Expert: Eileen Cronk - 3/16/2007

Question
Hi Eileen,
I've got pickled cabinets in our kitchen and don't much like the pink look they have. I'd love to have them stained but I'm not sure if that's possible with the pickled finish. Can I strip off the pickled finish? I believe they are oak cabinets. I would feel guilty just painting nice wood cabinets white! I'd rather increase their value (and update them) to a nice dark stain. Is it possible to go from pickled to stained? (I know the pickled is a type of staining). If so, what is the process for doing so? I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty.

Answer
Hi Mindy
Nice to hear from you.
I agree with you. I always think its a shame that they put this pickled look on lovely oak cabinets.
I would certainly try to get this off and a lovely finish put on.
But first try a test area to see if the white stain can be removed. Often when this is put directly over raw wood its very hard to get off. Especially oak that has a coarse grain.
So do a test on the back of a cabinet door first. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Heres the directions...

The first thing you must do is assemble the material to do the job.
The stripper is the most important item.
The stripper I use is my Home Hardware house brand, but I think that you would not have Home Hardware if you are in the states.
I am hoping you could have CIRCA brand paint and varnish remover there.

MATERIAL LIST For the stripping stage.
1 gallon stripper
6 boxes of Bull Dog steel wool in medium grade.
One 3 inch oil based paint brush.
Rubber gloves (like you do dishes with)
An empty large coffee can. (for the stripper)
A couple of old tooth brushes.
Lots of old rags (I like t-shirts or cotton but for this first stage whatever you have)
Lots of newspaper to protect the garage floor
LOTS OF VENTILATION
That's all you need to get started…not much is it?
The stripper will be the most expensive item on the list..In Canada it runs around $25.00 a gallon. The stain and finish will only be around $30.00
HERES WHAT YOU DO...
Work one door at a time.
Remove door and all the hardware..
Brush on the stripper with the brush. Stripper will quit working if it dries, so keep it wet till the finish softens.
Then take a rag and wipe this mess off.
Then another coat of stripper, rag off again, then while the wood is still wet, take the steel wool and rub with the grain till the wood is nice and clean.
Use the toothbrush in crevices.
Thats all there is to it ... turn the door over and do the other side and continue.
No other prep is necessary...and there is no need to sand any surface.
. When the stripping is complete, stain with Minwax stain applied with a rag, in this case I would use "Golden Oak" color.
Next apply two coats of Minwax fast drying poly. Water based dries fast with no odour, but oil based is good too.
I like the low lustre as it does not show finger prints like the gloss does.
Please let me know if anything is not 100% clear.
I will assist you if I can.
Good Luck
Eileen