Here is a link that might be useful: CORIAN/TORQUAY/Danby

The ACE is a low-voc, 50-state legal, Latex/Alkyd hybrid.

No matter what paint is used though, one of the "keys" to a smooth finish is to not over-brush the paint!
* Use loooong smooooth strokes. The fewer the better...
* Don't "dust" with the brush. Meaning...DON'T use quick back-&-forth strokes.
* 30-60 seconds is your "Red-alert" time...don't work the paint past this time-frame.
* LEAVE IT ALONE after 1 minute, so it can level itself out.
* Don't apply to thinly either! It "needs the weight of itself" for leveling.
* Leave 'till next day for coat #2.

Faron

Easy as pie - I said - NOT. I'm a DIY'er.

Next I started paint vertical 6 panel doors. Sag, drip, sag, drip. I did all the prep work recommended by the professionals and seasoned DIYers on this site. I was about to give up and go back to Superpaint, but I liked the finish on the shelves and I'm stubborn and a perfectionist, so I stuck with it.

After my 5th door (plus a few windows and yards and yards of base and door trim), I think I'm finally getting the hang of it.

I wanted to pass on a few things I learned to those who are starting to work with waterborne enamels so hopefully you'll learn faster than I did how to get good results.

1. NEW TECHNIQUE - This isn't "your father's paint". It's a whole different technique and can be unforgiving, but when you get it right, it is beautiful.

2. PREP IS CRUCIAL - Prep your surface well. This should go without saying, but waterborne paints REQUIRE a scuffed surface to cling to. Otherwise it will be like throwing pudding up on a glass window - it will just slide and that's when you get the sags. Clean surface, scuff lightly with fine sanding sponge or 220 grit sandpaper, prime (I use SW PrepRite), then lightly sand the primer coat. I believe that if you have painted within the past 3 years, you might not require the primer, but I used primer because it has been way more than 3 years for my stuff. Remove all dust with a vacuum or tack cloth.

3. CHINEX BRUSHES BEST - Use good quality Chinex brushes. On advice I read here, I got a supply of Corona Chinex brushes in different sizes, straight and slanted edged. There are other good brands of Chinex - just be sure you get Chinex. I like to use a 2" straight edge brush on doors, 1" or 1.5" (straight or slant depending what I'm doing) on trim.

I find that the waterborne paint, because of the way it sets up, gunks up in the brush after using it constantly for an hour or so. Maybe that's just me. So you might have clean your brush and wait for it to dry or switch to a clean brush. I have enough brushes that I just switch off, so I can keep going. Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to apply this paint with a slightly damp brush. Tried it once - what a mess. The brush must be bone dry.

4. WORK HORIZONTALLY, IF POSSIBLE. When you paint horizontal surfaces, like shelves, you can apply a thicker coat of this paint and it will just settle, no problem. You can't do that on vertical surfaces. If at all possible, take doors off hinges and lay them flat to paint. I don't have the space to do that inside, so had to paint them vertically.

5. APPLICATION - On vertical surfaces, you must apply a thin, even coat. Work from the top to the bottom.

I dip my brush about 1/2" into the paint, lightly tap on side of paint container to remove excess (do not wipe brush on edge of paint container) then dab it in a few places in a 4-6" square area so it won't pool up all in one place. Then I spread it quickly into the previous wet edge. You have about 30 seconds to overlap into the previous wet edge (overlap about 1") and that's it! Don't overstay your welcome. Don't overwork the paint. The brush strokes you see will flatten out. Cover the area, then move on. Keep checking your work and if you see a drip in a crevice, you might be able to soak it up with the tip of your brush. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CORRECT SAGS WHILE SURFACE IS STILL WET OR TACKY.

You'll be putting on a 2nd coat, so remember not to overload your brush and keep the coats thin so you don't get drips/sags. When I was learning, I kept dragging too much paint into the overlap area and that's why I was getting sags. I also was not being careful to brush excess paint out of inset panels and corners, so was getting drips. When I started to dab the paint in a few different places before spreading the paint into the overlap area, that was the key to preventing sags for me.

