Painting Oak Cabinets - Transform Your Kitchen!

[@paulhughes3961]

40 years as a painting contractor I have probably painted somewhere close to a thousand cabinets. Never used any filler but I did use a an extremely high quality sealer primer with 2 coats, and 2 coats of finish paint.

[@andrewtamblyn2191]

What primer ?

[@judymiller5154]

thanks for the tip, but exactly which primer/sealer? Did you thoroughly sand it all? or just damaged areas?

[@philipwood8776]

All you have to do

[@rickbowman21]

I’ve watched a lot of KZbin videos about painting kitchen cabinets, and I’m liking what I see with “Beyond Paint”. I haven’t seen a single thing that’s wrong with it, so that’s what I plan to use on my oak cabinets.

[@stephenlennartz3466]

The timing of this is perfect! Not quite ready to move from our home but getting there. As kitchens sell homes (almost always) this is a great solution for those with builder grade oak cabinets (me) that don't want to spend thousands (me again) on new cabinets just to leave them behind in the house. Very nice results! Thank you for posting!

[@bighands69]

You would get a far more expensive look if you cleaned the wood and went for a natural wood finish. And that is even on builder grade. The reason why modern kitchens do not use natural wood is that people cannot actually afford them. Painted look means even mdf can look higher end. In modern times it has become expensive to have wood as a built in. I had a cousin who restored a natural wood kitchen and everybody that sees it thinks it is some super expensive custom built furniture.

[@chuckrigoulot7987]

Oak Cabinets are never outdated!

[@e.4355]

Nice job. I'm so tired of watching kitchen remodels where perfectly good cabinets end up in dumpsters. Obviously this was time-consuming, but the end result is beautiful. I'd like to see more of us revamping, rather than replacing. Thanks for the video.

[@ceciliapreziose3783]

I sooooooo agree

[@fredcollier1299]

The amount of work to refinish would be overwhelming - notice he had two people working on this. I say skip the pore fill and either paint or just sand and touch up the poly or varnish. Still a massive amount of work either way.

[@metallica1426]

I work in a cab shop and trust me, if your cabinet is worth anything we will take it and make stuff out of it lol wont go in the dumpster. most cabinets have cheap panels in the middle and not worth salvaging (some cases the middle panel is solid wood and that's a steal!).

[@jacobnewman9614]

after watching this, I decided to rip out my cabinets and distribute them in dumpsters all over town

[@jeffcarucci359]

I'm afraid to do this. I would hate spending all that time to have them look terrible.

[@DCRaiderette]

I’m in the midst of painting my cabinets now. The sanding is taking forever. Glad you were honest with folks that this is NOT single weekend project!

[@apweaver3498]

My mom repaired and repainted her 25 year old pine cabinets and the kitchen looks amazing. It was a lot of work but she has real solid wood cabinets, she could never afford that nowadays. New hinges and pulls and the kitchen looks brand new! I just remember telling her, "I see how it is, all of us kids move out and now you paint the kitchen and make it look nice and new". It is almost like she has more money without having to feed three kids anymore ;)

[@thejazzpianist25]

You are a great teacher! Very patient with this tedious work, & very articulate. Thank you! Also, love to see sons spoiling their mamas with beautiful handyman work like this!

[@garrettducat5769]

My kitchen is out of date, but my plan is to just wait until this comes back in style.

[@philipgwyn8091]

50 years ?

[@bseant420]

lol! we laugh but that time will eventually come!

[@toiyabe_effect]

Yep. In a few years home buyers will come through the house wondering, "Who the hell painted over these gorgeous oak cabinets, and why?" My last house had original oak flooring throughout . . . covered sometime in the last 40 years with bland carpet. I pulled up all that carpet and transformed the house.

[@holdemNE1]

My house has original white painted cabinets. I refaced the cabinets and made new doors and stained them Golden Oak. That is so outdated now that we are toying with painting them white. It's the circle of life.

[@woodwhisperer]

Builder-grade oak cabinets will never be “in style.” They’re more of a necessary evil.

[@gbjones54]

Totally agree about only doing the job for someone you love. I did several projects for my daughters that people always say I should sell or do for pay. My response is “ I don’t love them enough to do that for the money they’d pay! “. Thanks for sharing the process Marc.

