# Type of paint for poplar cabinets



## Martini (Feb 22, 2014)

What is the best type of paint for poplar face frame cabinets with ac plywood sides?


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

The 'best'? I dunno. I use latex and am happy with the results.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Phil.


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Hello Phil, welcome to the forum,
Oil based or latex paints both work well on Poplar wood, sand well and undercoat.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Welcome to the forum, Phil.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Martini said:


> What is the best type of paint for poplar face frame cabinets with ac plywood sides?


Any...


> Poplar is renowned for it's ability to take paint well. It is commonly the wood stock of choice when building woodworking projects that will be painted


Of course staining Poplar is another matter. For staining, you have to prep it so it doesn't turn out blotchy.


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

Anyone try sun bleaching the green poplar wood? I had read that it will turn tan like the rest of the wood.


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

If you are looking for a professional finish then I would go with this:

ML Campbell

If you plan on doing just a regular paint job then be sure to use a 100% acrylic paint and not your run of the mill latex paint. Latex (such as your would use on trim) is too soft and you will end up with a nasty finish. One other thing is be sure to spray the finish. If you don't have a spray gun then rent one. You only get one shot at a good base so don't mess it up with brush strokes.


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## Martini (Feb 22, 2014)

What brand of HVLP sprayer should I use?


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Before you spend a lot of cash on a sprayer it would be worth your while to try a quality brush and the cleaning devices that keep it working. Many people ignore the instructions and throw away the wrapper from these brushes... what a mistake. After the brush has been cleaned the wrapper keeps the brush in its proper shape as it dries.

Purdy brushes are top quality and made in the USA.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

paduke said:


> Anyone try sun bleaching the green poplar wood? I had read that it will turn tan like the rest of the wood.


Quote from American Woodworker Magazine ("Making Poplar Look Pretty"):


> Oxalic acid works miracles on poplar’s green heartwood. Simply mix a saturated solution of oxalic crystals in hot water and brush the solution on the wood. As the solution dries, the green heartwood will turn to a golden brown and the white sapwood will take on a warmer shade of pale. A second application of the solution after the first has thoroughly dried usually helps the results—and it can’t hurt. Oxalic acid is poisonous, so let the surface dry completely and then rinse it thoroughly with water to remove any acid that remains. Note that this treatment does nothing to reduce poplar’s tendency to blotch, so you’ll still need to follow the recipe to end up with a great-looking finish.
> 
> Oxalic acid is primarily used to restore the natural color of grayed, weathered, exterior wood—it’s the active ingredient in deck-renewing products. Restorers and woodworkers use oxalic acid to remove black water stains from wood. It’s available at most hardware stores.


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

Martini said:


> What brand of HVLP sprayer should I use?


If you have a compressor I would go with a Walcom Slim S. The reason being that it isn't made in China but more importantly it doesn't require a lot of cubic feet per minute to operate so something like a Craftsman compressor will work. If you don't have a compressor now wold be a good time to get one There is an expert named Jeff Jewitt at the forum below that can guide you through the finishing process. Fine 
Woodworking publishes one of Jeff's books.

Articles 

The cheapest place to get the gun would probably be Ebay however you would want to make sure that you got the correct tip based on what ever paint or conversion varnish you plan on using. So it might be better to deal through Jeff and pay a little more for his expertise.


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## Martini (Feb 22, 2014)

Full kitchen and bath of cabinets-too much to hand paint. I have used air and airless sprayers but I am thinking of HVLP for the control and overspray issues.


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## Martini (Feb 22, 2014)

Rockler is selling a self contained unit-no compressor needed, are their tools any good?


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Martini said:


> Full kitchen and bath of cabinets-too much to hand paint. I have used air and airless sprayers but I am thinking of HVLP for the control and overspray issues.


Not sure you get less overspray with HVLP over Airless. My experience with HVLP is more over spray... but maybe that was just me and the way I was doing it.


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