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Great info! I used this on the cabinets in two bathrooms. People can't believe that they were oak cabinets. Next up is the kitchen. My daughter who worked in a woodshop recommend using a small dental pick to remove excess in the corners to cut down on sanding.
Haha. As a professional cabinet finish/refinisher, this is almost exactly what I do after having tried the Aqua Coat and others and the multiple applications/poor sanding etc. The only difference is I use vinyl spackle and mix with hot water to get it to thin pancake batter consistency. Also only after primer, then prime again after filling. I will try dw mud tho. And taking an extra minute on the door/drawer detail areas saves a lot of time sanding. Thanks!
This is brilliant. Thank you for the video. I recently rebuilt a 60 year old bathroom cabinet and when I sanded it all down I went through what I think was a veneer. I used a filler that was recommended but good grief what a nightmare that turned out to be. The final paint is like glass but doing it this way would have saved me a huge amount of time. I had many hours of work in trying to get that wood paintable.
I am trying this on my oak cabinets, so far so good. I like using a brush for the grooves and sides but prefer spreading it on the flat places with a squeegy/plastic putty knife thingy. Thanks for the info.
Years ago I had a gig here in northern California where we used to go in and prep the golden oak cabinets. Then Then we Would apply a vinyl sealer Get that nice and smooth out Then we would shoot it with the Precat lacquer. Then we would tent Top Coat with whatever tent the customer wanted to change the appearance of the golden oak to maybe say a mahogany or a maple
I enjoyed , helpful Thanks , for me I love wood grain, I use a 3 step , use any color, but it is transparent, highlights grain,adds accent textures, and gives golden oak a million dollar face lift , imo , and no risk of bleed, scuff or moisture lock , kitchens a wet place
I use kilz restoration primer. Water based/Shellac based hybrid. Targets tannin and sticks to scuffed oil based or any scuffed glossy surface. Cleans with water.
@@DAOnero no water based primer will work, you need to use only oil based to hide tannins. The water in the product draws out the tannins. I don’t know if the hybrid will work but my guess is no and mor importantly why risk it?
Just tried this technique on my finished oak cabinets. I didn't have much luck getting it to fill a lot of the grain. I think it helped with some of the deepest veins but by the time you sand, vacuum, and wipe down to remove all the dust, a lot of the gain is left un-filled.
@natashat2930 I find that the first layer of fill never fills all the grain. I fill, sand, then prime....that's when you can really see any open grain. I then sand the primer smooth and then repeat the process. Clients are always happy with the results!
@jenniferdelgado7991 ... I use Zinsser Cover Stain oil based primer (spray can) after every coat of fill, then sand. Most of any unfilled grain shows up after priming.
This is how I spent my Christmas vacation. Used the Insl-x primer and cabinet coat. The joint compound dust does a nice job filling the grain. Trying the steps out on my island first and then will continue on the other cabinets.
Hello fellow Minnesotan ! Love your work. Im a first time home buyer and I have an 80s oak kitchen. Cant wait to try this ❤ love all your other videos too
Hey @jennielee1862 I'm always looking for projects feature on the channel. With you being in MN, would you be interested in maybe teaming up with us on your kitchen? Send me a message if you want: ryan@diypaintingtips.com
@@johnrichards3666 how's it going? I am looking at an early 90's golden oak kitchen with 29 doors and 13 drawers!! I certainly dont want any do-overs!!
Thank you!!! So glad I found this, was about to order the filler coating stuff & thought about drywall mud too. So glad that I can use it! Thank you again, I hate sanding!! So the little, the better 😊
Have you considered a foam brush instead? The bristles in a normal paint brush would track along the wood grain without filling the voids. Just an idea...
Thank you! I watched the full video and this is really going to help. I just bought a 1966 MCM house with a kitchen that has oak cabinets. In my last house I painted the cabinets and did it by hand. But they were maple I think. So I didn't have to fight the grain. This kitchen is another story! Would love to spray but that's a little intimidating! But having wood filler at a budget DIY level is great! Any way to save money, right? If I had the money Id just get new cabinets and redo the Kitchen completely. But I don't. So this is an awesome way to take it to the next level. Thanks for your help.
