Easiest way to strip down kitchen cabinets??

Question

I am thinking about staining my kitchen cabinets a nice wood color. They currently have a couple layers of paint. I know this process is time consuming. I dont mind spending money on the equipment that will make my life easier. Can I use some type of sand blaster to easily remove the paint, then sand it down to get a smooth and even finish?

Answer 1

Forget the sandblaster this is wood, not metal. Take the units down one at a time, in the basement or ? use "Zip strip" to take the coats of paint off, try not to gouge the wood while doing this. Use a flat putty knife without scratching, wipe them good with steel wool, number 0. then using a palm sander, start with course sandpaper and lightly go over them, get all the paint off. Watch the edges, don't round them. Then switch to 150 paper, then to 180, then 220 until you get a smooth surface.
Put on a coat of "Kiltz" after it dries use the 150 sand paper, then the 180 until smooth. Then another coat of "KIlz" and sand again until smooth.

Put on the first coat of final paint or stain. Go through this process again. Then if you want, the finish. I use a poly with a gloss finish and usually four coats, it's like glass when finished. On white be careful you use a poly that doesn't yellow.

Answer 2

You can use a chemical stripper. Then you can sand the wood down and then stain and varnish the wood to seal it.

good luck

Answer 3

remove the doors, and take them out side and use paint striper on them, [ a sand blaster might eat a hole thru them,]
then lay a good plastic tarp over counter, and strip the faceing,s