My kitchen cabinets (from a 1938 house) are solidly built hardwood.
They are stained a very dark color but are a bit tired-looking where
the stain is wearing off. So the painter who did the outside of my
house said that he'd sand and stain the cabinets along with my very
nice front door (round top with big hinges) which had a lot of
scratches and a white film (mold?) was spreading.

Yesterday his helpers did the cabinets. They very lightly (barely)
sanded them and wiped them down with a solvent. Then they painted them
with Minwax Wood Finish ("penetrates, seals, stains") in dark walnut.
To make a long story short, the cabinets are still tacky-wet after
more than 24 hr. I told my mother, who knows about these things but is
200 mi away, and she said they used a penetrating product on a surface
that was probably sealed and impervious, so it's just sitting on top
and he has to rectify it.

I can call Minwax on Monday to get advice but when the painter comes
tomorrow, I need to know what the options are so he doesn't
experiment. Is there a way he can wipe off the tacky stuff and go back
to the way the cabinets were before? Right now I just want to punt
this project but I don't want the cabinets ruined.

The door is another problem. He has it HALF sanded (sanded spots and
not-sanded spots) and said Friday that his strategy will be to use the
same product as the kitchen which he thinks is dark enough so that he
won't need to remove the hinges, numerals, etc. and sand the whole
door. He anticipates that the stain will cover the sanded parts and
the non-sanded parts uniformly. First, I doubt it. The finish that is
remaining is very very dark, the underlying wood is reddish. Second,
based what happened on the kitchen cabinets, it's not going to work as
a stain over that old finish in the non-sanded spots. Third, this is
an exterior door and I don't know if this product is an appropriate
one. Fourth- this is my beautiful front door and I'm afraid he's going
to ruin it!

Help! What to do about the cabinets? What to do about the door?*

Thanks for any advice to solve this fiasco.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

sue at interport dot net

Curly Sue wrote:

My kitchen cabinets (from a 1938 house) are solidly built hardwood.
They are stained a very dark color but are a bit tired-looking where
the stain is wearing off. So the painter who did the outside of my
house said that he'd sand and stain the cabinets along with my very
nice front door (round top with big hinges) which had a lot of
scratches and a white film (mold?) was spreading.

Yesterday his helpers did the cabinets. They very lightly (barely)
sanded them and wiped them down with a solvent. Then they painted them
with Minwax Wood Finish ("penetrates, seals, stains") in dark walnut.
To make a long story short, the cabinets are still tacky-wet after

I suppose you paid the guy in full, in advance, and don't have a written
bid? Here is a link to "Minwax Wood Finish", which instructions say
to apply only over bare wood or over itself.
http://www.minwax.com/products/woods...ish-direct.cfm

The stain should be wiped off after soaking in for a bit. Can probably
get rid of tackiness by wiping with mineral spirits and allowing it to
dry, then clear finish.

I would not finish a door with the hardware on it.

first, to long a line, Email me, and call me ,,,,...second hes no pro
,,,, and you are no pro , you both know . . 25 out of 100...... to
long to discuss or type

Minwax Wood Finish in Dark Walnut is actually a mixture of a dye and a
pigment stain in a polyurethane binder. The word "Finish" is a misnomer if
you think that a finish coat need not go on top of it. It is intended for
use on unfinished wood.
It is still sticky in your case because the stain is intended to be
applied and then wiped off so that only a small amount remains on the wood.
As you have learned, a small amount goes a long way on unfinished wood. It
sounds like the painter "painted", your words, on a stain and let it sit
there. It will never fully cure when applied that thick. You best bet is
to start wiping with mineral spirits and remove what you can. Some of it is
bound to have cured but hopefully, very little. Worse is that you may not
be able to remove it equally from all parts of the cabinet.
This is a classic example of why there are painters and wood/furniture
finishers/refinishers. They are two different trades. I would NEVER let a
painter refinish some cabinets anymore than I would like a furniture
refinisher paint my walls. There are a few who are good at both but not
many. The painter you have shouldn't be allowed to go near wood finishing
products including hobbyist grades like Minwax.

Good Luck.

To email, remove both ngs.


"Curly Sue" wrote in message
...
My kitchen cabinets (from a 1938 house) are solidly built hardwood.
They are stained a very dark color but are a bit tired-looking where
the stain is wearing off. So the painter who did the outside of my
house said that he'd sand and stain the cabinets along with my very
nice front door (round top with big hinges) which had a lot of
scratches and a white film (mold?) was spreading.

Yesterday his helpers did the cabinets. They very lightly (barely)
sanded them and wiped them down with a solvent. Then they painted them
with Minwax Wood Finish ("penetrates, seals, stains") in dark walnut.
To make a long story short, the cabinets are still tacky-wet after
more than 24 hr. I told my mother, who knows about these things but is
200 mi away, and she said they used a penetrating product on a surface
that was probably sealed and impervious, so it's just sitting on top
and he has to rectify it.

I can call Minwax on Monday to get advice but when the painter comes
tomorrow, I need to know what the options are so he doesn't
experiment. Is there a way he can wipe off the tacky stuff and go back
to the way the cabinets were before? Right now I just want to punt
this project but I don't want the cabinets ruined.

