Finishing process for kitchen cabinet

[jussi]

Making a set of kitchen cabinets. Outside will be walnut ply and solid. I'd like to give the walnut a little pop but not darken it. I'd obviously like to have have durability. What is a good kitchen grade finish. It's a small kitchen so wiping/brushing wouldn't be out of the question but I'd really like an excuse to finally try out my hvlp sprayer. Can you also go over the sanding and spraying process. Like the grits used, what type of thinner (if any) used and to what consistency, tip size, etc.

[fredhargis]

Jussi, I think the sticking point here is the "not darken it part". That aside, I think a coat of garnet shellac on walnut really looks nice...maybe topcoated with a durable waterborne that doesn't have any tint. As for the sanding, I usually stop at 180 grit, the plywood won't need much and the rails/stiles can be touched up sanding with the grain. You didn't mention doors, are they complete or are the panels available for pre finishing (before assembly?). Shellac sprays really nicely, a 1# cut, one coat, clean the equipment with household ammonia. Many waterbornes are ready to spray from the can, but if not they are (carefully) thinned with water...be sure follow the manufacturer's instructions for the amount of thinner. BTW, I'd make sure the shellac is dewaxed, and take a piece of scrap to test the appearance of the finish before you commit.

[jteneyck]

Fred's on point, IMHO. Anything you put on it will darken it somewhat. Waterbornes will darken it the least, but most (all?) of them will leave the wood looking rather ho-hum by themselves. Shellac, as Fred mentioned, does a good job of bringing out the grain, and it also limits grain raising issues when you apply the WB topcoats, although walnut doesn't suffer much from that. I like to use SealCoat shellac, which is dewaxed, and add Transtint dye to it to make any color toner I want rather than use Garnet, etc. shellac. That would allow you to adjust the color of the plywood to the solid wood; you'd use toners (or dye only) of different concentration on the plywood vs. solid wood. KansasCityFireslayer did some beautiful wall cabinets earlier this year and adjusted the color of the plywood to the solid wood using dye. Perhaps he'll chime in here, or you could try sending him a PM.

Ok, some specific recommendations:

Plywood - hand or power sand (very carefull) with 220 or 320 grit.

Solid wood - power sand to 180 or 220 grit and then hand sand again with the last grit.

Dye the lighter wood to match the darker, or use a shellac toner. Obviously, the only way to get a good color match is to make samples from scrap of each. You have to go through the entire sanding, dying or toning, plus topcoat process, to truly judge the final color and look. Keep good notes or risk heartache later.

If you dye the wood and use water soluble only dye, like Transfast, you can wipe, brush, or spray shellac over it, but not waterbased products. If you use Transtint dye you can only spray those products.

If you dye it I would spray a coat of SealCoat shellac afterwards, cutting it 50% with DNA. Then spray or brush your topcoats. If you use shellac toners to adjust the color you can go straight to the topcoat.

I would use a KCMA rated waterbased topcoat. There are several to choose from from different manufacturers. I like General Finishes waterbased products, particularly EnduroVar and Enduro Clear Poly. Enduro Clear Poly is KCMA rated and it is water clear so it will have the least impact on the color. It is very easy to spray, dries quickly, and is very hard and durable.

John

[jussi]

I misspoke in saying I don't want to darken the walnut. I meant to say I didn't want to darken it too much. The plywood is pretty light in color and will probably need to be darken a bit to match the solid wood. I ve seen walnut cabinets so dark that it's hard to see the grain. I just want to avoid that.

I'll be making the doors as well. I haven't decided if they'll be raised or flat panel. Panels will be solid if the latter, plywood otherwise.

So you guys think shellac should be my first coat. Embarrassingly, I've never used it. Any advice on spraying it? Is the premixed stuff better or the flakes? What type of toner (brand) do you suggest? When would you use waxed over dewaxed shellac? What type of topcoat is advise able to use over it and what is not?

I've read several suggestions of pre cat lacquer. What are your thoughts on it and how it compares to water based top coats you guys suggest. I'd like to avoid a super glossy finish even if that means sacrificing a bit of durability. Hoping to get a satin or at most eggshell sheen.

Thanks.

[jteneyck]

Please reread what I posted above.

John

[Brian Miller]

IMHO Watco Natural Danish Oil will pop the grain and after 2 or 3 days of drying, seal it with satin poly. I use this method often on Cherry and Walnut.

[clockman]

Waterlox makes a clear varnish.

[Cooler]

clockman said:

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Waterlox makes a clear varnish.

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I used Waterlox on the floor in my guest room. The gloss finish is gorgeous. But the room is lightly used. How will Waterlox stand up to heavy use? The factory finish on my oak cabinets is starting to look tired.

[jteneyck]

Shellac sprays easier than most anything else. I use SealCoat shellac straight from the can, which is a 2# cut, through my 1.4 mm HVLP gravity feed gun.

You generally don't buy toners, you make your own. That's the advantage; you can make any color you want. I add Transtint to shellac or to my WB finish coats. The advantage of using shellac as the base is that you can wipe it off with DNA if you screw it up. The more important advantage is that you can apply any topcoat over it. Just make sure you use dewaxed shellac, such as the SealCoat I mentioned above.

Pre cat lacquer will work OK as long as it's KCMA rated. I like WB finishes because because I can spray them in my basement shop w/o worry about blowing myself up. They also are easy to clean up, easy to use, and have performed very well for me. If you want the ultimate in durability use conversion varnish. GF makes a WB one. I've never used it yet but it is highly regarded, and should be at $125/gallon.

John