Lacquer Fading Off My Kitchen Cabinets

[MsNomer]

How tolerant is Enduro-var to an underlying finish?

[overland]

Are there any lacquers that can be wiped on instead of sprayed? We have cherry cabinets where the lacquer is wearing off by the knobs, but nowhere else.

[jteneyck]

How tolerant is Enduro-var to an underlying finish?

It isn't according to GF's use instructions.  They used to say it was OK to use over a light shellac sealer; now they say not to use it over shellac.  Yet they say it can be used over well cured OB stain.  Huh?  I've used it over Sealcoat shellac, amber (waxy) shellac, and OB stains with no trouble 5 years later.  YMMV. 

John

[jteneyck]

Are there any lacquers that can be wiped on instead of sprayed? We have cherry cabinets where the lacquer is wearing off by the knobs, but nowhere else.

I would remove the knobs and strip them with KleanStrip Premium stripper, then apply a new finish.  And the new finish would not be lacquer; it just doesn't stand up to gooey fingers.  Arm-R-Seal would be a very good choice for a clear coat. 

John

[Stwood_]

There's only a couple spots where bare wood is showing through. The problem is that this was my first major spraying job and I obviously didn't do a great job like I can now. There's a lot of areas that are thin.

I thought I was doing the right thing by using lacquer since I asked people on various woodworking forums.
What is the main finish that people use for kitchen cabinets?

I use Caboots Polyurethane clear satin 8082. It holds up real well in moist enviroments.
Spray or brush, dries in 30 for a resand and another coat.
Water base and doesn't stink you out when spraying it.

[Bit_Fiddler]

What lacquer did you first use on the cabinets?  I'd clean the cabinets really well to remove as much cooking residue, skin oils, etc. as possible.  Then scuff up with a fine sandpaper and wipe down again.

I've used a Sherwin Williams lacquer product for years that is certified by the KCMA (not sure what value that actually is) and is really resistant to kitchen chemicals - mayonaise, mustard, ketchup, etc.   One set of cabinets has been in place for 10 years now and while not new, the finish still looks good around the handles and other high touch areas. It is a 2 product finish - first coats are a vinyl sealer, then the finish lacquer coats. The finish tests much more durable when the vinyl sealer is used.

My grandparents used Deft lacquer on their cabinets and had to re-coat those every few years.  I've used Deft on other things, but I would not use that in a kitchen.

Dave