Painting Contractor Post ! Seal Glaze on Lacquer Cabinets?

Painting Contractors question?  What do I seal cabinets doors with after applying my oil glaze?   The answer is simple however I would preface the question first.  These are the questions I would ask the contractor to give a thorough answer.

  • What kind of wood are the cabinets made with?
  • Are they stained or painted?
  • Is the glaze Oil or Water Glaze?
  • Are you going to use solvent lacquer or water lacquer?
  • Are you staining with a dark or light color and then glazing the accent detail?
  • Are you painting with a pigmented lacquer and then glazing the accent detail?

These are the basic questions to answer.  However, the more questions require more answers and explanations so at this time I will keep to this contractors question.

He was using white lacquer on birch wood.  This type of wood is smooth and without any deep grain that will telegraph through the finish and cause the glaze to get caught up in.

However if the contractor uses a clear sealer to top coat to seal the glaze in place, this sealer will probably turn yellow or amber over white lacquer.  The trick here is not to seal the whole surface but to put the sealer in the glaze.

The glaze formula could be, One cup of oil glaze and a quarter cup of oil based satin varnish or gloss varnish depending on what the sub straight base is.

The application of glaze could be done by taking cheesecloth dipped in kerosene and wiped over the entire surface of the detailed door.  Then take a brush of your glaze mixture and brush in the corners you want to accent.  Working on one door at a time, with a dry large handful of (NO LINT) cheesecloth and wipe off as much glaze to create the desired finish.

Results:  When the glaze mixture dries in twenty-four hours it will be hardened or solidified so the finished glaze will not rub off easily.

One caveat:  If water base glaze is used you would mix in a water-based interior satin or gloss varnish.  You will NOT use the kerosene to allow the flow of glaze, however, you can wipe over the entire door surface a clear thinned down water glaze to help seal the surface temporarily so the cheesecloth can wipe off the desired amount of glaze.

Glazing cabinets or detailed wood like moldings or crown moldings is not hard but it takes a keen eye for how much you are leaving on the surface or taking off the surface.  In this case, a lot of practice makes perfect.

Check out my website:  www.RogerMerrill.com

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