Replies

1. 
   user-83153 | Jan 09, 2008 04:58am | #1

   There are plenty of options to spraying lacquer. I would recommend Behlens Rockhard varnish or Waterlox Original in satin or gloss. Of course this is without knowing any details like what wood the cabinets are made out of, who is using them, what kind of look you want to give them, etc. All of those things are important details when deciding what finish to use. There is no one finish that is bets in all cases.

                         Rob

1. 
   [email protected] | Jan 11, 2008 04:49pm | #4

   The face frames and raised panel doors will be South American mahogany....

2. 
   aaronb | Jan 10, 2008 12:11am | #2

   I am finishing our entire house right now including the cabinets I built and while I am using Lacquer, don't forget about waterbased finishes. For kitchens I tend to stick with finishes that are KCMA approved. For waterbased would recommend Fuhr 355, but as the last poster pointed out it all depends on the wood and finish you are trying to achieve. Water based in my opinion don't give quite the depth a solvent finish gives. When I use Fuhr I first use shellac to pop the grain and give it a wet look. Homestead finishing is a great resource for waterbased finishes.

    

   Aaron

3. 
   BrianDerr | Jan 10, 2008 09:05am | #3

   I'm thinking about a gel-poly for my next kitchen, haven't really experimented with it yet. Apply by hand and dries fast to limit dust settling on the finish. have tried 'whipe-ons' but got some dust, and brush-on poly has always seemed a bit crude. Just a thought.

   Brian

4. 
   aranman | Jan 11, 2008 06:38pm | #5

   In this same thread, I have beech counter tops that are finished with Danish Oil, there is now a problem with water staining near the faucet, any thoughts on a better finish product. Would like a satin finish. Thank you.

1. 
   saschafer | Jan 11, 2008 06:45pm | #6

   A good varnish offers more protection than Danish oil. Waterlox is easy to apply and works well. Eventually, you'll have to sand and refinish no matter what you use.

   -Steve

    

5. 
   Nathan Barnard | Jan 11, 2008 07:39pm | #7

   I have a small basement shop where I build kitchens as a side business. I typically send out my doors for spraying, but decided to do one myself.

   I have no previous experience spraying, but had a friend come over and set up the gun and give me some tips and ended up with an finished job that I am quite pleased with.

   I used Becker Acroma's Post-Catalyzed lacquer called Innovat. It is extremely durable, and never yellows. What I liked was that it was sandable in about 30 minutes. I would just get done the run of doors and the first would be almost ready to sand and recoat. I used a Porter Cable HVLP gravity gun ($80) on a 4 gallon portable compressor. Needless to say, I plan on buying a larger compressor, but the small one worked ok in the short term.

   P.S. I don't think I'll be finishing anything more by hand, don't be afraid to try spraying.

   Cheers,
   Nathan