# Staining Cabinets



## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

Customer wants these stained so they look like wood. You can still see the grain thru the white and yellow.
How do you think a gelstain would work on this?
Thanks


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

Rob: You hurting for punishment? For what I see you would have to strip them. Are you into that?


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## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

That is what should be done, it has a lot of work to be done!.
Here are more pictures


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Rob said:


> That is what should be done, it has a lot of work to be done!.
> Here are more pictures


Sweet, pool. The house is just dated all around huh?
So you are stripping the cabinets and then staining? I do not use much gel stain other than for some fiberglass doors. Otherwise I typically will use regular stain.


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## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

Don't think stripping is in the budget, trying to find an option.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Rob said:


> Don't think stripping is in the budget, trying to find an option.


Are you any good with a graining tool? You can use a graining tool and make it look like stained cabinets. 
Otherwise you should sway them into a fresh coat of paint to freshen them up.


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

Sorry Rob: There is no short cut here. The stain has to be able to soak into something and you have a sealed surface. As I see it, you are going to spend more on labor than they are worth, but that's your call.


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Rob, you can use a gel stain but I would at least get the cabinets undercoated with a tinted suitable primer. There are some wood glazes on the market I have used that do I nice job also. Anyway you look at it, it's alot of work. IMO if the home owner cant afford it done correctly on their budget I would pass on doing it.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Rob,

Personally, the options I see if HO wants stained wood look:

A) strip and stain

B) Graining

C) New faces on cabs

D) Wood grained contact paper :thumbup:


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## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

There are abou 60 doors! Trying to give several options, the house needs a ton of work, was hoping for some new miracle stuff, haha. Thanks for all the ideas, you guys are pretty cool!


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

This is the kind of job I would take when I have had absolutely nothing for maybe six months, and then I would think about it.


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## BESMAN (Jul 15, 2009)

i just finished a job like this. I happen to be one that enjoys working on cabinets, if I'm getting what i deserve for the work. I like the look of stained wood, so making something that ugly look good not only makes money but saves the beauty of the wood. My advice....roll down your sleeves and strip and stain.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

Talk the owner into painting them until they could afford better looking cabinets, and tile. God those things are ugly!


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

Has any one done lacquer shading before? I have done a few. 
Rob, what is the top coat on those cabinets.


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## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

What do you mean by shading? They seem to be stained and lacquered.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

If it is a lacquer top coat, you can apply a lacquer stain, thin coats (shading). Valspar makes a great one. I will try and dig up a spec sheet when i get to my cpu. SW wont carry it, go to a smaller paint vender. What makes this stuff great is the dry time. You can stain and top coat in a day. BUT! No fool can do it, it takes a skilled profesional painter to do it. If you have a good relationship wit the owner, take a door and play with it. Once you get a lacquer stain down you most likely wont go back to oil. At least i wont.


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## WisePainter (Dec 27, 2008)

I have pictures of pre existing cabinets @ CT that had to be stripped to match the finish coat of the new overlay doors.
I *love* stripping, it is an art.

To stain them again, you need to strip them otherwise a coat of paint will do. Tinted lacquer allows grain to show and provides a solid color look.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

Again, a well rounded professional painter can do it, while maintaining a natural wood look. I had to do it on a few jobs. How i found out about this stuff was through my paint rep. A ho was not happy with the stain color on all her int. doors. Saved the ho of having to pay for striping and was very happy how they came out.


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## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

Like this?
http://www.valsparglobal.com/val/resident/valspar_wood.jsp
So you are saying you applied this over a similar finish and turned out?
I have done plenty of staining and lacquer, just not on something with this type of finish.


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## wje (Apr 11, 2009)

Have you ever tried using polyshades by minwax? being that there are 2 different colour stains already existing it may be a little tough to match them, but if there is a spare door to experiment with it may be worth a try.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

Rob/Chris, almost like Bill/Hillary, LOL, JK
I know you are capable of doing this job. There are some here that i dont think are. So i was talking to those peps more so. 
I would definitely do a sample door. I cant see the link yet, so i am not sure if that is the product. I will get back at ya when i am at my cpu. 
Gabe


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

ewingpainting.net said:


> If it is a lacquer top coat, you can apply a lacquer stain, thin coats (shading). Valspar makes a great one. I will try and dig up a spec sheet when i get to my cpu. SW wont carry it, go to a smaller paint vender. What makes this stuff great is the dry time. You can stain and top coat in a day. BUT! No fool can do it, it takes a skilled profesional painter to do it. If you have a good relationship wit the owner, take a door and play with it. Once you get a lacquer stain down you most likely wont go back to oil. At least i wont.


