[jacy]

About 20 years ago we sanded and put a clear coat or two of poly on
our kitchen cabinets. I'd like to stain them dark. Can I expect good
results after removing the poly with a chemical stripper? I plan to
use a conditioner and then stain. I'm not looking for perfection --
these cabinets are nearly 60 years old and quite well used -- just
something reasonably passable to tide me over for a few more years
until a full kitchen reno.

~Jacy

[Norminn]

jacy wrote:

About 20 years ago we sanded and put a clear coat or two of poly on
our kitchen cabinets. I'd like to stain them dark. Can I expect good
results after removing the poly with a chemical stripper? I plan to
use a conditioner and then stain. I'm not looking for perfection --
these cabinets are nearly 60 years old and quite well used -- just
something reasonably passable to tide me over for a few more years
until a full kitchen reno.

~Jacy


I don't know what you mean by "conditioner", but yes......just be sure
to follow instructions
for the stripper. Methylene semi-paste stripper has wax in it for body
and if not completely
cleaned off, the wax can interfere with staining and finishing. Steel
wool (fine) and mineral
spirits are what I use for final clean up ... wipe that off with paper
towel. Light use of a
scraper takes off chem. stripper, then steel wool for the rest, and then
ms. Old wood is
generally nicer to finish, as it usually has patina.

[SteveBell]

jacy wrote:

About 20 years ago we sanded and put a clear coat or two of poly on
our kitchen cabinets. I'd like to stain them dark. Can I expect good
results after removing the poly with a chemical stripper? I plan to
use a conditioner and then stain. I'm not looking for perfection --
these cabinets are nearly 60 years old and quite well used -- just
something reasonably passable to tide me over for a few more years
until a full kitchen reno.

I just did this to a pine front door last week. The bottom half was
badly oxidized and dark brown. The top half was much lighter.

The finish was crumbly, so I sanded all the flat spots down to bare
wood, spot sanded the trim, and used a mahogany stain to get the
now-bare areas to (mostly) match the remaining darkened finish on the
molding. The client didn't want to pay me to spend two days sanding the
molding bare, and I don't blame him. They could have bought most of a
new door for the labor costs. I'm currently putting on coats of clear
polyurethane, one every few days. What I did is a good compromise.

Go ahead and strip your cabinets. You'll need to do something chemical
with kitchen woodwork anyway. Nothing much sticks to cabinets coated
with cooking fumes. Pick a hidden area to work first, and experiment.
The end of a cabinet is good. You can always cover your tests with
veneer.

Your other options a
* Paint
* Refacing
* Replacement

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

[ransley]

On Nov 12, 5:06*pm, jacy wrote:
About 20 years ago we sanded and put a clear coat or two of poly on
our kitchen cabinets. I'd like to stain them dark. Can I expect good
results after removing the poly with a chemical stripper? I plan to
use a conditioner and then stain. I'm not looking for perfection --
these cabinets are nearly 60 years old and quite well used -- just
something reasonably passable to tide me over for a few more years
until a full kitchen reno.

~Jacy

Making wood darker is easy, lighter is often not, what type of wood is
it.

[jacy]

Reface or replace are out of the question on my budget. I did consider
paint, however I'd prefer to keep what little grain I do have although
I can't figure out what the veneer is -- maple, maybe, or birch? Not
much grain at all on the outside; inside must be whatever hardwood was
in vogue in the early 1950s midwest. (A carpenter, I'm not.)

The other challenge is the interior. Way back when we first sanded and
poly-coated these, we painted the cabinet frame interiors with white
alkyd gloss. It badly needs a fresh coat.

Any comments on those dip-n-strip places? There are 13 doors and 2
drawers and if I could get those stripped reasonably I think I might
be able to get the frames done before 2010. It's just me now, with
precious little spare time and as with most things, 80% of it is
labor. Googling chemical stripping services gets me a whole lot of
you-know-what and activates the parent filter.

Thanks,
~jacy


On Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:56:44 +0000 (UTC), "SteveBell"
wrote:
[...]
Your other options a
* Paint
* Refacing
* Replacement

[Norminn]

jacy wrote:

Reface or replace are out of the question on my budget. I did consider
paint, however I'd prefer to keep what little grain I do have although
I can't figure out what the veneer is -- maple, maybe, or birch? Not
much grain at all on the outside; inside must be whatever hardwood was
in vogue in the early 1950s midwest. (A carpenter, I'm not.)


Be careful if you don't know what the "wood" is - I have had cabinets
with wood doors, natural
wood on inside and some kind of paper/printed grain on outside.

The other challenge is the interior. Way back when we first sanded and
poly-coated these, we painted the cabinet frame interiors with white
alkyd gloss. It badly needs a fresh coat.


We refaced, got new doors and drawers on old plywood, built-in-place
cabinets. Painted
all interiors with two coats alkyd semi. Just like new )

Any comments on those dip-n-strip places? There are 13 doors and 2
drawers and if I could get those stripped reasonably I think I might


They are expensive and very tough on wood - raise the grain a great
deal. I stripped the cabinets
for a friend once.......out of work, needed money.........nasty job but
great results. Took off old,
dark "Spanish Oak" stain. Got beautiful brown oak without any further
stain. Discovered
after sloshing paint remover onto the end of the cabinet that it wasn't
wood, but printed
grain on particle board. Ohmygosh! I was already on verge of nervous
breakdown, but
was able to muster all my art talent and paint on oak grain.

