Hi Baileyandbella,
Another GWer is painting her own, Azwildcats70. Check out this thread, scroll down a bit and you'll see that she posted her steps. I believe she used Satin Impervo.
You'll see the progress in subsequent updates. Hope this helps!
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0716253016454.html

Here is a link that might be useful: azwildcats70-DIY Cabinet refinishing

She is one of the ones I read that did an awesome job with sanding in between etc....but I don't have that much energy. :)

Thanks....

Check out the paint forum. Tons of info over there on cabinet painting. I'm in the long process of doing mine. I'm using Satin Impervo (and Chinex brushes), which I highly recommend for the excellent finish, although it definitely has a learning curve. Also, I hate using it on a vertical surface (like the frames), but find it much easier on a flat surface (cabinet doors flat on table).

I'm getting lazy about my between coat sanding, but it does look nicer when I take the time to do that. It isn't so bad once you get in the groove of things.

I am on the fence also about painting my cabinets ... 32 yr. old custom built Oak (fruitwood finish); built by my dad. They are still in amazingly good shape; except for the false front under the sink .... and I want to replace it with a copper farmhouse sink (also getting granite countertops).

However, I AM painting a small pantry area and will be using Farrow & Ball paint in Cream; the woodwork will be Lime White (in fact, I am planning on re-painting ALL the woodwork this color ... it is lovely and the paint goes on flawlessly :)

I am also nervous about people saying it takes a LONG time to dry. I don't want to go weeks without my cabinet doors.

I think I tried to leave my doors off for about a week. Then I fussed at everyone who went near them for the next month (which was the time my mind had for the paint to cure).

:-)

Do you have a bathroom vanity cabinet you'd also like to update?

I too want to paint my cabinets (black though, not white) but didn't have the guts. I have the same oak cabs as a vanity in the master bathroom (well, and the main floor bath, but that's DH's bath and I'm sure he wants to keep the oak.)

Anyway, I painted my master bath cabs. I figured, if I mess them up, only I really ever see them, and relative to kitchen cabs, they'd be inexpensive to eventually replace.

I *love* how my master bath cabs turned out. They've only been done for a few weeks now, so I'm waiting to see about maintenance, but they were only "wet" overnight or so, and still a little tacky for about a week. I painted a total of two coats, plus some touch-ups in the creases/grooves. My guess is that black paint is more forgiving of error than white.

Provided they hold up well over the next year or so, I definitely am painting my kitchen cabs black. However, I have to wait until I can afford a new countertop, as my current kitchen counterop is laminate with an oak strip in the bevel (hate!) I don't want to replace it with a cheap laminate, and I can't afford the delicatus granite or carrera marble that I want right now.

My advice would be to try it out on a smaller scale first.

Painting cabinets is a lot of work, but if you follow certain steps, you will be rewarded!!
There are some common factors for paint not drying properly like humidity, dampness and, well, cheap paint.
Sanding between coats is not a daunting task. One of those *between coats sanding block* is the perfect tool. Easy to hold, control and you're not sanding to China, just a quick scuff on each rail, stile and panel. Clear the dust and apply next coat.
Prep work is key to a successful job. And, break the project into manageable parts. Use the proper tools and use good paint.
I paint a lot of cabinets and I have a few tricks if you decide to go forward. And, of course, you will get invaluable pointers and encouragement from others, too.
Maybe you can go for a more antique-y or distressed finished. Certainly also depends on how many cabinets you have. Maybe that's what's overwhelming?
Anyway, it can be done.

Meangoose....how long did you wait after painting did you re-hang them?

I'd be nervous if they were tacky that I might make a fingerprint by handling them.

Could you tell me the process and products you used?

Thanks

Over in the Paint Forum is a professional painter who has given out excellent advice for many years. I've attached his link to the 6 step of painting your cabinets.
Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Painting cabinets

Holy Canolie! I'm a professional painter and just that list would make me run for the hills!
This is not brain surgery...
And, if you don't want fingerprints, don't touch when it's wet.
Follow meangoose's advice and do a practice run. Even paint an old piece of furniture. And, after each step post your progress either here or in the paint forum and take it one step at a time.
Good Luck!

Scuff sanding isn't sanding it down to the bare finish! It's a quick going over to give it "tooth" so that you're sure that the next coat will stick. It's a necessary step. I don't like the chemical "sanders" as they actually "melt" the finish and leave a residue, and that's one of the things that can give you a problem with subsequent coats adhering.

Step 1. Clean the cabinets. TSP and rinse

Step 2. Scuff sand. 100 grit should do it. You're trying to remove any loose finish and provide some tooth here, that's all.