[@plasmac9]

Do what you love for a living and you'll end up hating your hobby.

[@Sardious]

@@plasmac9 It's true that when it becomes your job sooner not later you have the "I do not want to do this right now but I have to cause it's a job" and that breaks it as a hobby, but doing something you like as a job doesn't remotely lead to hating it.

[@joethebar1]

I did this last year to my oak kitchen. A helluva project but it exceeded my expectations. Used Spray Nine degreaser to clean, sanded between coats. Used two different primers- the doors closest to the stove ( greasiest) needed a very sticky primer ( Stix) and the other ones used a less sticky but more opaque primer. Each door got four coats- two primer and two top coats. I used Dulux and Stix primer and BM Advance in white-Pearl finish. The wood filler step is unnecessary- on mine, there’s very subtle grain coming through, but looks excellent. Using the right sheen is the most important step; Pearl is the right sheen.

[@cutscenesgems7824]

I am about to do the same job, and the store employee recommended me the Stix primer but i was wondering if the oak still bleed through it since it's not a stain block primer?

[@PlasmaOscillations]

@@cutscenesgems7824 I watched a video on Stix earlier today and it is not a stain blocker, it's meant as a 'conversion' primer, a base for the next primer or paint. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2jNpJ6Patqii8k

[@dannyphillips6446]

so did you prime and sand or just paint over

[@GenericHandle01]

I really like wood grain myself but this was a definite upgrade. I think the uniform Oak faces, even though they look warm, was kind of bland looking and the two tone really makes the kitchen pop and look clean and new. Nice work man. Also it's good to show Mom some love.

[@davidahart2476]

When my parent bought their final house, the second owners had painted over the stained cabinets, my parents eventually had them stripped and re stained, I have the home now and I like the country look.

[@briarfox637]

Oil based primers do wonders as a base coat to either oil based or latex enamel paint without the pore fill. Works great! I've never had grain show through with this method and I've never pore filled.

[@racerx2348]

@Hugo Sanchez ben moore advance is great. as good as oil base, and water cleanup

[@briarfox637]

@Hugo Sanchez EPA and climate nonsense is why.

[@judymiller5154]

@@racerx2348 so I wouldn't need to pore fill? I have 29 doors, 13 drawers and I'm 77... so, I need simple, effective, and no do-overs!

[@racerx2348]

@@judymiller5154 ive never pore filled. see how your doors look once they are primed. if they look good to you , then you can finish coat

[@ianmcpherson2301]

Spray on auto primer/filler works great and dries really quick. Con: fills all gaps including the panel,rail/style joints. if you clen these as you go it works great.

[@tigerlily1034]

I did the exact same thing to my oak cabinets...both top and bottom cabinets are the same color. I used the same paint as you plus added the crown molding. The one thing that elevated the entire look was adding door pulls and door knobs to complete the look!👌🤩

[@marziehardestani4497]

I am going to try this. Did you have any previous experience and if you ended up liking yours? Thank you so much for sharing . This looks so intimidating to me!

[@joshauth9975]

Professional painter here! Love the festool and GF products I use these often. On your next project of cabinets try out the GF stain blocking primer (2 coats) and then use 2 coats of satin “Cabinet Coat” from inselx.

[@GizmoMaltese]

How much would your charge to do the job he did?

[@ajjskins]

I have been watching you since 2009, and I have always loved what you do and how you do it Mark, in this video you sound just like David Marks and Bob Ross... I can't think of a better compliment. That level of awsome is what every youtuber should strive for. Thank you Mark for sharing.

[@davidkoba]

As a woodworker this video broke my heart.....You did a great job and it looks incredible but I love natural wood finishes.

[@RuleGarza]

After seeing all this hard work. I'll leave my oak the way it is

[@pew9277]

Kitchen looks great. My husband cut down a walnut tree and had it cut into lumber and planed and sanded until smooth. They were the first cabinets he ever built. All I put on them was polyurethane and the color is lovely. Every time I look at new cabinets I compare them to my solid wood and after 25 years mine still look new. I'll keep them. Oh and the tree was about 100 years old and we got a lot of cabinets from it.