The door is another problem. He has it HALF sanded (sanded spots and
not-sanded spots) and said Friday that his strategy will be to use the
same product as the kitchen which he thinks is dark enough so that he
won't need to remove the hinges, numerals, etc. and sand the whole
door. He anticipates that the stain will cover the sanded parts and
the non-sanded parts uniformly. First, I doubt it. The finish that is
remaining is very very dark, the underlying wood is reddish. Second,
based what happened on the kitchen cabinets, it's not going to work as
a stain over that old finish in the non-sanded spots. Third, this is
an exterior door and I don't know if this product is an appropriate
one. Fourth- this is my beautiful front door and I'm afraid he's going
to ruin it!

Help! What to do about the cabinets? What to do about the door?*

Thanks for any advice to solve this fiasco.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

sue at interport dot net

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 14:20:47 -0400, "Baron"
wrote:

This is a classic example of why there are painters and wood/furniture
finishers/refinishers. They are two different trades. I would NEVER let a
painter refinish some cabinets anymore than I would like a furniture
refinisher paint my walls. There are a few who are good at both but not
many. The painter you have shouldn't be allowed to go near wood finishing
products including hobbyist grades like Minwax.

I would have thought refinisher too, but when I stopped in a furniture
store that advertised "refinishing" they told me they only do
furniture. Plus, I had asked around regarding what type of
contractor would be the proper one to refinish my front door and was
told "painter."

You're right the mineral spirits take off most of the gunk but not all
of it. Fortunately even with the unevenness, it doesn't look any
worse than before he started, and actually somewhat better (after all,
I did want them redone because they were tired and shabby looking).
So if he can clean off the stickiness I will be grateful it wasn't
worse and learn my lesson. But I'll do the front door myself next
month as I have the vested interest to put in the time to sand it
correctly, take the hardware off, etc.

Good Luck.

Thanks : This group has been a godsend for me over the past three
years!

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

sue at interport dot net

Might try strong TSP solution as it sounds as though further work will
be done. Almost suggested a stripper but backed down to TSP. Please
let us know what happens.

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 20:49:07 GMT, (Curly
Sue) wrote:

So if he can clean off the stickiness I will be grateful it wasn't
worse and learn my lesson.

Bob Bowles wrote:

Might try strong TSP solution as it sounds as though further work will
be done. Almost suggested a stripper but backed down to TSP. Please
let us know what happens.

The product isn't water soluble - I think TSP would make a mess. New
stain likely would clean off down to previous finis/bare wood with
mineral spirits, and allow further sanding or clear finish when excess
is removed.


On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 20:49:07 GMT, (Curly
Sue) wrote:



So if he can clean off the stickiness I will be grateful it wasn't
worse and learn my lesson.

On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 08:22:48 -0400, Bob Bowles
wrote:

Might try strong TSP solution as it sounds as though further work will
be done. Almost suggested a stripper but backed down to TSP. Please
let us know what happens.

Sure will. He's coming back Wednesday.

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 20:49:07 GMT, (Curly
Sue) wrote:

So if he can clean off the stickiness I will be grateful it wasn't
worse and learn my lesson.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

sue at interport dot net

If you soup up TSP enough, it can be used to do some simple finish
stripping but then you will have started to do just that on the cabinets,
strip them. A reputable refinisher would strip them down and start over.
Once everything that can be is removed by mineral spirits, and assuming it
doesn't look less than adequate, a hobbyist could scuff sand and seal with
shellac. Then a toner or glaze could be put down as needed to even it out
and finally topcoat with something that will withstand a kitchen
environment. In fact, the kitchen environment may be the problem. The
cabinets may need to be fully stripped so a proper finish can be applied.

"RamblinOn" wrote in message
...


Bob Bowles wrote:

Might try strong TSP solution as it sounds as though further work will
be done. Almost suggested a stripper but backed down to TSP. Please
let us know what happens.

The product isn't water soluble - I think TSP would make a mess. New
stain likely would clean off down to previous finis/bare wood with
mineral spirits, and allow further sanding or clear finish when excess
is removed.

"Curly Sue" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 14:20:47 -0400, "Baron"
wrote:

This is a classic example of why there are painters and wood/furniture
finishers/refinishers. They are two different trades. I would NEVER let
a
painter refinish some cabinets anymore than I would like a furniture
refinisher paint my walls. There are a few who are good at both but not
many. The painter you have shouldn't be allowed to go near wood
finishing
products including hobbyist grades like Minwax.

I would have thought refinisher too, but when I stopped in a furniture
store that advertised "refinishing" they told me they only do
furniture. Plus, I had asked around regarding what type of
contractor would be the proper one to refinish my front door and was
told "painter."

Not every refinisher will take on cabinets due to the large number of
pieces but many do. In fact, some specialize in architectural finishing /
refinishing / restoration / conservation.
Not that it matters at this point but I have to wonder who suggested a
painter for your front door. Virtually all refinishers will do front doors.
They do everything from fiberglass to multi-thousand dollar mahogany doors.

But I'll do the front door myself next
month as I have the vested interest to put in the time to sand it
correctly, take the hardware off, etc.

Good for you! It's not nearly as hard as some people make it out to be.
Do all the prep work properly, get good quality finishes, and I bet you will
have something to be proud of.