Step 3. Prime with a high adhesive primer.

Step 4. If you have a lot of grain that you want to hide, scuff sand and another primer coat. Not necessary if you're OK with some grain showing through.

Step 5. Paint with a good quality paint using a good quality brush. Add some Floetrol to help with the self leveling and to have a longer open time for things to smooth out.

Step 6. WAIT for 72 hours (especially in the humidity this summer!)

Step 7. Scuff sand again.

Step 8. Top coat with another coat of the good quality paint.

Step 9. WAIT--again. 72 hours isn't that long to admire your work of art before you put them back to work.

Step 10. Reinstall your doors.

That's it! You're done.

Now, if you want a glazed finish, you have about 5 more steps to go through, but all glazed finishes start with the painted finish above. Get there, and if you want to go further, you can do that at a later time.

I used these steps from the blog below with good success. It is time and space consuming but not difficult. I found the time moved quickly if I had a friend helping. I chose BM White Dove with Purty brushes. My cabinets were espresso so I did two coats of primer and two coats of BM Aura paint. I wanted the wood grain to show through and it does a bit.

Here is a link that might be useful: painting oak cabinets

Following live wire oak's list should be good. I actually painted mine with the doors on, and just left the doors open to dry. I could do that because a) only I use the master bath, and b) I painted over the hinges. I do not recommend painting hinges (at least not the kind I have - the paint rubs off) but I am going to be replacing my hinges eventually (gotta find replacements that fit correctly first.)

When you do your kitchen, have a plan to re-hang the door that's most hidden first. That way, if you do happen to scuff it, etc., you can touch it up and it won't be noticeable, and you'll know to wait longer on the other doors.

I'm just curious why so few people rent a spray gun to do their cabinet doors. I can see why you would paint the boxes by hand but why not spray the doors? I know one member posted that she started by hand and then used the spray gun and it was soooo much faster and came out great. Actually I think she said her husband did the spraying and used several thin coats. That's what I'm planning on doing.

I need to wait 72 hours between each coat?

How do I sand the inner edges where the recessed panel meets the frame? Stuff like that makes me nervous....LOL. I don't think a block sander would work.

OWL.....do you have pictures???

I wanted to use a sprayer, but read that unless you are a pro, it can turn out blotchy, I guess.

Anyone have any pics to share of cabs done by a sprayer?

Go for it...painted my dark cabs with SW Pro Classic Dover White. Inside and out including removing all hardware from drawers. Think the real trick was using a primer from BM...STIX--pricy but worth every $$$.

I brushed the frames and insides and sprayed the doors. A very classy finish. no brush marks, very hard and seems so far to be extremely washable

baileyandbella,

We sprayed our doors with Sherwin Willians Prep Rite, Seals and Bonds latex and SW Pro Classic. Our doors were bare wood, so keep that in mind. It went like this, prime backs, prime fronts, first coat back, first coat front, second coat back, second coat front. We waited 24 hours between each front coat, and our doors look great! It was not blotchy. We used the Wagner Paint Crew sprayer, and DH was the one who sprayed. The key is to have even strokes, keeping your wrist steady, so it is not moving back and forth, but painting with your arm. I hope that made sense. LOL.

Any way, here are some photos:

Garage set-up; doors are on wooden blocks, and we didn't move them until they were dry enough to handle. Then we moved them to other side of the garage to fully dry and moved on to the next set of doors. This took a while, as we had 69 doors and drawer fronts to finish.

Here is a photo of our peninsula with finished door and drawer fronts: (kitchen is not finished, so try to ignore all those things like blue tape and missing toekick--LOL)

We did not intall our doors for about 2 weeks before installing the doors.

baileyandbella, here you go. I'm the GC, painter, grunt, and I pay as I go so it's still a work in progress. Walls not painted, no knobs and handles, final electric not done, blah, blah, blah...
I think if you click on one of the embedded pics you will get to my mini album of four pics.
I used Zinsser oil based primer.

mid tear-out

today

It's actually the same wall, but the kitchen's expanded so that's hard to tell.

*ACK* I just read my last sentence again. It should have said something like, "We waited about 2 weeks after the final paint coat before installing our doors."

*sheesh*

Shelayne.....I understood. :)

Too bad this forum doesn't have an edit feature, huh?

baileyandbella-

First, if your screen name is from the names of your black labs...we might know you (look at my screen name for a clue). Second, I hand painted my cabs and livewireoak's process is all you need to do. Don't rush it, patience is key, as is a good brush and the best quality paint you can afford.

Good luck-

sandyponder