I have 30 year old cherry raised panel kitchen cabinets. They were finished with what I believe was Formby’s tung oil. Over the years they have been neglected and depending on their location in the kitchen have varying and different degrees of wear. The bottom cabinets on one section have much of the finish worn off with water and food stains. Some top cabinets have some wear and staining around just the knob while one low usage portion are in pretty great shape. Of course, over the years the wood’s color has deepened with age. Now I am looking at a quarantined winter and want to tackle refinishing them. Where to begin?? Is there any way to remove water and food stains besides striping and sanding? Once I do one, I’ll have to do all, correct? Or else, the color will vary from one cabinet to the other. Any and all guidance on how to tackle this would be appreciated.
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Are you looking to go back to wood? With fresh coat of finish?
If so, there is a lot of stripping and sanding in your future!
As much as I love Cherry and natural wood, it's a "dated" look these days in kitchens. Unless you really just love those cabinets painting is the easiest way to go.
Were these made by someone or store bought? Alot of store bought stuff form big level companies have some serious finish that can be tough to get off. If it was a smaller outfit chances are better.
Again, I hate to cover up nice wood with paint.... But sometimes it makes sense.
At the end of the day it's your stuff and you can do to be it what you want ;)
I am looking to go back to the wood. I know the natural wood is a "dated" look but my kids' father and I made them and I think of the wood look as "timeless," plus it goes with the home's post and beam vibe. I, too, had come to the conclusion that I had a lot of sanding and stripping in my future.....
Any thoughts on the best finish? It sure isn't tung oil. polyurethane - 2 coats of gloss and 1 of satin?
Sometimes amber shellac does the trick. Clean them all down as best as you can. Let them completely dry and then pad on some cut shellac. Start small and see if it matches. The shellac won't completely cover up stains, but it will equalize the look and finish. If this seems to work, you can 'refresh' rather than 'refinish'.
Elmaduro, thank you. After the shellac is there a final finish you would recommend applying?
Since the amber shellac will be waxed, that would be the final finish as other finishes won't properly adhere. The shellac itself is an acceptable final finish but an option would be another furniture wax application.
Those are nice cabinets..
Thank you.
I would not, ever ever, have shellac as a final finish on kitchen cabinets. Ever. You'll be sanding and stripping them again in three years.
Use a dewaxed shellac such as Zinsser Sealcoat when you are ready for finish. Then top that with something waterproof and durable. Spraying a pre catalyzed lacquer would be the best, but you need the right equipment. A really good poly on top of the Sealcoat would be my next choice.
Agree -- my suggestion to the OP was to leave the original finish intact and try to re-blend the needed areas with the amber shellac. Judging from the pictures, it might be a close match and worth a try.
Agree, see post #10 below.
Thank you. Very helpful
I am not sure if I can help you all that much. I will say that those are some nice cabinets. I don’t see inset doors that much anymore.
Thank you and, yes, it's why I want to preserve them despite current white, grey, navy blue kitchen cabinet trends to the contrary!
I’ve had decent luck cleaning with RestorAFinsh
EllieMac, I like to use Murphy's Wood Soap to clean any wood surfaces. Sometimes requires some Scotchbrite pads for rough spots. But note, I am pretty sure that Formbys Tung Oil "Finish" is actually a mix of oil and varnish so you might want to consider stronger measure on removal.
Thank you
I had oak kitchen cabinets that started to loose their finish, became very sticky around handles and not looking good. I presume they were catalyzed lacquer finish. I think the original stain was golden oak or something similar. I sanded down the bad spots and applied an exterior grade urethane. After 10 years, no issues.
I have posted about using a durable finish in the past where there would be contact with things like water, soap, grease, and nasty things that happen in a kitchen. I have shellac that is over 20 years old for some Shaker style built in cupboards in our bedroom. No issue at all in that environment.
I see lots of 'Home Make Over' shows that rip out good cabinets to install what look to be white MDF junk. I would stick with the cherry, the white sterile antiseptic look will pass over time.
Yes - I'm sticking with the cherry - no question on that. And, i think I'm in for a very long winter project!!
My wife and I are talking about refacing the kitchen cabinets. Want shaker style doors made of solid cherry. I agree that it is a timeless classic look.
I've watched Thomas Johnson Antiques on YouTube a lot. He often uses oxalic acid solutions to remove water stains. You might want to check out his videos. I think there are some safety precautions you need to do with this method.
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