Posted 2012-08-16 9:48 AM (#146391) Subject: 1997 Sundowner - how to refinish wood/faux wood cabinets & trim
Member
Posts: 10
Location: Gulfport, MS
We are buying a 1997 Sundowner with the blonde wood interior finish in the living quarters, which I am not fond of. What is the easiest way to refinish them to a darker, more natural color, without having to remove cabinets and trim? Can they just be lightly sanded and stained?
Posted 2012-08-16 10:20 AM (#146392 - in reply to #146391) Subject: RE: 1997 Sundowner - how to refinish wood/faux wood cabinets & trim
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Yes they can be restained and refinished without having to remove the cabinets. Remove the doors and hardware, lightly sand with 220 grit paper or green Scotchbrite, and apply a gell stain of your choice. You can purchase polyurethane or lacquer in rattle cans at big box stores for the final finish. Satin is a popular choice.
Posted 2012-08-16 11:13 AM (#146396 - in reply to #146391) Subject: RE: 1997 Sundowner - how to refinish wood/faux wood cabinets & trim
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
When you complete the first door, you'll be an expert.
When you spray the final finish on the doors, first lay them flat. Remember to spray the back side of the doors the same number of coats of finish, that you use on the faces. Spray them first, and you can sand off any drips that occur on the edges, before the faces are finished, which then won't show on the final product. You will not have to spray finish on the inside of the cabinet walls, just the face frames you've stained.
Be careful not to sand the newly stained, unfinished areas, or you can expose the original finish.
1997 Sundowner - how to refinish wood/faux wood cabinets & trim
