Anything can be done but at some point the labour factor kills you. You can dig your own swimming pool with a shovel and wheelbarrow as well.
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Kitchen cabinet resurfacing
- Thread starter jc100
- Start date
Anything can be done but at some point the labour factor kills you. You can dig your own swimming pool with a shovel and wheelbarrow as well.
It's a good project to practice bodywork. Sand, bondo or high build primer, sand, prime, paint.
That's my worry but I thought there were kits/new paints out that would give a solid colour look to old wood cabinets. Acrylic enamel or something like that?
BigEvilDoer
Well-known member
Doing my cabinets as we speak.
Were a dark brown/black triple painted/stained. Bought special sanding pads (10 pack) that are supposed to last 5x longer than a regular pad. I burned through 2 packages of discs. $50ish on discs alone, and 14-15 hours of sanding. 19 doors (2 sizes), 4 drawers.
Used Zinsser Bullseye primer. 2 coats. 2 coats of melamine paint for hard finish (7-10 days to achieve full hardness).
Lowers are done and look great. Uppers are sanded, and have primer on some. Limited space slows things down.
If you have the time and patience, go for it. If you don't, buy new or pay someone.
Were a dark brown/black triple painted/stained. Bought special sanding pads (10 pack) that are supposed to last 5x longer than a regular pad. I burned through 2 packages of discs. $50ish on discs alone, and 14-15 hours of sanding. 19 doors (2 sizes), 4 drawers.
Used Zinsser Bullseye primer. 2 coats. 2 coats of melamine paint for hard finish (7-10 days to achieve full hardness).
Lowers are done and look great. Uppers are sanded, and have primer on some. Limited space slows things down.
If you have the time and patience, go for it. If you don't, buy new or pay someone.
AllistonGT
Well-known member
Filling grain is a huge PITA. And wood filler is not whats used. Or drywall compound lol. There is a product designed just for it.
Exactly what was recommended to me. Thought I might try it on a few of the seldom used cabinet/drawers first as I dont have a lot of spare time and they could be out of commission for a few weeks without much complaining. After doing the math I realized I shouldnt even start it. Even if the first few came out looking great I knew, due to past experience and lack of space, I would become lazier and start taking short cuts that would lead to not so great results as I went along, just to get it done.
As with OP, just wanted a kitchen refresh 'on the cheap'. Fortunately, all the cabinets were 'standard' sizes available off the shelf at Home Depot. A few days to bring home the smaller ones myself, a couple of days to have the bigger ones delivered. Pulled the laminate counter tops off, including sink, and laid them aside then pulled out the old cabinets, all in a day (sink last). Installed the new ones over a weekend (sink first). Set the old counter top back on top and hooked up the sink and tap again. Started laying a new floor while the wife decided on new sink/tap/counter top. We only lost use of the kitchen for a day.
Ended up changing the layout (from L shaped to straight) opening up the kitchen, 50% more storage, tripled the drawers (each lower now has a drawer). If I remember right, approx. $3000 for cabinets, $800 for flooring, $200 for baseboards, $300 for sink (16 gauge double, 10" deep), $160 tap and $1300 for countertop installed, about $6000 all in and a week of work.
Yes, resurfacing may have been cheaper if I did it myself but I know how I am and I knew I wouldnt be happy with it (never mind how she would feel). Floor would have still needed to be redone and new countertop/sink/tap. I am happy with the results and, more importantly, she is too.
Edit: Forgot to mention, I now have a bunch of cabinets for the garage !! I am VERY happy with the results.
There was a sidecar at one of the motorcycles shows that was hand built using some wood laminate. The finish was a perfect gloss but there was a print through on one panel that showed the stripes in the wood. It actually looked interesting and possibly desirable in that case. One would have to decide if it was what was wanted for the kitchen.
You don't buy paint anymore. They're coatings and the chemistry is more complex than most think. A good job would take a lot of research and sandpaper for a start. What's the time worth. Then the coatings, likely two part etc. Is toxicity an issue with some?
Mad Mike
Well-known member
I did a really nice kitchen reno at kids house using ikea doors on 1950s boxes. The one I did was modernish. 
Cost $800 to replace drawers and doors. Lots of fiddling with spacers and a lot of time measuring and calculating. Granite was really cheap as it was just squares, I think I paid $750 for about 35 sq’ cash and carry.
Cost $800 to replace drawers and doors. Lots of fiddling with spacers and a lot of time measuring and calculating. Granite was really cheap as it was just squares, I think I paid $750 for about 35 sq’ cash and carry.
THIS. and after selling hardwood for 30yrs to millwork shops, I can confirm also the grain will telegraph through sooner or later.
If you decide to spray or roll your own, clean them all , twice, with TSP and a solvent wipe to get any trace of kitchen grease off. Once you have fish eyes in the finish you'll spend days to fix it.
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