Hi Everyone: I am a first timer here and really need some help . We had our kitchen cabinets custom made. The cabinets are oak veneer with solid oak doors. While the semigloss finish on the casework is fine, the finish on most of the doors is milky/opague. Interestingly, the insides of the doors are fine, just the outside is a problem. My guess is that the door fronts were sprayed at the same time and either the finish was bad, there was problem with the equipment, etc. In any event, the cabinet shop feels that we used some type of cleaner on them and caused the problem. This is total baloney, but the bottom line is that they won’t do anything to help. The cabinets are 10-12 years old now.
I would like to refinish the doors myself. The problem is that removing the existing finish is an absolute nightmare. I have always had good luck using ZipStrip but it doesn’t seem to do much. So far the only thing that has worked has been using sharp scrapers to remove the finish. This will take way to long and doesn’t work well in the shaped panels or the curved edges.
What type of finish do cabinet shops generally use when they spray? Is it a water or oil based finish?. Does anyone know what chemical stripper will work to remove the finish? I plan to brush on the new finish. Should I use an oil water based finish? Rather then remove the existing totally, can I sand it and go over it ? If I go that route should I use an oil or water based finish?
All thoughts/comments are appreciated.
Replies
Grab the yellow pages go to paint/varnish stripping and send them out to be done, they'll dip them and clean them up almost pennies a door....it'll be so much easier than trying to do this yourself and will of course avoid the inevitable inconsistencies and frustration produced by you figuring there's got to be a better way, whilst you 'joyfully' experiment with differing methods on subsequent doors...as to finish the guys that'll dip the doors should be able to recommend something...take care Iain
I agree with Iain, stripping doors is always a nightmare, I don't know why anyone goes into the trade, personally. At any rate, the finish used 12 years ago was probably solvent based, but when you go to re-finish them, I recommend using a water based lacquer, the ones they have on the market these days are great. Just ask at a reputable paint store for advice.
ZipStrip is a very good product, so if that is not working, it is likely a catalyzed spray-on finish. Such finishes are sold on the basis they are the toughest, most bulletproof finishes available. The problem is, as you have found out, they are difficult to remove if you want to refinish the surface.
Since the cabinet company apparently is still in business, I would call them again and try to find someone who can tell you what finish they were using when the cabs were made. They might also be able to tell you if there is a stripper that can remove the finish.
BTW, I think it is unrealistic to expect a company to stand behind a finish if there is a problem 10-12 years down the line. If they goofed, it would have been apparent right away (or at least within a few months), and at that point, it would have beeen right to ask them to correct the problem.
You mention the surface is milky/opaque -- which was a problem with some of the water based finishes of that vintage. I have never tried to strip away a WB finish, so perhaps someone else here can suggest a good stripper for that purpose.
I too, like the idea of sending the doors out for dipping, but it would be wise to ask if their process can handle either catalyzed or WB finishes -- which I am almost certain is what you have.
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