that carries it along with their Benjamin Moore line. I don't do a lot of business there, so they don't generally remember me when I stop in, but they don't hesitate to get me a few gallons of MLC. I was ordering it from Wurth, but found out that they had it locally. I've used it on cabinets and furniture and it works well enough that I haven't experimented with their other offerings.

Dan

Thanks Dan. You're in a better situation than me it seems. No local retail outlet carries ML Campbell; only commercial outlets. When I've looked into buying it on line it's been the same deal. Same with Milesi, ChemCraft, and a couple of other companies I'd like to try products from. Even SW's is changing their offerings. I used to be able to buy some of their WB's by the gallon; now it's 5 gal cans.

John

[Dave Sabo]

You need to get your gun zeroed in for the product and the only way to do that is to spray some finish! That holds true no matter what you choose to use, be it Target, be it Lenmar, whatever. It's a "best practice". Once you've used a product for awhile, you'll know how to setup and will only need a quick test spray on paper/cardboard before proceeding, but "new to you products' require a little more practice. DAKHIKT!

Nothing truer could be said. And , don't underestimate the time and material it will take you to get to that point. Even if someone cribs you the notes for exact thinning rate for your product, needle size and pressure for your gun, you're still going to have several hours making it right for your particular spraying place. And the morning you finally get it dialed in, then take a break for lunch, you'll come back and those settings will be crap because the temp. or humidity changed.

Do I really need a new compressor or can I learn and go slower with the one I have

Tough to say. What do you have now ? How many CFM will it deliver continuously at the recommended pressure the gun you're considering needs ? The H in HVLP stands for high volume. If you've got a big 5-6ft. tall industrial twin piston or a screw compressor, then yea, you'll be good. A hot dog or pancake compressor - very doubtful.

What do folks think about the Fuji 2203G Semi-PRO 2 ?

It's great for shellac and clear poly. But not much else. And you'll be frustrated with a three stage trying to spray latex and many of the latest/greatest waterborne cabinet coatings. Four stage is the minimum and five is better. Fuji makes great HVLP, especially guns. Apollo is every bit the equal, maybe better in some respects. Ford vs. Chevy at the end of the day though.

I primed by hand with Kilz3 Premium primer. After letting it dry, I sanded with 220 grit with my random orbital sander. The _whole sheet_ of paint peeled off in a thick, rubbery mess. I showed this to a professional painter and he said "Primer shouldn't do that" take the can back. However, I would like to learn what I did wrong.

What you did was purchase the wrong primer. That's stuff is crap for sanding. You need the one that cleans up with spirits or acetone if you want to sand it on cabinets. I'm surprised your painter didn't know this already. And actually, BIN original shellac based is even better. Don't think their water based is any better though. There are no shortcuts.

Another thing you may want to keep in mind is that many of the coatings like Target specify you use their primers. I know guys that still use BIN with good results, but it's not factory supported.

[Alan Lightstone]

Thanks Dan. You're in a better situation than me it seems. No local retail outlet carries ML Campbell; only commercial outlets. When I've looked into buying it on line it's been the same deal. Same with Milesi, ChemCraft, and a couple of other companies I'd like to try products from. Even SW's is changing their offerings. I used to be able to buy some of their WB's by the gallon; now it's 5 gal cans.

John

Funny, even though I have a commercial account now, I've never had trouble getting ChemCraft, even before I had the account. I use it all the time, and their products have been great. But, again, you have to be able to safely spray lacquer, so a different animal than the OP's needs.

The Closest SW store with woodworking supplies is way up in Tampa (the several local stores don't carry those products), so I've never used them. But use their paint on my home everywhere. I'll have to look into BM for kicks at some point.

[Jim Becker]

Alan, if you know what you want, any SW store can order it in even if they don't stock it. They grab it from another "local" store when they can but can also get from their distribution point if necessary. Many of the stores stock only the pro products that their local customer base tend to buy frequently. My local store has solvent based furniture products on the shelf in the back, but if one wants waterborne, it has to be brought in. Apparently, most of their buyers for furniture work in the area still use the solvent based stuff...

[Alan Lightstone]

Alan, if you know what you want, any SW store can order it in even if they don't stock it. They grab it from another "local" store when they can but can also get from their distribution point if necessary. Many of the stores stock only the pro products that their local customer base tend to buy frequently. My local store has solvent based furniture products on the shelf in the back, but if one wants waterborne, it has to be brought in. Apparently, most of their buyers for furniture work in the area still use the solvent based stuff...

Thanks, Jim. I'll have to try that sometime. With COVID-19, they've been only drive up, and be handed product. The store itself has been closed to traffic. Might be relaxed now, with Phase 2 here, but I've been meaning to try some of their products, and may give that a go.

[Jim Becker]

I will say, however, that I just didn't like the Kem Aqua product. It didn't lay down, although some GF extender helped. I've stuck with Target for the most part.

[jim mills]

I've been playing with BM advance, and I am finding my accuspray 10 gun with 3 stage turbine to be inadequate. I'm thinking a 4 or 5 stage turbine might improve things. Can anyone recommend a turbine & source? thanks!

[Tim Booher]

I'm spraying advance now with a fuji MM 4 stage and it works really well. I am going to try the 1.8MM tip because the 1.5MM tip required me to water down to around 15% to get the viscosity down enough.