Tips for Refinishing Your Kitchen Cabinets

Posted by Dave the How To guy | do it yourself | Posted on April 25th, 2010

If you’re in the market for some new kitchen cabinets you might want to consider this. New kitchen cabinets are very expensive. If the ones you have are in good shape but need the finish refreshed, you know it’s much more economical to just refinish your old cabinets. Here are some tips that will make your kitchen cabinet refinishing a huge success.

1. You need to first check your cabinets thoroughly to see how much damage there is to the cabinets. If there is only minor damage, such as dark stains around the door handles you may just have to clean these areas before refinishing. Use a synthetic steel wool pad because it won’t hurt your fingers or get caught on the wood grain.

2. To make the job easier. Take the doors off your cabinets and remove the handles and hardware. The job will be much easier if you can lay the doors flat to work on them.

3. If your cabinets are painted it is best to remove the paint completely first. You could try sanding them but this is a lot of work and could remove some wood. Using a chemical stripper is also a fair amount of work but can be more controllable and easier on the wood.
If your cabinets are stained or varnished, clean the surface well to begin with. If this produces an even look and you don’t want to change the color you can then put on several new coats of varnish. If you want to change the color of the stain you will have to remove the varnish and stain completely with a chemical stripper. Then you will be able to re-stain and varnish.
If you want to paint cabinets that are presently stained you don’t have to remove the stain completely but the surface needs to be clean and smooth and the varnish needs to be etched a bit so that the paint will bond well with the wood. You will also need to use a primer that will bond well to smooth surfaces and for use over oil paint.

4. To clean you cabinets well, dip a synthetic steel wool pad in some paint thinner, mineral spirits, or turpentine, and scrub the dark stains around the handles to clean them. Then lightly scrub the whole surface. This will clean and dull the surface so the new finish will stick.
If you find the job you need to do is more than just a few stained areas, you should consider using a chemical refinisher. This is a strong solvent cleaner that dissolves and removes part of the old varnish. You may want to ask one of the experts at your local paint store which good quality refinisher to use.
When you’re using the chemical refinisher, work in small areas, and scrub the finish with a synthetic steel wool pad. The chemical refinisher will remove the finish and even out the color of the wood and stain. Make sure you continually rinse the pad in more refinisher when it gets clogged with dirty finish.
You want the cabinet’s surface to be smooth and evenly colored after you’ve scrubbed the whole surface. If you find it isn’t, just do it again wiping the entire cabinet in long, overlapping strokes with clean refinisher and a clean steel wool pad. You will find most of the stain color will remain, and the wood will be very smooth.

5. Once you’ve cleaned the surface and removed the dark stains, you can then refinish the cabinets by applying an oil-based, clear finish such as a urethane. Though water born urethanes are the way of the future you won’t be able to use them here unless you have removed the old finish completely. They will not bond to the old oil finish. Look for clear finishes that are low-odor and you will need to choose either a glossy or satin finish. You will want to apply several coats for a thick quality finish.

NOTE: It’s extremely important that you wear protective clothing and make sure that your work area is well-ventilated when you’re refinishing your cabinets. And don’t forget to follow all safety precautions on the refinishing product labels.

By following these tips, you will have beautiful new kitchen cabinets to enjoy for many years. You will also have the satisfaction of a job well done.

Power Tool Safety

Posted by Dave the How To guy | do it yourself | Posted on April 16th, 2010

Power tools make our projects and repairs so much easier to get done. These jobs may be at work or at home it doesn’t really matter. Regardless, safety is something everyone needs to take seriously. While power tools are very helpful, they are also dangerous and serious injuries and even death has occurred when people didn’t use them with respect and with safety in mind.

While most businesses make sure employees use the right safety equipment and procedures when operating power tools, there is nothing regulating how you use them at home. Many home users are hobbyists and often have never been taught the right safety procedures for a particular tool. Others choose not to use a tool safely or with the right protective equipment because they are in a hurry or because they feel very comfortable using that particular power tool.

The specific safety equipment you will need and the procedures to use it depend on the power tool you are operating. Each instruction manual will have information on the recommended safety equipment you should wear and handling instructions when you operate that particular power tool.

There are several common safety items you should have readily available.

Safety goggles or glasses are essential. There is always the chance of dirt, debris, or fragments of materials getting into your eyes. I wear safety glasses all the time and sometimes goggles and I don’t know how many times I have had to have debris removed from my eyes. Fortunately this has only been small particles that didn’t cause any serious damage. A full face shield will protect even more when you are using certain power tools. Protecting your eyes is very important.

Heavy duty work gloves are good to have if you are working with any sharp objects like sheet metal. Work gloves can be hazardous though if they are too loose as the loose material can get caught and pull your fingers into the tool.

Wearing the proper clothing is very important as well. It is a good idea to wear long sleeves to prevent burns and cuts, but make sure that the clothing isn’t too loose (we already mentioned this). If it is, you risk it getting tangled up with the power tool. Tuck in shirts and only wear clothing that fits you properly. Pay attention to your shoes as well. Make sure they have a non-slip sole. For some power tools, it is a good idea to wear steel toed boots while operating them.

Most power tools are very loud. You really need to wear ear protection of some sort. Hearing loss is a serious issue, and you should do all you can to maintain your current hearing level. I have worked with power tools for about 45 years and when I started most of these things where never thought of. Today I am dealing with some hearing loss fortunately it is not too serious.

Some breathing protection or a respirator is a good idea if you will be working with power tools that create dust like sanders or routers. It is a good idea to make sure the area you are working in is properly ventilated with a source of fresh air as well. Respirators ensure you don’t inhale dust and harmful chemicals from the dust that is generated.

Power tools definitely are fun to use. They reduce the time it takes to finish your project however, it is very important that you wear the proper safety clothing when you operate them. Finishing the project fast isn’t worth risking injury or health issues. No matter how careful you are or how many times you have used that particular power tool. It doesn’t even matter how big of a hurry you are in, or how small of a job it is. Accidents happen in a split second and accidents involving power tools are no different so do your best to prepare for them.