# Spray Melamine Paint



## atw58 (Feb 8, 2008)

Hi folks,

We want to spray paint our oak kitchen cabinets with Melamine paint. Trying to get a better finish than using a brush.

Is melamine paint too thick for a gravity feed sprayer or one of those electric sprayers. I hear cleaning the sprayer maybe tough. Hope someone who has tried can share their experiences.


Thanks,
Art


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

Paint is think for most spray guns. Using an airless sprayer is the only way to get a good spray. But if you have a gravity spray gun, use nitrocellulose lacquer,which can be colored to any color. This is what cabinets are finished with and it is made to be sprayed. But if you do not have good ventilation you can use a high quality dyed water-based polyurethane. Paint will not protect, last as long, spra as well or look at good as either of these products.


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## CharlieW (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi Art,

Just seeing if you managed to get a good paint for the job, as I'm in the same situation.

Just bought an Earlex 5000, and need to find out what I can spray with it.

Kind Regards,

Charlie


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

I wouldn't try to spray melamine paint as you defeat the purpose if you try to thin it. I wouldn't use it in the first place for cabinets unless I was trying to paint over melamine, laminate or whatever. There are better options for painting over wood. Melamine paint is good stuff for the right situation and it is self-leveling but it does tend to chip and getting those to ever blend in again is hard. I wouldn't use it in a kitchen situation except as mentioned. 

I would just prime and spray with a latex 100 percent acrylic semi-gloss. If you want a higher gloss you can get high gloss but it is only tintable to light colors or as it comes in factory colors. MAB, a Sherwin Williams company makes a great high gloss product.


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## Rcon (Nov 20, 2009)

Semi gloss looks bad on cabinets. Do it with lacquer or poly, 20 - 40 sheen.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

I have had pretty good luck with using Melamine over zinsser primer using a 4" foam roller.


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

Rcon said:


> Semi gloss looks bad on cabinets. Do it with lacquer or poly, 20 - 40 sheen.


now you are talking about a professional finish. Thanks. :thumbsup:
For some reason on this site (not others) any feel that paint is good for kitchen cabinets It simply does not have the durability and washibility to work well in the kitchen environment. And the finish quality will never match. The size of the resins to bond the paint surface is too large for proper coalescence.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Lacquer is used for production cabinets because it is cheap and dries fast. I really don't think it is the best choice for the poster's situation of painting over whatever may be on the existing wooden cabinets. Sure, if applied by someone who know what they are doing, it could give a nice, hard, even looking finish. Hardness is its curse though. It will chip just looking at it and will look terrible if the kitchen gets any wear and tear at all. And trying to level out chips in lacquer with a repair coat? Interesting concept that never works out without stripping it off?

Don't get me wrong, the lacquer that is applied to fine woodworking projects by a craftsperson that knows what he/she is doing leaves an incredible finish that can be polished to an incredible luster. Lacquer has been a premiere choice for such things for eons. 

If the OP is talking about painting over wooden cabinets in the first place, I hope we are not talking about some extraordinary pieces of studio quality furniture here though?


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

> Lacquer is used for production cabinets because it is cheap and dries fast.


you do not know what you are talking about here at all. Lacquer is far more pricey. we are not talking about the crap you buy at local stores.

.


> It will chip just looking at it and will look terrible if the kitchen gets any wear and tear at all


again this is completely wrong. what brand of cabinets do you find that chips and wears less then one that is painted 




> And trying to level out chips in lacquer with a repair coat?


\
I went to technical training by Mohawk industries to be a certified cabinet finisher.... what training did you go to that gives you this invalid information?

cabinets in a kitchen is exactly where more protection is needed For fine furniture lacquer is fine. For better jobs pre-catalyzed lacquer it used. For cabinets in a kitchen you need to add the hardener right before using it to produce an even stronger bond. (post catalyzed nitrocellulose lacquer). The the most supreme job you use polyurethane. Again not some crap like minwax


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Bob, I will concede all to your expertise and retract any comments you feel inaccurate or misinformed. I still have my bad experiences with lacquered cabinets I have had to fix though and would not want them in my projects.


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