Expert: Greg Scholl - 10/15/2009

Question
Hello and thanks for your time. So my question is about finishing some kitchen cabinets. I am decent at woodworking but not very knowledgeable when it comes to finishing. So I have, in the past, always used a wipe on stain then brushed polyurethane. And that’s where my finishing knowledge and experience ends.  So I have a LOT of Walnut cabinet doors/drawers I just built and recently purchased the Earlex HVLP 5000 spray station.  I want to use it on this project. I have tried to read up a little but very intimidating!  So to the questions…Can I spray a stain? What kind of stain? Would I still need to wipe off after spraying? Can I spray polyurethane? Or would a lacquer be better?

Basically what is the best process and products to finish this project. I would appreciate any advice you can give, really looking for a simple reliable process. I don’t want to mess with dyes and tints with being just a novice in spray finishing. Just want to stain and clear coat it. If you could recommend actual brands/products that would be great too. Thanks again.

Eric


Answer
Hey Eric, you can spray stains, typically you would be spraying dye stains though, and yes they would need to be wiped after spraying, (and fairly quickly). I could spend pages and pages trying to answer your questions, but I think it would be better to just point you towards the products...when finishing quality cabinets, you need to use a catalyzed clear coat system with compatible sealers, stains, toners, and top coats. Diving right into this type of finishing on hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of Walnut is NOT a good idea. Spraying finishes like these multi part, multi component finishes is a learned skill, and not something that can be taught in an online forum. It takes experience, knowledge, and technique.....and is not something one just decides to do and instantly produces a furniture quality,durable, deep, finish. You should be a bit intimidated, as these finishes are not to be taken lightly, especially as I said on an expensive Walnut job. A lot of people think that this type of finishing is easy.....it isn't. It also needs to be done in a climate with the right humidity, temperature,personal protection, and ventilation with an explosion proof fan....most of these products are toxic, and explosive when atomized into the air. You will need to be looking at KCMA rated catalyzed finishes, either pre-cat or post cat systems....and if I was learning this today, I would be concentrating on the waterborne products, and learning how to work with them. Todays catalyzed acrylic urethanes are safer, better for the environment, and approaching the look, quality, ease of application, and durability of the solvent based systems.....but they are different to work with. Many of the big factories now are using UV cured urethanes, or even aluminum oxide enhanced finishes, that dry rapidly (chemical reaction or UV curing), and these finishes are extremely hard and durable, and meet KCMA standards....and will provide upwards of 20-25+ years of maintenance free life. To produce comparable finishes, you will need to learn to "mess" with dyes and dye based toning methods, as one cannot get the same look without these techniques...and they're used to blend grain structure, and color differences...which is undoubtedly something you're experiencing working with Walnut.You're going to need to experiment and work with a finish to develop what it takes to get a really professional final quality, and there are no shortcuts, I'm afraid. Consumer type polyurethane does not approach the depth and durability of these finishes, and is not a good choice for cabinet finishing. These finishes are only held together by a mechanical bond, meaning each successive coat is separate from the one before as individual layers, whereas lacquers and the newer urethenes, (and finishes like shellac) chemically bond to themselves becoming a single film of finish with each successive coat. This is important for the durability factor as well as sandability, bonding strength, and depth of the light characteristics of the cured finish layer. This is the main reason these finishes are used on furniture, cabinets, etc..... you need to be looking at Mohawk, M.L. Campbell, Sherwin- Williams,General, Enduro and other high end, professional finish manufacturers, but I'm not too sure how much actual teaching they can provide. They will have the products and the knowledge to suggest the proper ones for your work, but they can't teach you to master the art of applying it, either. That only comes with hands on experience. I use Pond Cove Paints in Maine to supply me with the Mohawk and M.L. Campbell lines, and they have helpful people up there to guide you, and there's NO minimum purchase from them.They will also have the literature, catalogs etc., that you'll need to know what's available.WoodCraft carries the Enduro pre-cat Urethane, and the General products like the waterborne dye stains,urethanes,etc.If you have a WoodCraft store near you, then I suggest you start there, and maybe learn the Enduro product, the General stains, and maybe there topcoats.....there's something to be said for supporting a local merchant, (especially a woodworkers supply place as we're losing them), and a lot to be said for availability....not having to wait for things to be shipped when one's in the middle of a job.There's a  LOT of product info and products on the PondCove site, so take some time there. I wish I could give you one easy answer, but there are many choices and many products and techniques to get you where you want to be....but it does take work and experimantation to develop that final product that'll satisfy you, and to learn your new sprayer....just don't practice on something like a large job of Walnut. Hope that does help a little- post back if need be. Regards- Greg

http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2021073/Enduro-Water-Based-Pre-Cat-Urethane-Fini...

http://www.pondcovepaint.com/content/page/front_home