Painting Cabinets

Tools:

5-in-1 painter's tool
paint scraper
scrap cardboard
medium-grit sandpaper and sanding sponge
contour sanding devices
safety glasses
paintbrush
spray primer
oil-based paint

1. Put on safety glasses and start scraping off flaking paint with the painter's tool (figure A). You can also use a putty knife or other scraping tools if you don't have a painter's tool.

2. Now get ready to sand. If your cabinets have curved moldings or decorations, use a contour sander (figure B). It's just a rubber tool with a curved end. Wrap the sandpaper around the contour tool and sand away on curves (figure C).

3. Sand until you blend the painted surfaces smoothly into areas where the paint has chipped away. Feel along the surface with your hand and keep sanding until you can no longer feel any rough edges.

4. Wipe down the area with a clean towel. Go over sanded areas again with a dry paintbrush to make sure all the dust has been removed.

5. Now spray primer over the areas where paint was removed. Cover any door handles or hardware with cloths and use a scrap piece of cardboard as a shield (figure D). Make sure the room is well ventilated when using spray paints.

6. Apply the new topcoat now. Use a brush designed for use with oil-based paint and paint into the areas where you removed paint.

7. Let paint dry for about eight hours.