Really wish I would have found this video before I painted our kitchen cabinets. The specialty grain filler I bought and used barely filled the grain. Since I used a charcoal gray paint color, it's not overly noticeable, but it sure is disappointing for how much extra work I put in! Wanting to update our interior doors next and am definitely going to try this!
@@ThienTran-xl4ey Yes, I used Aqua Coat on our kitchen cabinets. I used the method in the video on our interior doors and it was at least equal to the effect, if not better, than Aqua Coat and so much cheaper and quicker.
I use the lightweight premixed internal and external filler that feels like the tub is empty, dry in 30mins and can be sanded and painted within the hour.
Planning a kitchen renovation & appreciate your videos and information. Concerned that using just joint compound in the grooves where the inset board & trim boards meet will crack, especially after long time use of shutting the doors. Does the primer & paint seal that in or do you think caulk in that area might be best? My concern with caulk is that movement/expansion-contraction of the wood will cause caulk to crack and the paint will flake off.
WHA??!! I spent probably $300 on Fine Paints of Europe Brushing Putty to fill the grain in my late 80s Golden Oak cabinets before painting them. And yeah the build-up was a PAIN to sand! Next paint job, if I need to fill the grain, I'm doing THIS technique!!
Have you ever tried the setting type compound? This is the powdered drywall compound you mix with water for setting joints and corner bead. It’s typically a harder formula. I don’t know if that matters with this technique or not?
as somebody who muds and tapes a lot, the boxed mud has glue mixed with it CGC yellow box, blue box, etc. all have glue mixed with it and would (in theory) be the best product to use for this.
Many others recommend a similar approach but specify Spackling rather than Joint Compound. Both are similar gypsum based products but Spackling shrinks less and dries faster. Do you have an opinion on the pros and cons of the two?
Ha, this is so perfect because we have been all about drywall mud already as it is!! I hate the textured wall look so i started learning about skim coating walls - this is sort of the same type of thing! So lightly sanding is good enough? I know with refinishing cabinets, they usually say to degloss it.. I'm kinda hoping to skip that part if i can, lol. Also, do you use general purpose or topping/finish mud, which is the thinner kind...? I see you thin in out when you started, if you're using general purpose, you really should try getting the"topping" kind, it's thinner! Oh and what kind of paint would you say is the best for cabinets? I was thinking to use enamel, I'm not sure if that's a good choice or not, but it seemed like it would be!
As a painting contractor, I absolutely HATE textured walls! Builders do it to save money. Textured walls are a way to save time on taping and mudding and the whole finishing process in general. It is harder to see any flaws if the whole dang wall is flawed from top to bottom. The nightmare begins when some issue happens and a wall needs to be patched and touched up. Even on small repairs, matching and blending a textured look to make it truly disappear can be a real labor intensive nightmare. In one home we worked on, an outlet had to be moved and the wall patched. It didn't help that this home owner liked shiny, deep color paints. It also didn't help that this spot was on a wall that had a double set of French doors that poured light right down the wall in a very prominent spot in the home. It took forever to finally get it right. So money is saved on the build, and paid out later as things happen. Plus, if you ever want to apply wall coverings, the walls need to be smoothed out, which easily doubles the cost for any wall paper job you do in a textured home. This happened just recently in that exact same 'orange peel look' home that we moved the outlet in.
I did mine. First I primed and painted them ugh. They were awful. I stripped them all and repainted without primer and left the grain. They were perfect and durable.
Hello Fellow Minnesotan here! Just came to say thank you for sharing your knowledge and tips&tricks. We are getting ready to paint our kitchen cabinets and i was wondering, if it’s possible to achieve the glass finish on oak doors with your method?
I’m a big fan of your videos as your experience shows and you have great diy videos.. my project is going from early 90s white oak that wa stained and has poly to black. I was going to use BM advance and the zinnser smart you suggested BUT today at the the paint store the associate suggested aqua lock instead since I’m going black and it has a black base version.. any thoughts ?
I use drywall mud too if I have some really deep grain and I’m worried about it cracking or falling out in the future then I will sometimes use the powdered hot mud 90 minutes set time easy sand USG brand or I’ll add a little tight bond Wood glue to the +3 just to make myself feel a little better about it LOL but usually it’s just plain old +3
I like to tint my grain filler with walnut oil stain to make the grain pop before I varnish. Seems like that should work with your method. What do you think?