6. FIRST COAT DRYING - When you've finished the first coat, it probably won't look that good. You'll see brush marks and it will look splotchy. But leave it alone. Go shopping, bake cookies or take a long walk, or better still, sleep on it. After several hours or overnight, when you look at the job, you won't believe your eyes. The brush marks will have magically flattened and it will look much more even in tone and sheen.

7. SECOND COAT - Check the dried surface for any drips or sags from the first coat (the last door I did, I didn't have any - I was delighted!). Lightly sand those imperfections flat and sand scuff the entire surface. If you don't scuff in prep for the second coat, you'll get the pudding on the window effect. The paint absolutely has to have a scuffed surface to stick to - believe me - I learned the hard way.
Again, clean off the dust.

Apply as you did the first coat - thin, even, working quickly from dry into wet areas.

LEAVE IT ALONE over night.

You're finished. I hope you're as happy with your job as I am now that I'm finally starting to get adept at using this paint.

I'm still looking for tips to make my work look even better. Other suggestions, please chime in.

Happy painting!

If you use a good quality waterborne enamel paint like SW Pro-Classic or BM Impervo, you don't need a sealant on top.

I only use deglosser on areas that wouldn't receive much wear and tear - like maybe the insides of cabinets. If you opt for the deglosser, make sure you paint over it as soon as it's dry because it loses its effectiveness within 15-20 mins.

1. Wipe down the stained wood with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits. That will remove surface residue of stain.
2. Prime with CoverStain by Zinsser. Lightly sand when dried.
3. Two coats of 100% Acrylic (high quality) paint.

Michael

To help alleviate some misunderstanding, Pro Classic does indeed level quickly. That is a property of true waterborne paints. However, if you overbrush the product, the brush marks will not level out.

You'll want to lay on the paint, back brush to level and move on. It's tacky in 30 seconds.

Michael

With apologies for the length of this, I'm just gonna paste the whole bit here for you.

You are welcome to this writeup I did a while back. A couple people tried
it and reported all went well. You just need time, maybe $50 in supplies, and
patience. No skill.

Here's more than you need to know:

My cabinets are frameless, good condition and good layout. But the finish
had gone orange and ugly, with the oak graining too busy for me. Cabinets
are 18 years old, very poorly finished oak veneered slab doors. Plain with
no crevices. They didn't even take the doors off to finish them!!! No stain
or finish on the hinge side edges.
Cheezey, huh?

I looked into changing out cabinets, but that was way too much money, since
my layout was OK. Painting didn't seem right because the doors were plain
slabs. I considered new doors but that still meant a lot of money. For a few
years I tried to figure a way to add molding toward a mission look, but the
rounded door edges made that impossible. Then trolling in a kitchen
emporium showroom this last year I noticed dark wood slab doors, kind like
mine, but darker. That was the answer.

First I tried Minwax Polyshades. Dicey product. Hard to brush on neatly,
then gummy, then seemed to leave a sticky tacky residue. I did a thread on
the Woodworking Furum "Evil Polyshades to the Rescue" which elicited a lot
of conflicting "expert" opinions and arguments that one must strip to bare
wood.
(Thread may still be around as that Forum moves slow.) I properly stripped
acres of woodwork in an old Victorian when I was young and stupid. Never
again! Jennifer-in-clyde (in the same boat) and I stumbled around on
that
woodworking thread to get to this method.

SHOPPING LIST:
-electric screwdriver or screw drill bits
-mineral spirits to clean the years of gunk off the cabinet
-miracle cloths (optional)
-fine sandpaper
-box-o-disposable gloves from walgreens or the like
-old socks or rags for wiping on coats
-disposable small plastic bowls or plates, and plastic spoons or forks for
stirring/dipping (optional)
-General Finishes water base Expresso stain (pretty thick, but not quite a
gel) This one may not even be a needed step if the Java gets it dark
enough.
-General Finishes Java gel stain (poly based)
-General Finishes clear top coat (poly based)
-old sheets or plastic sheeting or newspaper

Rockler woodworking stores are a good place to find the General Finish
products. Or some larger hardware stores. Quart of each was more than
enough for my 60 doors and drawer fronts and goes for $12-14 at Rockler.
There are smaller sizes if your project is small.