If the doors are flat and not carved, it would take much less time, but
have to take them
out, remove hardware, etc. Big job.

be able to get the frames done before 2010. It's just me now, with
precious little spare time and as with most things, 80% of it is
labor. Googling chemical stripping services gets me a whole lot of
you-know-what and activates the parent filter.

Thanks,
~jacy


On Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:56:44 +0000 (UTC), "SteveBell"
wrote:
[...]


Your other options a
* Paint
* Refacing
* Replacement

[jacy]

On Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:36:52 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

[...]
If the doors are flat and not carved, it would take much less time, but
have to take them
out, remove hardware, etc. Big job.

Yeah, I remember all to well how long it took to do it the first time
around, which is probably why I was thinking dip-n-strip. Fortunately,
I know it's 100% wood (you artistically painted a grain design? wow!)
and the design is completely flat so that helps. I wouldn't mind
raising the grain with a dip-n-strip but the expense is probably not
doable.

On the other hand, I just grounded my 17-year-old son for a month and
his help will come in handy, especially given all the school days not
in session in November. He's more than capable of removing doors and
hardware and sanding the alkyd interiors, maybe even strip the
interiors of the doors while I work on the frames. While I'd rather he
not have engaged in the behavior which led to the grounding, I'll take
the gift of his time!

~Jacy

[Norminn]

jacy wrote:

On Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:36:52 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

[...]


If the doors are flat and not carved, it would take much less time, but
have to take them
out, remove hardware, etc. Big job.



Yeah, I remember all to well how long it took to do it the first time
around, which is probably why I was thinking dip-n-strip. Fortunately,
I know it's 100% wood (you artistically painted a grain design? wow!)
and the design is completely flat so that helps. I wouldn't mind
raising the grain with a dip-n-strip but the expense is probably not
doable.


As one who would do almost anything to avoid sanding, I wouldn't
recommend.........flat surface
is MUCH easier with paint remover than moldings and carvings. On a
clear, factory finish
one application (properly done) would probably do the job.

On the other hand, I just grounded my 17-year-old son for a month and


Wow! That's a serious sentence where I come from......imposed it once,
with NO COMPLAINTS
from the guilty party. Perfect timing......be sure to remind your son
if he dislikes the work you are
going to teach him to do ) Got a garage to work in? Be sure to
supervise if he does stripping,
wear goggles, dispose of rags in fire safe place. Sandwich bags were my
substitute for gloves
using stripper and wash with mineral spirits.....I've used special
gloves for the purpose but they
didn't last long.

his help will come in handy, especially given all the school days not
in session in November. He's more than capable of removing doors and
hardware and sanding the alkyd interiors, maybe even strip the


Sand interiors? Only if they are glossy.........be sure to let paint
CURE before filling cupboards.
Cupboards will be full of stuff, so paint just has to stick, right?

interiors of the doors while I work on the frames. While I'd rather he
not have engaged in the behavior which led to the grounding, I'll take
the gift of his time!


Kids take many years to become "useful" )

~Jacy

[jacy]

On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:30:19 -0500, Norminn
wrote:
On the other hand, I just grounded my 17-year-old son for a month and

Wow! That's a serious sentence where I come from......imposed it once,
with NO COMPLAINTS
from the guilty party.

Ditto. I think he actually was relieved it was ONLY a month -- which
gave me pause -- but Mother Nature's punishment (a nasty hangover) was
infinitely worse at that moment. Can't tell you how much i wanted to
make him drink a beer for breakfast. evil grin

Sand interiors? Only if they are glossy.........be sure to let paint
CURE before filling cupboards.

I did use high gloss first time around. Going to dial that down a
notch this time. Maybe that liquid sanding stuff will impart just
enough tackiiess to do the trick. There's contact paper on the bottom
and shelves so I can restock fairly quickly. I abhor sanding, too.

~jacy

[Norminn]

jacy wrote:

On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:30:19 -0500, Norminn
wrote:


On the other hand, I just grounded my 17-year-old son for a month and



Wow! That's a serious sentence where I come from......imposed it once,
with NO COMPLAINTS


from the guilty party.

Ditto. I think he actually was relieved it was ONLY a month -- which
gave me pause -- but Mother Nature's punishment (a nasty hangover) was
infinitely worse at that moment. Can't tell you how much i wanted to
make him drink a beer for breakfast. evil grin


Ohhhhhh........scariest issue for me as a parent (and a nurse). I told
my kids repeatedly
(every week? ) that I would go anywhere, at any time, no matter what,
to keep them
from having to ride home with someone under the influence (especially a
drunk teen).
Keep talking, and expect him to want to drink a little, esp. if headed
to college. Local
PD probably has lots of photos to show if DUI's are in the picture.



Sand interiors? Only if they are glossy.........be sure to let paint
CURE before filling cupboards.



I did use high gloss first time around. Going to dial that down a
notch this time. Maybe that liquid sanding stuff will impart just


Liquid sander I have tried is very potent, flammable fumes. A quick
pass with a small electric
sander should do the trick, as long as paint isn't chipping or peeling.
How pretty do you want
the inside of the cabinets? )

enough tackiiess to do the trick. There's contact paper on the bottom
and shelves so I can restock fairly quickly. I abhor sanding, too.

~jacy