Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/restaining cabinets

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Expert: - 1/16/2010


Question
My kitchen cabinets are light color stain. I would like to strip them and stain them a darker color. Is there a stain remover i can get or do i just sand down to the bare wood. Please advise me on what to use.               Thank You

Answer
Hi Ken, your cabinets are not just stained..modern kitchen cabinets are finished with a multi part finish schedule that can have upwards of 15+ individual steps, and finished with catalyzed clears. If you want to restain them, you'll have to strip them with stripper, NOT sand them. You'll need to remove the entire old finish down to bare wood, and with today's catalyzed finish technology..this isn't easy. These finishes are extremely durable and chemical resistant, and even with a powerful stripper and lots of elbow grease this is a difficult job at best. Then, when you have removed the old finish completely, they'll need to be lightly sanded, and stained, sealed, and clear finished, if you hope to have a Professional looking , durable finish. Factory finished Kitchen cabinets are designed to be tough, beautiful, and relatively maintenance free for 20+ years, and consumer level finishing products will not offer that kind of toughness and durability. These factory finishes represent the "cutting edge" of finishing technology and pass rigorous testing to meet or exceed the KCMA standards for durability and wear resistance. You might want to consider refacing, which would give you the ability to change the kitchen's look, but with doors, drawer fronts, and panel products that will be finished with these tough finishes. It's still less expensive than a new kitchen, but gives you many of the advantages.Trying to strip and alter an existing kitchen cabinet finish, even a moderately sized one is a huge undertaking, and not recommended for a novice finisher.You could be easily looking at 4-8 hours of labor PER cabinet if you're experienced......please post back if need be- regards- Greg

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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