Expert: Eileen Cronk - 2/26/2010

Question
QUESTION: cabinets are 35 years old but in excellent condition.doors are oak but frames are probably plywood.they look good but dated.cabinets have too much shine - minwax gloss.How do I remove shine and give a satin finish and a more softer look? my wife still likes the stain color so I don`t want to change that.

ANSWER: Hi Paul
Nice to hear from you.
This should be a fairly easy fix although a bit time consuming.
Assuming the cabinets have gloss poly presently, scrub the cabinets with a degreaser, lightly sand and apply a coat of Minwax fast drying oil based poly in a satin sheen.
I know you will like the mellow soft look of this poly. I use it a lot.
It will be easier, and you will avoid runs if you remove the doors and also the handles.
There should be no need to remove the hindges from the doors once they are off the cases.
Good luck
Eileen



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Eileen.
Thanks for the advice and you quick response!
Can you recommend a good quality degreaser?  and what should I use to scrub the cabinets - a soft cloth;steel wool;sand paper?
Also - when applying the oil based poly - brush or cloth?

Answer
Hi again Paul
Well the very best degreaser is mineral spirits called plain old varsol in Canada).
And the very best scrubber is steel wool. Get a box of medium grade steel wool pads (not SOS pads). Dry with clean rags as you go.
Then a light sanding 120 grit paper or one of those foam sanding blocks are good if the doors have raised panels as they are great in the grooves.
The method of application for the poly depends.
If you use a wipe on poly then a lint free rag. All other poly must be brushed on.
Get the finest brush the hardware has for applying oil based poly. A bit more money spent here will show in a better job.
Good Luck
Eileen