[@coleve8596]

Watching you and the amount of effort you had to put in, multiplied by the amount of doors I have decided to exclude all my family and friends and my mother and wife.

[@deaneng8540]

I think you saved your relationship with your family! lol

[@dyarger]

We just did this to our kitchen. We did buy new doors. We felt it was really wasteful just to throw boxes away to buy new boxes no one would ever really see. Saved some money too. Great Video!!! Appreciate the tips!

[@ciaras.2621]

This guy just made me change my mind! The hell with all that work

[@tkine97]

I really like the texture the grain gives the paint. I painted an oak filing cabinet and it looks SOOO good with the grain texture.

[@WILLIAMMORALES-gw1zz]

In AZ I grew up with oak everywhere, I don't have a problem painting it, so tired of it lol.

[@marymarymillidweeb2661]

You went through the 80's and 90's eh!? So much orange wood.

[@WILLIAMMORALES-gw1zz]

@@marymarymillidweeb2661 Ha ha yes dating myself.

[@marymarymillidweeb2661]

@@WILLIAMMORALES-gw1zz me too.

[@gloryb-tv]

My home's former owner installed the SAME cabinets! Were there any panels, such as the one in the island shown at 14:25, that are laminate? If so, what products did you use to paint those? Thx.

[@csimet]

Great tips... exactly what I was looking to do with my "vintage" 1970s cabinets. I personally do not mind the grain lines... they add some texture.

[@csimet]

Followup on my project... I decided to not fill my face frames since they are barely noticeable and opt'd to rebuild my doors. I wanted shaker style over the original and building new doors will be a much larger project, but worth it in the long run. My plan is to use oak frames and MDF or plywood panels. The paint will provide a slight texture to help hide the oak pores, yet still allow a bit to show and match the doors to the carcasses.

[@mackenziehuff6368]

This was the video I didn't even know I needed. I was searching for general painting tips for cabinets and stumbled upon this. After watching, I phoned a friend to see if the cabinets I was painting were oak (they were) and decided to take a few more days to do this the right way. I'm so glad I did. Thank you!

[@Jin-Ro]

I'm in England, and my Kitchen Oak cabinets are about 150yrs old, which is pretty new considering the house is 773 yrs old. I wouldn't dream of painting them, even if they are out of date!

[@garyderksen8930]

I would never paint solid Oak cabinets...change the backsplash or countertop yes but cabinets...Nooooo

[@TomYpsilanti]

I love that in America our "old" houses are newer than your 150-year old cabinets :)

[@Agrillot6]

Pics or it’s a lie! (Seriously, I’d love to see it.)

[@snowps1]

Wow, I want to see your house!

[@stevenmorris2293]

These cabinets aren’t

[@dannyscobee6530]

We did this to our kitchen several years ago. Same deal, builder grade oak cabinets. I hated the idea of painting all that beautiful oak, but the wife insisted & I caved. As it turned out, she was right... again, & the cabinets look great. She’s still happy with them!

[@ramirogarcia6059]

Did you use the same filler?

[@dannyscobee6530]

@@ramirogarcia6059 no, I used a primer that was recommended by paint supplier. I wanted to be able to still see the grain in the wood. It worked perfect for us.

[@tegan71969]

Tip: Use a fine finish foam roller on the cabinets in the kitchen. You won't get any brush strokes, and it takes less time.

[@donnash5813]

As a painter I agree this is great way to get the look of sprayed. No brush marks.

[@foreignfilmfan]

I had success with a velour roller on a swivel roller, and used floetrol additive for easier application and fewer brush strokes.

[@donnash5813]

@Nick Montagnoli If you use a regular roller it will leave a little bumpy texture. The foam roller leaves a very smooth surface very close to the appearance of spraying.

[@donnash5813]

@Nick Montagnoli I should have written no roller texture. I had a customer that wanted to save money on a job. I took the cabinet doors home and sprayed them. The customer rolled and brushed the cabinet frames. If you are painter you know how that turned out.

