I am about to go insane trying to paint my kitchen cabinets. I have asked the "experts" at the paint stores and even some people that used to do it for a living. I believe I have tried everything but maybe someone out there has a different suggestion. I have been working on them on and off for over a year. They have been sanded so many times they are losing the definition on the trim I put on them. I will list the supplies I am using and then the steps I have taken. I used to paint quite a bit when I was younger but I have never had this much trouble painting anything before. The house was built in the late 50's and they had a clear coat finish on the cabinets. So here goes.

Sherwin Williams ProClassic oil base white. I think I am on my 4th can. I have bought 6 Purdy paint brushes. 4 of the white and 2 of the black bristles. Numerous packages of sand paper, tack cloth, lint free cloths. 2 cans Zinsser 123 oil based primer. 2 cans of Penetrol, several cans of paint brush cleaner and paint thinners. A different sander, a Wagner spray gun and the list goes on....I probably could have paid someone to paint them for what I have spent in supplies. And this is what I have done so far.

Removed the doors. Washed with soap and water. Numbered. Filled holes. Sanded with various grits of sandpaper (worked up to 220). Applied gripper primer, then someone told me that was not and oil based primer so I sanded again. During this time I decided to apply a trim piece to dress them up a bit. Filled the nail holes. Sanded the trim. Primed with Zinsser 123 oil base primer. Applied paint. Didn't like the look, too many brush strokes. Someone suggested I sand after priming to "flatten". So, I sanded again, every time I sanded there would be spots on the corners of the trim that would be sanded back to the wood. I couldn't seem to sand them without that happening so I decided to try and cover it with several coats of paint. Applied another coat of Zinsser, sanded to flatten. Applied paint again. Still hot happy with results. Decided I could use a sprayer. Bought it, used it, wasted a ton of paint, but was getting pretty good at it, but I was having trouble covering those spots on the corners. Then something went wrong with one of the coats, I think I may have thinned the paint too much, I don't really know, but it would not dry. After 6 weeks they were still very tacky. So I decided I wasn't going to be able to use the sprayer and would have to paint with a brush after all. So the whole process starts over again. Sanding, priming, painting. This time I read a blog about using Penetrol. So I tried that. Same thing. By this time am only sanding between coats of paint using 220 and 320 grit. And I am dry brushing the dust then wiping them with a damp cloth then using tack cloth. Then someone else suggested using a low nap roller cover and "back brushing". So I tried that. A little better but not much. Then they suggested more coats. So I tried that. A little better but not much. The last coat I put on looked like it had little tiny fibers in it and specks of dust, so I decided to use a sponge cover and back brush. Same thing. I have cleaned the brushes between coats because it kept showing up on the doors. I strained the paint with nylon stockings, and the strainers you buy at the paint stores and finally resorted to straining it through a lint free t-shirt (took forever) Still looks like dust or lint on the door. I've cleaned the brushes with brush cleaner and used a comb. I can live with some brush strokes, in fact the cabinet boxes looks okay. I can see the brush strokes if I really look for them but the doors looks like someone is raking them with the comb. Anyone have a different suggestion, other than burning them or hiring a professional?