# Painting cabinets white but still show the grain from wood



## Lbservices

Hey guys,

Need some recommendations, ive always painted cabinets solid with de aristowal water oil hybrid. This customer asked if we could paint her oak cabinets to a white finish but not a solid white. She wants a hint of the grain to show through. 
I am no where near experienced enough to know what method to achieve this finish. Can someone explain how this is done? Im gonna push her to just go with a solid finish if I am not confident enough to achieve the opaque look.
Thanks in advance.


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## Jmayspaint

Maybe pickling stain. That one way to get the white washed look. 
Have you painted oak cabs before? The grain of oak will show through a regular paint job anyway.


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## Lbservices

After a couple coats of ob cover stain, the grain is hidden pretty well. Unless it starts to show through after the paint cures?


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## daArch

Lbservices said:


> After a couple coats of ob cover stain, the grain is hidden pretty well. Unless it starts to show through after the paint cures?


I think it may be a little late to be thinking of pickling the wood, unless you are going to sand and restart.

There are many INTERNET vids, blogs, and articles on pickling. Some used thinned paint, some use Minwax Pickling Stain, and there was back a few decades ago, a stain base made by California that you could put Universal white colorant in - adjusting the amount for your preference.


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## Damon T

Zinnser Cabinet Transformations might be your best friend now. Check it out online. Or at the mighty HD


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## Paradigmzz

If they are oak cabinets, the grain will show through, period. Spraying will facilitate more grain to be pronounced as you are not filling soft graining low spots by backbrushing across it. 

Let me ask you this: do they want to see the grain or the color of wood? Because the hrain will show no matter what you do in converted oak stain grade cabinets. Just ont build your primer or go to a brushing putty.


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## MKap

I took a set of old stain grade oak cabinets from the dumpster on a renovation last year to put in my shop. I watered down wood filler and skim coated them twice. Sanded, primed and sprayed impervo. Looks mint.


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## Workaholic

What type of wood are the cabinets?


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## ReNt A PaInTeR

Workaholic said:


> What type of wood are the cabinets?


Who are you asking? The Op said they were oak.


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## ewingpainting.net

acetone stain
valspar makes a great one


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## Jmayspaint

I wonder if you could do a white toner? Like how you can tone finished cabs to make them darker without hiding the grain completely. 
If you couldn't get white toner, maybe thin white lacquer.


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## Workaholic

ReNt A PaInTeR said:


> Who are you asking? The Op said they were oak.


My bad I missed it. Good thing I am not a mod, that would of been a bad faux pas 


If the cabinets are oak and you are painting them there should be enough grain showing through to be happy.


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## woodcoyote

joshmays1976 said:


> I wonder if you could do a white toner? Like how you can tone finished cabs to make them darker without hiding the grain completely.
> If you couldn't get white toner, maybe thin white lacquer.


Sherwin calls the 'white lacquer' primer for cabinets Pro Mar White Lacquer Undercoat. 

It works well for cabinets, but if he's trying to show SOME grain, then it may or may not be overkill. You can overload it by spraying several layers and it'll hide a bunch of imperfections. 

It's a beautiful way to make wood and other composite materials "smooth". Spray, sand, top coat (paint) = glass smooth. I've done the trashy particle board shelves with it and they turn out better than the pre-primed mdf boards. 

Edit:
Just don't let it run because then your screwed. You'll have to sand like crazy to get the run out and do a bunch more work. Not like paint where you can kinda wipe the run if needed (latex paint), the run will probably be tacky or hard by the time you go to wipe it. Just a tip.


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## Lbservices

Thanks for all the tips guys, still waiting on the HO to make a decision. we'll see what her final outcome will be. Hope it's my favor though, because i'm not sure she even knows what she wants. either way, i'll have some pics up before the project starts to show a start and finish


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## Sir Mixalot

Lbservices said:


> Thanks for all the tips guys, still waiting on the HO to make a decision. we'll see what her final outcome will be. Hope it's my favor though, because *i'm not sure she even knows what she wants*. either way, i'll have some pics up before the project starts to show a start and finish


That's a little scary. She will second guess herself or blame you for "that's not how you made it sound like it was going to look". :yes: 
I think you need to do some sort of a sample area or door and get the go ahead from there. :thumbsup:


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## Lazerline

I've found oak always shows the grain but if they want it a little more pronounced you can follow the paint up with a glaze that really gives a nice definition to the grain without taking too much from the painted color.


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