[@SD-nh5yr]

That's nice that you did this for your mom...you are a good son!✌

[@MaxKorp88]

Huge thank you for showing the same finish filled and unfilled on oak. I've found plenty of comparable photos but never in the same finish.

[@darrinlindsey]

I loved the subtle comment about covering perfectly good wood with drywall. Not everyone has that same taste.

[@MrTBoneMalone]

The end product looks very nice. Yep, I'm one that would never paint over oak cabinets. Personally, I like the natural look of the wood grains with a nice stained finish.

[@midgie4410]

Me too

[@bighands69]

Maybe if somebody explained to the mother how nice the original was and that had quality look to it she may have changed her mind but to be honest a lot of this is to do with taste. My kitchen is completely solid wood and my mother asked me would I ever paint them and I nearly spit my coffee out

[@BBell-qt1lr]

Me too! I would never paint solid wood cabinets. I also think that using the filler makes the cabinets look like laminate. I really don't like laminate. Now those that aren't solid wood - yes, I would paint those.

[@privatepilot4064]

MrTBoneMalone, same here. There’s nothing more beautiful as natural wood. But, to each his own, I guess.

[@jamesjones6166]

Was builder grade cabinets. Not like painting over fine finished oak. He added a lot of value with filling the pores. Most folks would not invest the time. I thought it was a good presentation

[@ASHSRV]

Great Work! you just added 10 years to that kitchen!

[@geoleo1963]

I think you did a great job and the door looks good. I work for a professional cabinet refinishing company. We do our fare share of oak cabinets. Each two man crew does at least one kitchen a week. We have a much different paint that you can’t buy in a store and it’s water based and sprayed on the doors and the the drawer fronts in our shop with an hvlp sprayer. We use bin primer and roll it on with foam roller and that’s how we fill the grain it works and it dries fast then we can burnish it and put the color coats on. Then we put on a uv top coat and cure it with uv light. It comes out just as durable as the prefinished hardwood flooring you buy from Armstrong. The problem I see most people do is they just don’t prep the wood properly and they try and rush it and then it looks like they painted it with a brush. The products that they sell at the big box stores like rustolium cabinet refinishing kits are garbage.

[@10bbremer]

George Charbonneau True. Those "simple, quick, easy, no sanding" cabinet painting videos are BS. A year later they will be scratched specially where the handles and pulls are.

[@cherylberry1613]

Wow I bet you have a very happy mom. Truly elevates the sophistication of her kitchen. ♡gorgeous♡

[@dogloverjb6873]

I love my natural oak wood cabinets...natural wood is stunningly beautiful. Oaks trees died for my cabinet...at least i can honor them and thank them and show their real beauty

[@steebendeeben8268]

Thanks!

[@woodwhisperer]

You bet! And thank you!

[@marlonvaz4258]

Make people's life happier is all that matter. Congratulations, I am sure your mom is proud of you!

[@JimmeeAnimAll]

is it ok to use acrylic/chaulking filling to fill this gap between inner cabinet decoration and main front board ? Same question I would love to address to inside of the drawers. Is it ok to fill all gaps to have dust tight / "shadow free" elements ??

[@RealBlueLady]

Great job! They look beautiful. I love the two colors. You brought her kitchen into today from two decades ago!

[@MrRtcrockett]

I repainted the Cabinets in one of my Rental Properties. Looks Great ... Saved Money. Had fun finding the Cabinet Refinisher inside of me. THANKS.

[@travis00017]

Do you not have to strip/sand the existing stain, varnish or poly before this process?

[@Really10801]

No, you definitely do not. Just wipe the cabinets down well with a liquid de-glosser first. It will remove any grease/dirt and soften the varnish to improve adhesion of whatever you use over it.

[@user-jc9yz5xl9b]

THAT is a labor of love and I don't have enough of it to do a whole kitchen. Maybe a vanity.

[@bluewaters3100]

My daughter got half way on her oak cabinets with the sanding and paint then hired someone to finish the rest. It is very time consuming. It looks okay but not worth the money she spent. Clean the oak and make it look nice...get new counter tops and paint the walls instead!

[@1RAYGC]

I think it's almost criminal to paint beautiful natural oak.

