How to Restore Oak Cabinets
Lay drop clothes under the cabinets and all over your work area., Put on rubber gloves, goggles and a mask that will let you breathe while protecting you from harmful chemical fumes. , Remove the cabinet doors and drawers., Open a can of chemical...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Lay drop clothes under the cabinets and all over your work area.
Use a screwdriver to take off the hinges as well. , You can purchase it at any hardware store or home improvement store. , Let it soften the finish for about 15 minutes.
The stripper should cause it to gel. , Begin at the top of the cabinet and scrape downwards, allowing the finish to fall off the sides of the cabinet.
Repeat the chemical stripping and scraping on the exterior of all the cabinets you plan to restore. , Repeat the process on the exterior of the drawers as well.
Lay the cabinet doors across a sawhorse for the best access.
Remember to wait 15 minutes after applying the chemical stripper to begin scraping.
Scrape from the top to the bottom on the doors, the same way you did on the cabinets. , Your sanding motion should go parallel with the grain of the oak.
Continue sanding until there is a smooth feel to the wood.
All of the finish should be gone, and there should be no grooves or differences in texture after the cabinet is sanded. , Remember to sand parallel with the grain of the wood, and continue sanding until the surface is smooth and consistent. , Dip a staining sponge into a can of oak stain and wipe it over the cabinets generously.
As soon as you get the stain onto the cabinets, wipe it off with a dry cloth.
Stain and wipe the doors and drawers the same way you applied the stain to the cabinets. ,, This can often be found in an aerosol spray can for easy application.
Hold the can 8 inches (20 cm) away from the cabinet and spray evenly in one direction.
Continue spraying the entire cabinet going in one direction and then the other (back and forth instead of one end to the other end) until it is covered with lacquer. , Spray it the same way you did the cabinets. ,, The lacquer should look less shiny and feel smooth when you touch it. , Spray everything the same way you did with the first coat.
Let it dry for a full 24 hours.
This will allow the finish to set. , -
Step 2: Put on rubber gloves
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Step 3: goggles and a mask that will let you breathe while protecting you from harmful chemical fumes.
-
Step 4: Remove the cabinet doors and drawers.
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Step 5: Open a can of chemical stripper.
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Step 6: Use a paintbrush to paint the exterior side of the cabinet with the stripper.
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Step 7: Scrape off the gelled finish with a flat stick or scraper.
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Step 8: Apply the stripper to the cabinet doors and scrape off the gelled finish
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Step 9: as you did with the outside of the cabinets.
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Step 10: Sand the cabinets with 100-grit sandpaper.
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Step 11: Sand the doors and drawers the same way you sanded the cabinets.
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Step 12: Apply stain to the cabinets.
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Step 13: Let the stain dry for at least 30 minutes.
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Step 14: Apply a light coat of lacquer to the cabinets.
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Step 15: Coat the doors and drawers with lacquer as well.
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Step 16: Allow the lacquer to dry for at least 30 minutes.
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Step 17: Fold a piece of 180-grit sandpaper twice and sand everything; the cabinets
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Step 18: the doors and the drawers.
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Step 19: Apply another coat of lacquer.
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Step 20: Re-hang the cabinet doors and install the drawers.
Detailed Guide
Use a screwdriver to take off the hinges as well. , You can purchase it at any hardware store or home improvement store. , Let it soften the finish for about 15 minutes.
The stripper should cause it to gel. , Begin at the top of the cabinet and scrape downwards, allowing the finish to fall off the sides of the cabinet.
Repeat the chemical stripping and scraping on the exterior of all the cabinets you plan to restore. , Repeat the process on the exterior of the drawers as well.
Lay the cabinet doors across a sawhorse for the best access.
Remember to wait 15 minutes after applying the chemical stripper to begin scraping.
Scrape from the top to the bottom on the doors, the same way you did on the cabinets. , Your sanding motion should go parallel with the grain of the oak.
Continue sanding until there is a smooth feel to the wood.
All of the finish should be gone, and there should be no grooves or differences in texture after the cabinet is sanded. , Remember to sand parallel with the grain of the wood, and continue sanding until the surface is smooth and consistent. , Dip a staining sponge into a can of oak stain and wipe it over the cabinets generously.
As soon as you get the stain onto the cabinets, wipe it off with a dry cloth.
Stain and wipe the doors and drawers the same way you applied the stain to the cabinets. ,, This can often be found in an aerosol spray can for easy application.
Hold the can 8 inches (20 cm) away from the cabinet and spray evenly in one direction.
Continue spraying the entire cabinet going in one direction and then the other (back and forth instead of one end to the other end) until it is covered with lacquer. , Spray it the same way you did the cabinets. ,, The lacquer should look less shiny and feel smooth when you touch it. , Spray everything the same way you did with the first coat.
Let it dry for a full 24 hours.
This will allow the finish to set. ,
About the Author
Ronald Sullivan
A passionate writer with expertise in creative arts topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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