Thank you for posting this!! I did an application and then primed. Where the grain is coming through the primer, do I sand the primer then apply another coat of filler or fill first before sanding the primer? Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing this method. I applied 1 coat but I put too much water in it. After I sand, can I apply another coat that is thicker? I will ofcourse sand after the 2nd coat.
This is brilliant! I have drywall mud! I know how hard it is and I know how wood filler is not very resilient or dent proof. Will it still work if I already have primer on my cabinets?
Thank you. I just sanded down all of my Golden Oak cabinets. I put a coat of Kilz oil based primer on the doors. Can you caulk the outside panel seams in corners? Also, can I put the drywall mud over the Kilzs?
I've been seeing techniques similar to this with what little research I've been doing into trying to hide the grain. I have some oak cabinets I picked up from Lowes and have already painted them with 2 coats having lightly sanded them before and between the coats. Would this technique still work with paint already applied?
Can I use this trick for my baseboards? I'm using a zinnser 1-2-3 primer and Emerald Urethane for a top coat. Obviosly cleaning and sanding first! This would save me so much money!
You can absolutely do this after primer. Often times I hit missed spots after primer, no issue. Dry time varies depending on humidity. Usually 1-3 hours.
The middle panel is designed to float. You are filling in the gap, causing bridging. That hasn't caused cracking? I use aqua coat and never have trouble sanding it. But with aqua coat I need more than one coat.
We don't fill the gap between the middle panel and the frame, so it still floats without any issues. If any mud gets in there, we scrape it out before it dries. And this method only requires one coat.
Would priming THEN doing the wood grain filling then a 2nd coat of primer be a good idea? Ive read several comments from "professional cabinet painters" saying that works well to get a layer in the grain and then you can see the dark grain better to really get it filled. Sanding in bewtween each step of course.
I wish there were parts 2 and 3 that show him priming and then painting so we can see the steps involved including sanding etc...also we have no idea what grit sanding blocks he was using here. Many variables.
Tried this on an a spare oak cabinet door to make sure it works before I do the same to the actual kitchen, it didn't work. Maybe I did something wrong, but it didn't fill the grain. The next product I'll try is "DAP premium wood filler".
@@diypainting Thank you! I am not questioning your approach at all to be honest, it seems that you are able to make it work perfectly. I'm not so experienced, so I must've done something wrong testing the drywall mud. I've run some tests with the DAP Premium wood filler and it has worked well. thanks for your video and help.
After using the joint compound I am going to use BM Advance paint over Zinsser BIN. My question in your expert opinion should a top coat be used over the paint?
Thanks! I only put a clear coat over the finish if I am distressing or glazing. Normal enamels do not require a clear coat and can actually be harder to touch up with a clear coat.
Call me crazy, but after sanding, priming, sanding, 2nd coat of primer, sanding with 400, finishing with a semi gloss enamel, I still like to see the oak grain.
Hello Friend, you method sounds intriguing. Can you tell me if you would use this method on a fireplace mantle? My concern is the fluctuations of heat on the surface over the winter. Would the drywall mud stay in place?
I've used this on fireplace mantles, doors, windows, cabinets, literally all the wood in entire homes. Never had an issue. I'm in MN and we have big fluctuations from humid summer to dry winter.
Actually these not new ! I used to do these way back in the Philippines we use patching compound and mixed to a water base enamel or a latex paint! And super fast try and easy to sand!
Hi, I have black cabinets, can I go straight to filling/sanding it with your method and proceed to priming and painting or do I have to strip the paint first? I want to change to lighter color. Thanks :))
I'm looking to do this to some picture frame paneling that is currently stained in my living room as well as a built in, in same room. Not a huge room and paneling only goes up to chair rail height. Would u suggest just filling in the grain on the big panels, and not the trim around them? Also, do I have to sand them down to raw wood or scuff/sand enough for the mud to grip?
scuff enough for grip, don't sand through to raw wood. I sometimes do trim and sometimes I don't. Trim is a lot of work with all the grooves and notches in trim.
I painted my cabinets and have way too much grain showing though. Can I apply this over the paint? Or do I have to sand the whole thing down to the wood?