[@thepaigeparker]

IKR, wood is neutral, I see young people calling it “orange” I just don’t get it. If you don’t like the tone of the finish there is such a thing as wood stain.

[@marymarymillidweeb2661]

@@thepaigeparker That's funny, almost a compliment for me! I'm 67 and that's exactly what I call the oak cabinets etc. Orange. And to me orange only belongs on oranges or pumpkins. Not a fan of orange. I came home once to find my beautiful adirondack/muskoka chairs had been given a wood stain. They were ORANGE! Against my taupe coloured front door, posts on my grey concrete porch. It looked so awful.

[@2626firefly]

After looking at my cabinets for 30 years, I'm ready for a change. ! I would love to paint them but it does look like a lot of hard work! Great job- the look wonderful.

[@audnbob1]

I was exactly where you are. I ended up painting mine this past December with the Nuvo Cabinet Paint Kit and I'm (54 yr old mother/wife) still shocked at how easy it was (one weekend) and how nice they still look! All of our cabinet's were different? Some were wood, other's were melamine,...some had hardware, other's had none...We went with the Coco Couture and love it! That led me to do everything else in the kitchen too because it made such an impact. We put new hardware on everything and wow it really looks nice!! Go for it!!!!

[@ragnkja]

In my family we’ve had success with primer that’s made specifically to conceal knots and wood grain. The wood has generally been pine (still a ring-porous wood, but much softer than oak), and using the right primer made a huge difference. For anyone in Norway reading this: se etter kvist- og sperregrunning; bare sperregrunning dekker ikke kvist og årringer.

[@bighands69]

Primer acts as a screen for the finish to be applied to.

[@elsiemontgomery7974]

Do you mind giving me the primer product name? My email is [e-mail]. Thank you!

[@heatherjmorvik]

Elsie Montgomery ".. l.

[@ragnkja]

Elsie Montgomery I don’t know what the type of primer is called in English. It doesn’t have to be a specific brand (although the ones we’ve used have been Norwegian ones that I’m not sure you can get in the US), just the right type. Ask at the store, because they can probably help you.

[@shaosu9243]

@@elsiemontgomery7974 Zinsser,B.I.N ultimate stain blocker is good product we can have it at home depot/ Walmart/ Amazon....

[@JessicaDaniJohnson]

The best explanation and demonstration of this process that ive seen🎉❤. I messed up putting diluted white* wood filler on white* cabinets. The stress from tying to see the fill grained vs filler that needed sanding made the process hell. Luckily i only did 1/3 of my doors. Ill use these extra tips to do the rest. This was verry helpful. Im ok putting in the work. The grain pattern has been bugging me since i moved into my home.

[@troyclayton]

Cool video, thanks. I fill open grain by wet sanding with water based poly, sprinkling previously gathered sanding dust as I go (inspired by old timers doing it with oil). I keep the poly in a large plastic syringe and squeeze it out as needed, sometimes spraying with a water bottle*. I push the paste formed into the grain with the paper and then level it with a knife (if flat). It even looks great under a clear coat and fills smaller imperfections. I just refinished our 30 year old oak stair treads and they now mirror reflect, one of my pandemic projects. edit:* if paste gets too dry and thick

[@SteeleMagnolia]

I'm a hardcore DIYer, and I take all my projects seriously, from planning stage to completion, no shortcuts. About to start my own cabinet resurfacing, when I discovered your top-notch video! Those that see the final products that we master have the dilusion that it's a simple project, because our years of knowledge and techniques make it look "easy" and simple.

[@robertpryor7225]

Open floor plan, painted cabinets, gray paint, waterfall countertops, mid-century modern. All this will be in style forever, like these bell bottoms.

[@ceciliapreziose3783]

right you are

[@jgn1977]

You forgot about shiny gold door handles. Classic

[@vaderladyl]

Some of that has been for decades now.

[@miket5506]

We just installed brand new North American Cherry cabinets in our kitchen and they look amazing. They also look strikingly similar to these. Can’t beat the look of natural wood.

