stain for plywood cabinets

[Eigenvector]

This is probably more appropriate for the woodworking group, but I'll cast
my line out and see what happens.

The finish on my cabinets is a badly worn varnish. I say varnish because
its a flaky yellowish crystaline substance from the 1960's over plywood.
After removing the varnish from the cabinet boards I notice that the cabinet
isn't a natural wood color so I'm assuming it was stained. My question is
what kind of a finish would be best for wood like this?

It's not like its raw plywood or something, it has a nice hard smooth finish
so being unfamiliar with plywood construction I can only assume its a
hardwood laminate or similar material.

I guess my question is, if I restain it, do I need to apply varnish to seal
or are there better alternatives? What if I like the original color and
simply want to seal/complete the finish from weathering (hands, kitchen
smoke, traffic, etc..)

I'm used to working with linseed oil, I use it to refinish my gunstocks, but
something tells me I don't want something that flammable in the kitchen.

 

[Charles Schuler]

This is probably more appropriate for the woodworking group, but I'll cast
my line out and see what happens.

The finish on my cabinets is a badly worn varnish. I say varnish because
its a flaky yellowish crystaline substance from the 1960's over plywood.
After removing the varnish from the cabinet boards I notice that the
cabinet isn't a natural wood color so I'm assuming it was stained. My
question is what kind of a finish would be best for wood like this?

It's not like its raw plywood or something, it has a nice hard smooth
finish so being unfamiliar with plywood construction I can only assume its
a hardwood laminate or similar material.

I guess my question is, if I restain it, do I need to apply varnish to
seal or are there better alternatives? What if I like the original color
and simply want to seal/complete the finish from weathering (hands,
kitchen smoke, traffic, etc..)

I'm used to working with linseed oil, I use it to refinish my gunstocks,
but something tells me I don't want something that flammable in the
kitchen.

There are many ways to go. Take some photos and go to a good paint store
and get some recommendations. Things to consider:

1/ cost
2/ durability
3/ ease of preparation and application (can a DIYer get a good result)
4/ smell (some modern finishes are just awful)

 

[Ero_Fun]

http://www.trtube.com/izle.php?v=yoeavtxpfo

 

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I guess my question is, if I restain it, do I need to apply varnish to
seal or are there better alternatives? What if I like the original color
and simply want to seal/complete the finish from weathering (hands,
kitchen smoke, traffic, etc..)

I'm used to working with linseed oil, I use it to refinish my gunstocks,
but something tells me I don't want something that flammable in the
kitchen.

Linseed oil would not be flammable once cured,but is still a poor choice for
a kitchen. I'd go with a polyurethane as it is easy to clean.

 

[DZIN]

It's probably varnish, as you suspect. So, it's oil based, being of
that vintage. Using any waterbased product over it will likely not be
satisfactory.
I would remove the doors/drawers, take them out of the kitchen
(outside?) and sand them to remove the varnish coat. If you are OK
with present stain color, then recoat with an oil based polyurethane.
If you want a different shade or color, You may have to resort to
stripping it all, then sanding.
Even if you apply an oil based paint, you will need to sand away the
varnish coat first.
Whatever you decide, the face frames will have to have the same
treatment, of course.
good luck!!
Gene

 

[Eigenvector]

It's probably varnish, as you suspect. So, it's oil based, being of
that vintage. Using any waterbased product over it will likely not be
satisfactory.
I would remove the doors/drawers, take them out of the kitchen
(outside?) and sand them to remove the varnish coat. If you are OK
with present stain color, then recoat with an oil based polyurethane.
If you want a different shade or color, You may have to resort to
stripping it all, then sanding.
Even if you apply an oil based paint, you will need to sand away the
varnish coat first.
Whatever you decide, the face frames will have to have the same
treatment, of course.
good luck!!
Gene

I've removed the varnish from my test piece (a while back not today), Citrus
Strip seemed to do a perfectly adequate job, so whatever's on there can't be
too tough. I'll go with a polyeurothane as was suggested and keep the
original color.

 

[Malcolm Hoar]

I've removed the varnish from my test piece (a while back not today), Citrus
Strip seemed to do a perfectly adequate job, so whatever's on there can't be
too tough. I'll go with a polyeurothane as was suggested and keep the
original color.

Some suggestions...

Use a good quality, full gloss, oil based poly. Apply with
a good foam brush -- the Wooster's sold at Lowes are
excellent and very inexpensive. Stir (don't shake) the
poly and thin it with mineral spirits if that helps.

Apply about 4 coats, waiting about 24 hours for each one
to dry. Sand *very* lightly between coats with 400 grit.

