I've Been Told I Can't Stain My Dark Cabinets a Lighter Color

[ellacott]

My kitchen cabinets are very dark(I think it's maple color). I really want cherry cabinets but can't afford new cabinets. I was told because my cabinets are so dark and because they are also old that I wouldn't be able to successfully stain them to a chery color.

I have been considering using some type of wood graining technique. I have read about faux painting techinques and also wood graining kits from Old Masters http://www.oldmastrs.com/products/miscproducts.html#Anchor-7638 and Back to Nature http://www.ibacktonature.com/Pages/real-wood.html

Has anyone used a faux graining techniques or successfully stained a really dark wood lighter?

[Warpy]

1. The problem with those faux painting techniques is that they always

look FAUX. There are a few artists out there who can turn out reasonable marble or wood grain painting, but they're few and far between.

Old wood can be stripped and restained, I've done it myself on old furniture with ugly mahogany stains. It's a long, smelly, messy and toxic process, though, and you won't want to have food anywhere near those cabinets when you're doing the frames.

A better idea might be to veneer the cabinet frames with cherry veneer and to replace the doors---a refacing job.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

2. yes

Take the doors off remove the handles and hinges. Take out the drawers ,remove handles. Take it all outside . Buy stain stripping compound ,put it on with a brush just like it says on the can . Use a wide putty knife or sheet rock compound knife to scrape off jelled stain and stripping compound. Have lacquer thinner handy,at least two gallons . Saturate rag with thinner wipe down after the stain is removed with knife.I poor the lacquer thinner right from the can on to the object. The lacquer thinner removes the excess. Repeat the process a second time .Put the stain stripping compound on thick. Fallow directions on the can.

By the time you have done the doors ,you will be ready to go inside and finish the rest of the cabinets. Use fans to ventilate and keep those windows open. Also close off the rest of the house!

You will need a table to work on and tarps underneath the table. The tarps of course are thrown away when done.

Ok so, paint/stain remover. Tarps ,thats where all the gunk ends up. Lacquer thinner to wash off the residue. Let air dry. Light sand. Than wipe down again. Tack cloth just before you re-stain.
A good vacuum helps to get all the sanding dust. Use painter rags ,white tea shirt type!
And of course wear surgical gloves! And thats how you do it.

It may seem like a lot of work,it is! But it's worth it.

Back in the olden days when I was a young student, I made book money by stripping very old furniture. The process took too long ,so I got hold of a old beer VAT than cut it in half and filled it with stripping compound ,than I just threw the old antiques in the beer VAT filled with stripping compound ,than pulled the little money makers out of the VAT and hosed the little gems down! The things you got to think of to buy books! The Antique dealers could not believe that I was a one person operation.Oh ya! I didn't care what they believed just so long as the gave me my money!They always did and they always had more tall orders.

Good luck with your project.

[sandnsea]

3. Not with kits, just on my own

I only do this to really awful pieces of old furniture, trailer type cabinets, just real crap. If you've got real wood cabinets, go through the trouble of stripping, sanding very well, and staining and finishing.

Otherwise, I start with white primer. If I've got a shiny finish, I scuff it up a bit so the primer will stick. After that I put on a light pinkish layer to add some depth. Then give a nice sand. You will want to choose two different colors of stain, to rub and brush to get a woodish look. Do the light one first, rub some off letting some pink come through. Then practically dry brush the darker color. Then play until you get the look you want. I usually play on something before I start my projects, even a piece of cardboard. And usually put polyurethene on to finish because faux finishes scratch easily.

[ellacott]

4. Thank you all so much

I have a lot to think about.

Warpy - refacing sounds like a great option. I've been looking at some sites and have found a lot of information regarding the steps involved. Next I'm going estimate the costs.

Wash.Statedesk.Jet - I might try stripping one small upper cabinet door.

Sandnsea - You sound pretty crafty. I love crafts but have never painted. I saw a program on HGTV and it used the dry brush technique also. I'm going to get some cardboard and experiment.

I will be on vacation in 2 weeks and I wanted to work on my cabinets. After I try the different methods recommended I will make a decision on which technique to use.

Thanks again everyone. :)

[eleny]

5. Even just painting the cabinets could look very nice

A faux treatment might not make you very happy. But a straightforward paint type that's washable for a kitchen and close to the cherry color you want might do the trick. And it wouldn't take up your entire vacation. There is some prep but the job is nothing like getting them down to bare wood and new stain.

Back in the '60s when I was in college I faux finished an old library table that was in very bad shape. I had fun making it look like walnut. Even added some knots that I don't think walnut wood has. They were just to practice. :D But it was fun trying out the techniques on something where the final result didn't matter so much. It was my study table and always piled with books and papers.

Best of luck to you!

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

6. Remember to use

a wide putty knife metal. And window razor scrapers work well to scrape off the jelled stain. Of course do not go into the wood. The stain actually removes easy. Jasco is the name of the product or the best available in your local market. It will surprise you how quickly the bear wood comes back!Once you see it you will know you can have any color stain you want. Olympic One step, dries quickly and shows excellent results. It has varnish mixed in.I have used and use many different brand names in stain.You want those inside cabinets to be dry in 24 hours. Olympic One Step.I have used it in commercial buildings, the oder does not linger.And thats waht you want.You want your kitchen back as soon as possible!

[Old Hickory Fan]

7. Something I did

We bought an older home which had very dark tongue and groove pine (like a dungeon LOL). Like you, I am a cherry lover (as in the 18th century Red Cherry).

We basically gutted the house (even took off brick and put on new). I wanted to gut the old dark solid thick wood paneling (there was a lot of it) but an expert advised me that in the days ahead I would likely regret it as the real wood was extemely valuable and getting rarer all the time. I was told how many folks just gut that wood without evening consideration of potential future value. I asked about it being so dark and dreary and was basically told about the same thing you were "nothing can be done".

Then I started my defiant search for a solution.

Anyway, I had an expert come in and "pickle" all the dark pine and it is pickled with a light tint and then polyurethane. Then I had all cabinets mantels etc made from Red Cherry and used same color cherry wood furnishings in the adjoining room where the "pickled" pine was . In my kitchen I used pickled wood accents in my eating area. Everyone who sees this combo loves it and I am very satisfied.

You could ask at say Sherwin Williams about a pickling expert. To get the cherry you want and crave you could put a nice cherry table in that room. I know it may sound odd,
but it is very unique looking.

Just an idea. I know how frustrating it can be when you are dealing with real wood. BTW, if you have a woodworkers store or depot in your area, you could take a door off and
take it down and ask them what they think might be able to be done. They could also refer likely refer you to some excellent wood craftsman/stainers.

Keep looking as somebody surely can come up with a good solution. Good Luck!

OHF

[Whoa_Nelly]

8. Good ideas!

How to pickle wood:
http://alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/info4.html

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/fauxpicklingwood

http://www.ehow.com/how_2087522_pickle-wood.html

[Kolesar]

9. I visualize that paint has to "film-over" and then start drying from within...

..with volatile gasses passing through the film. Putting on paint and then agitating it with a rag reminds me of "over brushing" which results in a paint that is "not good".

But what do I know? The articles you linked sure did look like fun. Well written

[Kolesar]

10. I used oxalic acid to clean the pressure-treated deck that had ornery black fungus stains

It looked great and bone-white when I was done.

I would like to stain it white with a translucent stain. I don't like the pressure-treated-wheelchair-ramp look myself.