[@acarguy374]

I repainted my oak builder grade cabinets and they look great still 4 years later And everyone said don’t paint cabinets. Home Depot “pros” (Crooks) wanted 40k to just replace the doors and put in granite. I had to superglue all the floating center boards as the grain filling and paint would fracture all along the edges. I sprayed Sherwin Williams pro classic door and trim paint after priming well and it ended up perfect.

[@bighands69]

You could have also cleaned the oak up and finished it to a high standard. The most expensive kitchens you can buy are natural wood look. I think in many people's mind they view it as cheaper because the wood probably needs a little bit of restoration.

[@barbaraeppolito8176]

It looks modern and beautiful! So much better than before.

[@fosmith61]

Some nice Modern chrome pulls for for the doors and drawers would have been a nice finishing touch.

[@sherristokes6473]

Thank you for telling and showing us the difference between pour fill and showing the grain. I personally like the grain showing through. Yes, definitely a lot of work for the flat finish and definitely worth the work if you are willing to put in that work!

[@stevenreichertart]

Thanks for the demonstration. I’d love to know how long that really took. One year, or two?

[@shannonbullock2202]

😂😂😂😂😂😂!!!!!! I just did my kitchen cabinets also and I had this exact thought while watching.

[@Motokarts]

For the amount of time that one door took, I'd buy them 10x over

[@mariapilarme]

I used fence stain light gray without preparing it. It looks like a light gray wash totally up to date and they all look fantastic! Modern light wash and the grain of the oak makes it looks better. It looks like French country.

[@SashaTheOneAndOnly]

You've given me a lot of inspiration for different projects. I love your channel and I hope u never stop!!! The most recent piece I've made is a chair that is carved to look like the initials of me friend! Thank u so much Marc!❤️

[@lynsmith2698]

Great job. I get poo pooed all the time for painting wood. I just stripped and painted an antique oak buffet and made it into a bathroom vanity and we love it. And in the long run....you are the only one you have to please. Great video, and very helpful as my next project is doing my kitchen cabinets...thankfully our kitchen is way smaller than your mums.

[@vaderladyl]

Better than going to the landfill, for sure.

[@patgordon5757]

In my opinion, oak is one of the sacred woods and should never be painted. I am a true wood lover.

[@Eddie_Munster]

@@patgordon5757 so is your wife

[@charcoalanderson8010]

Made it 1,000 times harder to concentrate the second I spotted that gorgeous dragon priest mask back there! Thanks for the tutorial I'm trying to think of ways to reuse/ upgrade my kitchen cabinets and this could be the way I go.

[@grumpygnome9316]

20 years down the road somebody will be removing that paint, the home improvement GAME is alive and well

[@saraklotz2289]

Painting cabinets have been popular for years and years, lol. Orange oak isn’t coming back in style.

[@saraklotz2289]

James Miller um, like you will know either? Hypocrite much?

[@privatepilot4064]

Scott Heaton, and calling them outdated cabinets. Personally, natural wood is never outdated. It’s almost like wingtip shoes!

[@stevecarson4162]

@@saraklotz2289 : Who cares about "style" -- and who gets to decide WHICH style is currently acceptable? I say do what you like. But if I had to choose between beautiful natural wood, and doing a WHOLE LOT of work just to make it look plain and white like MDF, the paintjob would always lose.

[@AndrewSzekely]

looks great

[@bettenotap4791]

Very nice video, right to the point, good product info and good technique demonstrating. Clear, concise, everything you want a video to be.

[@artflorez1568]

Looks great! Really like the two tone effect. Only thing I would do differently is add door and drawer pulls.

[@Adrian-jh5cr]

I just did this exact same thing to my house from that old school pine to a new update what a huge difference just some paint patience and a backsplash! Increased my home value just in updating it!

[@sharyn4271]

Looks great! I especially like the addition of the crown molding.

[@victorkonon]

2:20 before the porefilling, do you need to send the lacquer layer off? or rub some chemical strip solution?

[@phuongle6016]

I've repainted my builder grade cabinets and even without grain fill, it took easily over 50-60 hours of work to do. 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of paint

[@plasmac9]

This guy had another guy helping them and it looks like it took them 4 days from start to finish so you're spot on here. You could build new doors from scratch, finish, and have them installed in about two and a half day and that's working by yourself.