Gabe,

This interests me, not because I'll ever be faced with this, but I do love to hear about different solutions.

I don't know shiest from shinola about laquer, but enough to realize you may got something here. Any other info or pix or anything to give this old dirty dog a little brain candy to chew on ?


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I do not think a spray stain will help in this situation. To me, it looks like solid white except for the one band of color. Shaders, toners, etc seem to be more for complimenting existing coloring, darkening a bir, etc. I could be wrong though, since I usually use spray stains, seal, galze, and then finish. So, I do not have much experience with shading or toning over sealed surfaces. Only done that once for some furniture. Definitely could do more than a regular wiping stain/gel stain could though. I really think painting them is the way to go, unless you are a faux artist as well.


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## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

ewingpainting.net said:


> Rob/Chris, almost like Bill/Hillary, LOL, JK
> I know you are capable of doing this job. There are some here that i dont think are. So i was talking to those peps more so.
> I would definitely do a sample door. I cant see the link yet, so i am not sure if that is the product. I will get back at ya when i am at my cpu.
> Gabe


Bill, Hilary and the cigar, uhh, I better check with Chris on the rules before I answer that!
I do want to hear more about that stain.

Dean, the grain is still showing thru the white, it almost looks whitewashed.
What I worry about is making it even on the yellow/white.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Here is some examples of graining on metal doors

http://www.painttalk.com/f16/woodgrain-metal-doors-1468/

http://www.painttalk.com/f2/wood-graining-metal-door-266/

Though your cabinets already have a grain so not so sure how that would turn out. 
I would push the painting of the cabinets. If they did that and redid the floor it would make it look a lot different.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

It seems to be top secret stuff, I cant find the spec sheets so I scanned the label for ya.


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## brushmstr (Feb 15, 2009)

First of all, why would anyone want to save those cabinets. To invest any amount of time and labor would not be prudent. However, if they choose to stain instead of paint, you could base coat, then gel stain and clear coat. I would always make a test sample.
I personally would just spray them.


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## LOSTinDETAILS (Jun 17, 2009)

brushmstr said:


> First of all, why would anyone want to save those cabinets.


fftopic:


It might look nice with a coat of paint, new counters, backsplash and appliances. Ahhh hell just tear em out of there and start over.:laughing:


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

LOSTinDETAILS said:


> fftopic:
> 
> 
> It might look nice with a coat of paint, new counters, backsplash and appliances. Ahhh hell just tear em out of there and start over.:laughing:


Don't forget that floor.


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## LOSTinDETAILS (Jun 17, 2009)

Workaholic said:


> Don't forget that floor.


Believe me I thought about adding them behind one my commas, but I hate to assume. I thought to myself that there could be some super nice floor that tied it all together.


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## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

But you would keep the sink right!


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## LOSTinDETAILS (Jun 17, 2009)

Rob said:


> But you would keep the sink right!


If I could see it I might. Chances are good I would only salvage the pulls before I called in the bobcat.:001_tongue:


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## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

Lost, you really need to see the whole house!

Look here


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## LOSTinDETAILS (Jun 17, 2009)

Nice house. Looks at least 20 years since its seen an upgrade other than paint. Would I be going out on a limb saying that the HO are retiree's? The wood floors looked really nice. Looks to be a good candidate for the RCP touch. Cant wait to hear what they decide to allow you to do. :thumbsup:


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## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

It's a rental now. Pulled the wallpaper today to find raw drywall, no primer, no texture. Kind of what we figured from peeking. All original to build, except lovely wood floor!


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## LOSTinDETAILS (Jun 17, 2009)

Rob said:


> It's a rental now. Pulled the wallpaper today to find raw drywall, no primer, no texture. Kind of what we figured from peeking. All original to build, except lovely wood floor!


:laughing:

Does that mean new mini blinds? That sucks about the wallpaper. That seems to be about par for the course. Next thing you know they will be carpeting over the hardwood.


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## BobinFL (Jun 29, 2009)

Best solution: New cabinets.

Stripping and refinishing is a lot of work to give them what looks like outdated oak cabinetry.

Or just paint them...


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

lolrentalproperty. and they got a budget for refinishing cabinets? since when did landlords put any real money into properties?


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