Got my hands on some upper steel kitchen cabinets from the 1940’s. (GE logo on the handles… wonder when they stopped bringing kitchen cabinets to life) Paint is stripping off reasonably well down to the steel.
What’s the best way to achieve a clear finish? Lacquer? I’m not looking to make myself dizzy for a week using the best automotive finish ever, so anything friendly to the environment including me would be appreciated. Also, how should I prep the surface? I might have left a scratch or two with my scraper. Steel wool? Sandpaper? Grit
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#160; Flitz? Thanks everyone.
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My first house had cabinets like that. In the early 70"s I couldn't wait to get rid of them. Now they're cool. Go figure.
If you're in a really dry climate, then simply paste waxing the steel may do the trick. Otherwise, I've always used acrylic lacquer. Yea its stinky.... best to spray outdoors unless you have a ventilated booth. Some of the new water based finishes may work OK. Although he deals in finishes for wood, Jeff Jewitt is a great source of knowledge and material: http://www.homesteadfinishing.com
As far as giving the steel a finish texture...... I like to use a maroon pad on a flat block and rub long edge to edge. Either horizontal or vertical depending on your preference. This will leave a "matt" finish that will tend to minimize the scratches. Removing all the scratches is tough and will require a lot of hand sanding with silicon carbide paper or the judicious use of a belt sander.
And maybe 30 years later, someone will be putting a nice coat of white paint on mine... thanks for the advice, I'm sure a maroon pad will be more than enough quality for this job.