[@thezfunk]

@@plasmac9 If you have the shop and setup.

[@OBSZIDIAN548]

I started my cabinets....I immediately gave up. I got as far as taking the food out of one....ate some of it and called it a day. I appreciate your dedication

[@lowellirish]

Thank you for showing the difference between filled and unfilled! I have about 10 doors to do, and I was wondering about the grain...Great demo! TY subbed

[@awakenedheart4923]

Very nice outcome! I'm sure your Mother is thrilled!

[@dgoddard]

I own a painting company and have painted hundreds of sets of cabinets. The amount of time filling in pores in oak will not give you the cost/benefit to make it worth your while, unless you just absolutely can't live with it. But, if you hire a professional painter, expect that to double the cost. And never paint cabinets without using a good primer rated for the task. We prefer to stay away from oil-based products so we use Seal Grip water-based primer, allowing to dry 24 hours. Then we topcoat with PPG Breakthrough at least 2 coats. Breakthrough is virtually bulletproof, but difficult to work with unless you have professional spray equipment. Brushing/rolling is not an option. But, unless you like brushstrokes or roller stipple on your cabinets, I wouldn't recommend that anyway. You can buy a decent HVLP through Lowe's or HD that will get the job done if set correctly. Edit: I will recommend that customers can paint their trim/doors/windows and maybe small vanities in baths, but I never recommend they tackle kitchen cabs. Usually by the time they get through the prime coat they will realize the amount of work to be done and start skimping or skipping steps altogether. Have a pro painter do it and get recommendations/referrals. It's a process that takes a pro about 5 days to finish correctly. A homeowner or DIY can take upwards of month. And nobody wants their kitchen unusable for a that amount of time.

[@twsd]

Clients are usually shocked when you inform them of the process/timeframe/cost of quality workmanship.

[@dgoddard]

@@twsd True. Most think, due to Lowe's and HD commercials, that it's just putting paint on and you're done. But that's one step in a batch of many. And I'm not knocking TWW here. I'm always glad to see someone DIY anything. But I never recommend cabinets due to the amount of effort needed to do it correctly.

[@P1983sche]

Man, am I glad I watched this about the filler process. I would not like the look of seeing the grain showing through. Thanks! This is going to be my summer project. Great video!

[@willowhilldesigns7]

You did a beautiful job! What a great updated look too! I’d love to paint my pecan cabinets white; they’re well made, but I don’t care for the natural wood look anymore. I don’t think I would ever tackle all that work though. Thanks for a very informative video.

[@ljones98391]

Definitely a labor of love. Turned out first rate.

[@decoratingfanatic]

I love painted cabinets! Looks great!

[@grantbos5967]

General Stain products are awesome. Nice job on the cabinets . For those naysayers General Stain does a line of gel stains that is amazing. Turns those builder grade cabinets into truly beautiful rich finish that enhances that transforms those tired out of date cabinets. And no it doesn't peel or fade.

[@GreenSaxon]

That is one long ass way to do a job that isn't 'absolute perfection'. I'm a pro decorator of 20+ yrs & man i'd be out of business if i went about it that way! My advice? Clean with Methylated Spirit, give a LIGHT sand by hand & use a Shellac based primer (no 'mechanical grip' needed, this shit STICKS!!) then fill anything that needs filling, spot prime & then coat up with chosen paints. Hope i saved you a LOT of time folks!

[@sabins9826]

Just to confirm, do you suggest the same filling process mentioned in the video AFTER using shellac based primer?

[@GreenSaxon]

@@sabins9826 Nooo, the guy uses way too much filler! Absolutely no need unless you are trying to make a grained surface totally flat. After priming, fill surface that is low (holes etc), sand back anything high (no need to fill/sand whole door!) When that is complete spot prime any areas that need re priming due to sanding & filling. Then all will be ready for coating with usual paints.

[@markf.4063]

A) what the hell is a "Pro Decorator"? B) I think doing this for anything other himself/family member is way beyond the scope of the process outlined here. He's obviously NOT doing this for a paying customer or as a business. and C) With all due respect I think I'm going to resign to the expertise of a known, proven commodity than someone who's only contribution is a comment.

