Given your wood costs, equipment, time, and if something with doors or drawers, hardware, the finish is often the least expensive component of a project.

 

In the house we bought last year, DPO (dreaded prior owners) painted the MBR bath cabinets.  About the first time we used it, the black paint chipped off behind the drawer pull.  Roughly 18 months later, the finish is still soft and sticky.   Probably bought the cheapest paint they could find.

 

So time to do something about it.  Plan was to strip and refinish.  Trial showed black paint came off OK, but white factory finish underneath a bit more stubborn.

 

I normally use NMP strippers, but went out and bought some industrial duty methylene chloride and got started today.   Well, the black came off, sort of,  but left a lot of sticky rubbery residue.   So the cheap paint did not even strip well, one of the worst I've ever had.    Getting to the face frame, I went back with NMP since it needed to be done inside.   Let it sit for a couple of hours and it came off reasonably well, even the white underneath.

 

While the NMP was working, I cleaned up one of the doors.   Lots of work.   I think I'll give them all another run with NMP.

 

I'll keep you posted on progress during the project.    I initially thought I'd just make new doors and drawer fronts.  Still an option.

 

 

 

In the pics, it looks like it cleaned up pretty good. Lotta work, as you said. 

At least they were real wood!

 

 

Looking good but it must be back breaking work.

Sounds like a dual edged weapon, bad it was cheap because it cheap, but then it came off more easily for just that reason (cheap)? Regardless, it looks like a lot of work either way.

The doors look pickled or is that a strip still in progress.

Thanks for the words of wisdom

On 8/12/2017 at 10:57 AM, Gerald said:

The doors look pickled or is that a strip still in progress.

The undercoat was a white opaque finish.  It came off pretty well on the face frame, so I'm going to strip the doors again tomorrow.   It was not that obvious until I took the flash photos.   Would have shown up in the staining.

Stripping and refinishing is on the "hate it" jobs list.  Did a Cedar Chest earlier in the year.

I would have to be "pickled " to attempt that. The fumes from that stripper are not funny,only make you funny.

Your doing a good job,Kieth, the wood under neath is good looking shame it had to be painted.

Herb

Well, did the second round of stripper, rinsed with scotch-brite & acetone, and sanded with 120, then 150.    Edges got a light hit with a block plane.   Almost ready for the finish when I get the face frame sanded and a half-wall top re-made.   Still not sure I would not have been ahead just to make new doors.

 

Naw, those look like they will be nice looking doors...with the right finish, that is...

 

Besides, the worst is now over with...

9 minutes ago, schnewj said:

Naw, those look like they will be nice looking doors...with the right finish, that is...

 

Besides, the worst is now over with...

What he said. Great Job, Keith!

I plan to make an espresso finish.   Start with a red undertone dye, then stain with GF Espresso stain, and I'll be trying EnduroVar for the first time.  Probably will brush on the face frame and spray the rest.

I'll be interested in haring your opinion on the Enduro Var. I've used it (once) and really like it. As waterborne finishes go it's seems to be one of the most durable available today.

3 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

I'll be interested in haring your opinion on the Enduro Var.

Me too. It looks like a product that I could like to use, and is available in my area (Oregon is one of those @#$! VOC states that limits what you can have shipped in)

Well, this has turned out to be "The Job From Hades."

 

The red dye job looked pretty good.   The espresso stain did not absorb evenly even after two rounds of stripping and a day of detail sanding.  (more reason to not "just sand off the old finish")

 

I talked to a guy I know at GF to make sure the EnduroVar(EV) would e compatible with the glazes I use, hoping I could even it out.   He thought there might be problems with EV & the glazes I mix up from UTCs and Propylene Glycol (that has worked on every other w/b finish I have used).  He suggested mixing some of their dark walnut dye stain or Transtint into the EV and putting it on.   This is a toner (finish with color in it) and I believe to get it even, you really need to spray.  This was a mess.   I got some fish-eyes that eventually mostly evened out.   By the time I got the doors and drawers done, I went up to the room to do the face frame.   I screwed this up, not realizing the gun was not working quite right (in a dark room spraying a dark finish).   I ended up with runs on the face frame.   Sanded those out this morning and applied another light coat of toner.

 

Meanwhile, I've given up on the doors.   I'm going to make new ones and finish from scratch.  I should have followed my gut instinct from the start and saved myself both elapsed and effort time.

 

I went to clean the pre-filter on my HVLP and it disintegrated in my hands.   After 3 different S-W stores, finally got new ones on order.

 

And in the meantime, went to open the garage door yesterday morning and it wouldn't open.   Torsion spring broke during the night.   The repair guy is supposed to be here in an hour or two.   Two cars locked in the garage and can't get them out.   Spent six+ hours yesterday trying to find a new car to replace the one that was totaled.

 

Bad things always seem to happen in threes.   Hope I'm done.

 

As far as the EnduroVar.  Initial application looked very good (if I ignored the uneven stain).   It does have an amber tone to it, so it's not going to wash out like some w/b finishes.   Time will tell about durability.

Well, maybe in fours.

 

The neighbor I've been helping with his honeybees says he has a varroa mite infestation.   That means I probably do, too.   Going out to check in a few minutes.

Ouch! When it rains, it pours.

Well, at least I didn't have to explain to a client why they had new doors.

 

 

Keith, the red dye went on pretty good.  Was that a water based dye?  The GF expresso did not go on so well, was that water based or oil?

Now that you have had some time to reflect on it, what do you believe the major problem(s) was/were?

Cal