how to get extremely flat finished paint for bathroom vanity?

Submitted by jaaassshhh t3_1221r8b in DIY

TLDR: I'm building cabinets for my master bathroom. Probably purchasing primed and ready-to-paint doors and drawer fronts online. How do I paint them to get a very high quality finish like I see at cabinet retail stores?

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I have one of these Graco TrueCoat paint sprayers - which I like to think I've gotten pretty good at using. However, I've only sprayed Sherwin Williams Duration Semi-Gloss (after primer) on 3/4 sanded plywood - which worked great for our master walk in closet shelves -- but I'm thinking it's not a high enough quality for the this bathroom vanity project.

By "High Quality" I mean - we checked out some cabinet stores in the area and their face frames and door/drawer fronts have a extremely flat/hard finish to them. My Sherwin-Williams spray semi-gloss is really good, but you can still see/feel the wood grain through it. We also bought a "cheap" single-sink bathroom vanity off of wayfair recently and it too has a extremely high quality, flat finish. My "flat" I mean smooth -- not the paint finish (e.g. semigloss/matte/flat, etc) -- like there's zero wood grain, just perfectly flat finish.

So, I'm not sure how to recreate that, or if I can. Is one of the higher level lines of SW (like Emerald Urethane or Emerald Designer) paints going to get me there?

Cheers & Thanks!

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PhillipAlanSheoh t1_jdvr58f wrote

Finish carpenter here. 80% of the result is in the prep and unlike walls getting a dead flat finish on mill work and cabinetry is largely about the primer.

  1. Any bare wood should be water popped before priming. Ply wood should be fine to do this to whatever the off the shelf sanding level is assuming you used decent stuff. Face frames should be sanded to 150. Wipe its all down with a wet rag which will cause the grain to raise then sand with 180 and clean thoroughly with the last step being a wipe down with mineral spirits or naptha.

2.). If you’re looking for off the shelf solutions then use BIN shellac primer. It dries in 15-20 minutes and sands very smooth. The fumes suck but dissipate somewhat quickly. Don’t use the sprayer for it as those Mandela can’t be used with flammable products. Get corners and edges with rattle cans and the flat surfaces with 1/4 nap roller (no foam). After the first coat fill any imperfections with joint compound and sand thoroughly. It’s ok to sand through it because the first coat is about creating a uniform surface. I do 3 coats until it looks like it’s actually painted. That’s the heft you need. Sand to 220, vacuum and then wipe with wet rag. It should be very smooth.

3.). For paint BM Advance is the best out there and I’ll take anyone to the mat who thinks SW competes. You’ll want to dilute with distilled water by 5% or so to aid in atomization (can’t use floetrol with it). Spray the door backs first and let dry for a 3-4 hours then to the front and edges. They need dry for 16 hours before the 2nd coat (no compromise here). In between coats wet sand with a fine grit sponge - just use a container of clean water and keep dipping a wringing out. It should leave a cloudy surface then wipe clean with a wet rag. Let it dry for 15 minutes then spray the 2nd coat. Be careful with controlling the material and practice/sample to get your flow perfected. Advance is a little on the loose side and can drop if you’re not careful (constantly check for drips and smooth them out with a roller if you find one still wet.

Let it cure for $ days before use and it should be very durable.

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jlcatch22 t1_jdoj25s wrote

I did my cabinets with a Graco sprayer (I forgot the exact model but it’s the one around $600) and I got a great finish. Used Sherwin Williams Emerald.

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brabbin8069 t1_jdr3imk wrote

Second Sherwin Williams used on builder grade oak you cannot see the grain at all.

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cmain88z t1_jdol9lo wrote

think aqua coat is what you want. never used it myself but believe youtube channel paint life tv did a video on it a few years ago they have several cabinet painting videos that are quite informative.

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BFR_DREAMER t1_jdpah6l wrote

I got good results with Benjamin Moore Advanced satin

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Mysterious-Ad7019 t1_jdpfg1v wrote

Feel grain?

  1. Random orbit sander from 80 to 120 to higher grit until it's Smooth to the touch.

  2. Most of the time on bare wood, primer first. Improves binding and hiding of the grain.

  3. Paint.

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Uncanevale t1_jdpgxfv wrote

Cabinet makers don’t use wood with a prominent grain when the cabinets are going to be painted. Maple, alder, birch and even man-made boards are much better than oak, hickory, pecan or ash. Poplar is fine, but just a little more needy in terms of paint volume and prep work.

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