Using the right tools can be as important to your finish as the paint itself.
Kitchen cabinets can be some of the most used fixtures in the home. Finishing these cabinets with oil-based paint can add a beautiful finish that is more durable than that provided by latex paint. Oil based paint, while not used as much by homeowners because of odor concerns, is reliable, dries quickly and can be tinted a variety of colors to match your decor.
Brushing
When using a brush to apply oil-based paint to your kitchen cabinets, select either a natural-bristle brush or a nylon-polyester blended brush that has tapered filaments. When you run your thumb over the brush end, it should feel very fine, and the tips of each bristle should be flared. Also run the brush over your hand several times to ensure it is not shedding. Apply the oil-based paint to your cabinets using smooth, even strokes, blending the edges of your paint to ensure that no streaks or lines form.
Rolling
Oil based paint can be rolled onto cabinet doors, using a high-density foam roller or a short-nap corner roller. These roller covers are normally shorter than a roller you would use on your walls, usually four to six inches wide. The rolling technique works better for recessed-panel cabinet doors that don't have many details or much trim. Make sure to keep wet edges as you roll along your cabinet doors, as this will help you blend each roller stroke and prevent lines and roller marks from forming.
Spraying
If you have cabinet doors with a large amount of detail or designs on them, spraying is the best approach--a method that ensures an even finish without much hassle. Take down the doors and carefully remove the hardware. Use an airless sprayer with a fine tip to ensure control of your spray pattern, and give the cabinet doors two to three light coats. You will still need to paint the face frames and any other moulding attached to the cabinet boxes by hand.
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