On Sat, 10 Jan 2009 04:35:48 -0800 (PST), ransley
wrote:

On Jan 9, 3:30Â*pm, terry wrote:
Approx 38 year old kitchen cabinets. Doors are solid wood (probably
edge glued birch?) with a maple colour finish.

Doors are in good condition (not bowed or gaps etc) and hinges are
good and of course could be replaced by identical ones. But the finish
which appears to be some sort of varnish/sprayed plastic etc. is
deteriorated. It's so soft in some places (lower edges over over the
counters) that it can be scraped off with a fingernail like thin coat
of candle wax!

Deterioration due to heat and general cooking activity and probably
the extended over use of spray type furniture wax.

What type of 'stripper' would be best?

I'd rather refinish than paint them; although paint would be lighter
and brighter! What type of finish, maybe after recolouring them? Some
sort of satin Varathane?

There's a total of 22 doors (mixture of uppers and lowers) in two 8
foot runs of counter. Due to the addition of a dishwasher at one time
we have two spare lower doors and two drawers that we can experiment
finishes with.*

Any advice would be most welcome. TIA. Best regards for 2009.

PS. I also have some boat woodwork partly teak but also some mahogany
trim, detached from the boat which has been sanded but needs re
varnishing. Any ideas although I can ask that on a 'boat' group.

BTW: Local 'Kitchen cabinet' outfits contacted want to sell
prefinished replacement doors and/or new cabinets. Can definitely
understand why; probably not worth their while to spend additional
labour refinishing if and when they can move new product and obtain
the work for installing it. Also we have been going through a bit of a
housing boom recently so they have been busy doing work for contractor
housing; slowing down now though!

*Please excuse use of a preposition at end of the penultimate last
para.

If its Birch natural is best if no paint was ever on it, if you stain
it you need a pre stain sealer like Bix or it could be ruined from the
way Birch takes stain. Polyurethane is toughest. For exterior use
Marine varnish, the best might be P&L, and at maybe 80$ a gallon it
should be, It was the best 20 years ago but contact boat dealers.

I stringly suspect you have either a laquer or oil finish. Try laquer
thinners or Methyl hydrate and see if the finish will disolve.

Circa refinisher might also work.