How to Spray a Finish on Cabinets

Clean the cabinets with a kitchen degreasing cleaner, and then rinse with a damp rag.

Unscrew the hinges with a screwdriver and remove the doors from the cabinets.

Lean the doors up against a wall or some type of support. If you don't want anything to get on the wall, tape a plastic drop cloth to it.

Tape plastic drop cloth to the wall the cabinet is hanging on, and over any counter top surfaces or other items.

Sand the surface of the cabinets and doors with a medium-grit sandpaper to remove some of the old paint and rough up the surface. This helps the primer bond. If you are staining the cabinets, sand with a fine-grit paper to remove the old stain. Sand with the grain of wood.

Wipe the cabinets and doors down to remove dust.

Fill the reservoir of a paint sprayer with a high bonding paint primer or a wood stain. Rotate the nozzle to a fine mist to create a smooth finish. Test the sprayer on a scrap board until you get used to the feel of the equipment and how much pressure you need to put on the handle.

Spray the cabinets and doors in even sweeps of the arm. Do not hesitate in one location. It is better to spray the entire surface lightly and then go back over it, instead of spraying slow and heavy, which may cause drips.

Brush drips to smooth them out. Use a foam brush and move over the drip lightly.

Let the primer or first coat of stain dry for three to four hours, or as directed by the manufacturer.

Spray on a coat of acrylic paint or a second coat of stain. If you do not need a second coat, then leave it as is. Let the paint dry for a day, or the stain for a few hours. The next day, sand the painted surface lightly with a fine-grit paper such as 280 grit, and spray it with a second coat of paint. Let the final coat of paint dry for about a week. Acrylic paint hardens over a long period of time.

Spray stained cabinets with two to three layers of clear coat for a tough finish. Let each layer dry for four to six hours before adding a new layer. Lightly sand in between each coat of clear finish with a fine-grit paper.