Replies

1. 
   cowtown | Jul 08, 2005 07:40am | #1

   why do you "have" to refinish em? They client got some kinda spell on ya?

   One's been primed and refinished and he/she ain't happy with the grain showing through. It is after all wood, not plastic.

   To boot, they are kitchen cabinet doors, and because someone got to the point of considering refinishing, the odds, at least to my pea-brain, are that at least some of them have enuf finish damage that the wood has absorbed at least in some places a whole bunch of grease and oil.

   So, you spend a bunch of time and effort along with materials to find the magic formulae to satisfy this customer, and a coupla months later yer back at it when the finish starts to turn gooey or flake off in a coupla spots. Or maybe they notice that a few months down the road that the "uneven stain" bothers them. Yer likley entering into a no-win situation. A great place to be if you like to subsidize yer brethern's "designer showcase" concepts. A bad place to be if you actually have to pay for materials, do and warrent the work, and keep dealing with interminable call backs cause the "sow's ear" didn't turn out to be the "silk purse" like it does on TV

   Why not just sell the fella on new doors, send them to a cabinet door manufacturer to select their new doors, and start finishing with new material.

   Probably way cheaper in the long run.

   To me, it seems like refinishing the existing doors may be simply an excercise in frustration. Granted, some folks really wish to minimize waste, and recycle old stuff. A laudible goal, but one which it would be unreasonable to expect someone else (you) to pick up the tab for the work to do so, and warrant the work to boot.

   Besides which, HE may wanna recycle, SHE may be really glad you said "go look at new cabinet doors" or vice-versa. Worth running that flag up the flagpole and see who salutes---if you feel you can do the job well.

   Besides which, once you start prepping that first cabinet door, there is no going back, you are probably committed to completing the job. Maybe not in this case, cause it seems someone else took a kick at the can, and failed to please the client (The fact that someone who was confident enuf to tackle the job didn't meet expectactions should tell ya something about the client too!!)

   Unless you have the confidence and ability coupled with experience to undertake a job like this with "no fear" , I'd be walkin away from it unless it involved new cabinet doors, cause no matter how you cut the cake, old kitchen cabinet doors are most likely greasy.

   Just my pea brained thoughts

   Eric

   Just my thoughts....

   Eric

2. 
   KesslerCraftsman | Jul 08, 2005 11:29pm | #2

   Mahogany and Oak have significant pores...a characteristic of the wood...contrast with Maple or Poplar....no pores to speak of.

   If you don't want those pores, buy grain filler..Por-o-Pac, Behlens, all decent brands and you can get solvent-based or water-based grain fillers.

   You sand your cabinets, then brush on or otherwise apply the pore-filler and then squeegie it off, going across the grain.  Let it dry and then sand smooth.  For really big pores, it may take more than one coat.  Then you stain, dye, topcoat, etc.

   You can tint the stuff, leave it "natural" or buy it in at least one or two colors...Woodcraft, Homestead Finishing, Rockler have it.

   Good luck and happy sanding!

   lp

3. 
   lydensden | Jul 09, 2005 07:41am | #3

   FWW No.177 (June 05) Has an article on grain fillers. One method uses plaster of paris which is quick drying.