[@GreenSaxon]

@@markf.4063 Oooer! You do what you like fella. My way gets a better result far far quicker, but hey ho. Oh & a 'pro' means that i have done it for a living (for decades) & to a high standard. Good luck & ...happy sanding.....

[@GreenSaxon]

@@markf.4063 I'l just add that being an 'expert' in woodwork doesn't make this guy an 'expert' in decoration (as the above video proves IMO).

[@n8wrl]

I have to say I'm not a fan of painted kitchens but that looks really really nice. Very nice combination of colors, and, as I always see from you, top-notch work. Thanks for sharing!

[@greggreg8799]

Steel wool works good for the between coats sanding, particularly on the contours.

[@CALB2009]

I agree! I've had a lot success using 0000 Fine Steel Wool during the finishing process. I also like to get a package of light weight paper lunch bags/sacks at the grocery store, cut them up into the sizes I need, and use them to sand between finish coats. They're perfect for just removing dust nibs and not compromising the finish.

[@londonmichaels4345]

Thanks for this video. I understand why some people do not, but I totally like the look of the grain.

[@bmrjma2144]

Wow, a sprayer I guess is the way to go huh? Those look amazing

[@donfeldman]

Excellent video as always. Wish I knew about pore fillers before I painted the cheap factory oak cabinets. Advice I would recommend to anyone painting cabinets is to wait minimum of 39 days before any heavy cleaning or use of the cabinets after they are painted. . It can take this long for the paint to fully "harden" Particularly if using a melamine type of paint. Paint also good way to finish shop grade plywood if doing a DIY and can't afford the cabinet grade.

[@ericpretot3192]

I paint cabinets for a living. You got great results. I recommend priming with white pigmented shellac. After a thorough cleaning... sand, vacuum, and tack. Then, your choice of finish. I prefer waterborne lacquer. Two coats. However, if you are brushing or rolling them, the product you recommend is great. Waterborne lacquer doesn't brush well. Great job.

[@aj402]

I’m also a painter and I religiously refer cabinet jobs to the experts. Lol.

[@joes2318]

Nice to see a good Australian product like Timber Mate getting used overseas! It’s a staple for woodworkers and tradesmen over here.

[@ewhiles]

I was wondering how much grain filler you ended up using for the whole project? I am prepping to start my kitchen project and just trying to get ready.

[@elbrown1011]

My 1980s oak cabinets have solid wood shelves. They are awesome structurally but ugly. Im thrilled to find this video.

[@bret44]

looks great!! but man, that is a lot of work.

[@jbncnow]

I have 27 doors and 11 drawers that would be too time consuming

[@sbrave]

@@jbncnow Srsly!!

[@hervavengill8734]

Great job my friend your mom is very lucky . I personally want to do it this way for my mother . thanks 👍

[@Elizabeth-aka-Pippi]

You are such a good son! ♥️

[@bmac6645]

Wow that is a fantastic finish and so pretty

[@arayawoodworks]

Lol 😂 I love how many times you let people know that they can do whatever they want with their cabinets. You tell em man

[@woodwhisperer]

Trying to stave off the inevitable. :)

[@MRiddickW]

@@woodwhisperer But why didn't you just use the Domino? 😂

[@rastamon5969]

@@woodwhisperer then why even do it

[@Nikoya89]

Good for him, there's always a negative comment or someone that prefers their oak cabinets ( I wonder why they are even watching this video) 🤔 anyway amazing job! I wish I could see an simpler way?

[@IAmKyleBrown]

Those profile sanders are amazing. You get a better finish and much easier on the hands. I sanded a few hundred linear of feet of trim remodeling my kitchen (wanted to save the original woodwork) and they were a game changer.

[@francesbison1268]

Awesome job! I’m about ready to start on mine soon! Love to see all the tips and tricks to a beautiful durable finish!

[@sabrinahogan4332]

Your mom is lucky to have you do that for her! I need mine done desperately! They look really nice.

[@TheWoody1516]

"Never half-ass two things, whole ass one thing" - Ron Swanson

[@adrianpaszek3511]

Love that Ron Swanson shirt!