I am looking at getting some unfinished oak kitchen cabinets. I do not want
to stain them, just spray some finish on them with a HVLP sprayer. What
would you recommend?

Mike D.

"Mike Dobony" wrote in message
et...
I am looking at getting some unfinished oak kitchen cabinets. I do not
want to stain them, just spray some finish on them with a HVLP sprayer.
What would you recommend?

Mike D.

I like conversion finishes for this application. Precatalyzed lacquer or a
conversion varnish would be a couple of options.

todd

Mike,

At a minimum, you'll need to a "sealer", then a protective finish -
which can be lacquer or polyurethane (given that durability is
required for kitchen use). There are other options for durable
finishes, but I happen to like polyurethane.

If it were me, I'd sand everything with 220 grit sand paper (orbital
sander). Then as a sealer, spray a diluted coat of shellac (1/3 pound
cut). You can buy clear shellac at Home Depot, then dilute by 50% to
achieve the 1/3 pound cut). The dilution makes for easier HVLP
spraying . You may not need to dilute as much, but this always works
fine for me, especially as a sealer coat. Know that shellac may
slightly tint the wood to a light amber color (to my eye looks
natural
and doesn't detract from the beauty of the wood). Otherwise, you can
simply use Minwax's oil-based "Sanding Sealer by Minwax". Works good
and dries fast like shellac. You'll need denatured alcohol to dilute
shellac, and mineral spirits if you wish to dilute the Minwax Sanding
Sealer.

After the shellac dries, sand lightly with 320 grit sandpaper. Wipe
and vaccum the surfaces to remove all dust. Spray the polyurethane
(dilute to somwhere between 70% and 50%, ). Allow the poly to dry
completely, then scuff sand and repeat as necessary. Bear in mind,
that Oak is very porous and unless you prefill the pores (a separate
process before sealing), the oak may require several coats of
polyurethane to fill the pores.