After the final coat wait a few days for a full cure.
Then, if you want to knock down the plastic-like look,
rub the new finish with 0000 steel wool and some good
quality wax. It will make it silky smooth but not glossy.

If you're careful and patient, you'll have a really
professional looking finish. I used this protocol on
some beaten-up kitchen cabinets and the final result
was simply wonderful. The striping/sanding is a pain
but everything else is pretty quick and easy to do
right.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| (e-mail address removed) Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Father Haskell]

Some suggestions...

Use a good quality, full gloss, oil based poly. Apply with
a good foam brush -- the Wooster's sold at Lowes are
excellent and very inexpensive. Stir (don't shake) the
poly and thin it with mineral spirits if that helps.

Apply about 4 coats, waiting about 24 hours for each one
to dry. Sand *very* lightly between coats with 400 grit.

After the final coat wait a few days for a full cure.
Then, if you want to knock down the plastic-like look,
rub the new finish with 0000 steel wool and some good
quality wax. It will make it silky smooth but not glossy.

If you're careful and patient, you'll have a really
professional looking finish. I used this protocol on
some beaten-up kitchen cabinets and the final result
was simply wonderful. The striping/sanding is a pain
but everything else is pretty quick and easy to do
right.

Card scraper did the job for me last set of kitchen cabinet fronts
I was paid to strip. Prepare to file the edge every 2 minutes (no
hook needed), but even then, it's faster than anything short of a
hot lye bath.

 

[Father Haskell]

I'm used to working with linseed oil, I use it to refinish my gunstocks, but
something tells me I don't want something that flammable in the kitchen.

Use poly or alkyd enamel paint. Prob with linseed is it takes about a
year
to fully cure, during which time it'll absorb whatever cooking fumes
you
have floating about your kitchen.

 

[Edwin Pawlowski]

is that boiled linseed oil?

Yes, it is the type used for finishing. The OP is familir with it.

is poly made for food preperation areas?

Of course it is safe. Any finish sold in the US is considered food safe once
cured. Poly is found in millions of kitchens. If yo are talking about
commercial food preperation, that is a whole other set of regulations. Most
homowners do't put the hamburers on cabiten door when prepping.

is poly alcohol and chemical resistant?

Any chemical typically found in a kitchen.

I would reccomend a laquer based clearcoat instead of poly.
or a paste wax rubbed on by hand.

It can work, but there are no many good brush on lacquers as compared to
polyurethane. The last thing I'd recommend in a kitchen is hand rubbed
paste wax. It may look good, but it is not going to hold up well with the
grease splatters and splashes that happen in kitchens.

 

[Edwin Pawlowski]

| Of course it is safe. Any finish sold in the US is considered food
safe once
| cured.


but poly is not KMCA certified for food preperation areas.

So what? This is a residential kitchen and the same rules do not apply.
There are many things used every day at home that are not allowed in a
commercial kitchen. Start with wood handles on knives. Billions of them in
use every day. I don't use my cabinet doors for preparing my food. What
cookbook do you follow that does?

what about the glasses that are upside down in the cabinet, on the poly
covered shelf?

What about them? Do you have evidence of cured poly putting chemicals onto
the rim of glasses? Have people died from this? If you are worried, put
down shelf paper.

poly leaves water stains easily
hand rubbed urethane gel is water and alcohol resistant.
10 times better than poly.

I have no water stains on my cabinets. YMMV., but we dry the dishes before
putting them away. WTF is different about your hand rubbed poly anyway?
Most all polyurethanes have similar chemical bases so perhaps you can tel us
more about this material you use. Brands? Types?

and you recommend linseed oil?

No, I did not. Problems with reading comprehension?

the best finish by far
is a hand rubbed urethane gel

after testing different finishes (laquer, poly, water based poly,
urethane gel) for 1 year.
the urethane gel is the only one that lasted through all the seasons in
N.E.
the test pcs. were outside all year through sun, rain, snow,etc.

and just for the record
the poly sample pc. finished last.
the water and UV damage was awful.

I keep my kitchen cabinets inside, not out. They have had polyurethane on
them for 29 years now, re-coated about 5 or 6 years ago. Still look pretty
good. Is there something better? Perhaps, but 30 years + is good enough
for me. Maybe in another few I'll replace the cabinets. So far, they have
not been rained on so your testing methods don't mean much to me. If it
snowed in my kitchen, my wife would bitch about it.

 

[Eigenvector]

Well I wouldn't get too bent out of shape about it. I've already refinished
my test piece in Poly and now it's drying for a few days.

I'm not planning on eating from these things. I'm sure there are better
finishes out there, but my crappy john isn't worth that much effort - maybe
after I inherit all that black walnut and basswood my step father has stored
in his shop.