SETUP AND PLANNING:
You will need a place to work and leave wet doors to dry overnight - I set
up 2 spaces, garagefor sanding/cleaning and basement for staining/sealing.
Use newpaper or plastic to protect the surface and floor. Figure out how you
will prop doors to dry.
Plan blocks of 20-30-minutes for sanding/cleaning bundles of, say, 6
doors at a time. Then just 10 minute sessions to wipe on coats. The coats
will need to dry for about 24 hours, so figure that each section of the
kitchen will be doorless for 4 or 5 days. Divide the job up into manageable
chunks.

PREPARATION:
Take off doors and drawer fronts. Use screw drill bits on an electric drill
if you don't have an electric srewdriver. Remove all the hardware. *Mark
alike things so you know what goes back where.*
Clean the doors thoroughly. Not with TSP but with something pretty strong
and scrub well. There's years of grease there.
Sand LIGHTLY, just a scuffing really. Just enough to break the finish and
give it some tooth, no more than a minute a door. A miracle cloth is good
for getting most of the dust off. Then wipe well with mineral spirits to
clean and get the last of the gunk off.
.

STAINING:
In order, we're gonna put on:
-General Finishes Expresso water based stain (1-2 coats) - optional
-General Finishes Java gel stain (couple coats)
-General Finishes Clear urethene gel topcoat in satin (couple coats)

But first put on work clothes, tie up your hair (Tom, you may skip this
step, LOL) and pop your phone into a baggie nearby (you know it will ring).
Glove up.
*First do a trial on the back of a door and check if Java coats alone
suffice.
If the Java alone is to your liking, just skip the Expresso and return it.*
Open and stir up the Expresso stain, then spoon some into a plastic bowl.
Close the tin so it doesn't get contaminated. Slide a sock over your hand,
grab a gob of Expresso and smear it on. Wipe off the excess. Let it dry well
- overnight is good. It will lighten as it dries, but then darken again with
any other
coat or sealer. A second coat can end up with a deeper tone at the end -
though it might seem like the second coat is just dissolving the first.
YMMV.

Repeat with Java gel. This is thicker and poly based (*not water cleanup!*=
messier). Color is a rich dark reddish brown. Wait for the second coat to
judge if the color is deep enough for you. I wanted a very deep dark color,
like melted dark chocolate. So I went pretty heavy on these layers. *I did
not sand between coats*.

Repeat with clear gel top coat. This will give you the strength you need in
a kitchen.

Do the same process with the cabinet sides, face and toekick area. Might
need to divide that up also, and stagger the work: doors/cabinets/doors/
etc.

NOTE: The cloth or socks used for the gels are very flammable! Collect and
store them in a bucket of water as you go and then dispose of them all
properly.

FINISHING AND REASSEMBLY:
I suggest you put the doors back up after one clear coat, then you can check
everything over and darken an area with more Java if needed, followed by a
clear coat. When it all looks right, go over it all again with another clear
gel coat. Or two. Install your hardware.
The feel of the finish should be wonderful, really smooth and satiny. Color
deep and rich - way nicer than that faded, beat 80's oak color.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Definitely experiment first with the back of a door or drawer front to be
sure it is the look you want. Yes, this takes a couple days to coat, dry,
recoat, dry, etc but you may discover that the Java alone does the trick and
this will save you A LOT of work. Front end patience is worth it.

This is a pretty easy project to do. Hard to screw it up. The worst is the
prep - relative to that, smearing on the coats is cake. I had over 60
pieces (big kitchen) AND island sides and book shelves, etc and I admit I
lost steam partway through. Had to push myself through the last of it. But
it was worth it. Folks think I got all new cabinets - it looks that good.
Now the finish will not be as durable as factory finish - go at it with a
Brillo pad and you WILL abrade it. But it has held up pretty well. And
after a year of pretty heavy use, I've just had a few nicks, easily
repaired.

I added smashing hardware, raised my passthrough, resurfaced the Corian
(also simple but messy and tedious) and replaced the DW and sink. It looks
gorgeous to me and I really enjoy the space - how it sits all quiet, clean
and serene, then gets all crazy with the food and folks du jour. I couldn't
be happier, especially that I didn't have to work another year just to pay
for the update!!

Link to cabinets in progress:
http://photobucket.com/albums/b45/celticm00n/kitchen%20cosmetic%20update%20project/kitchen%20during/

Link to almost finished cabinet pix:
http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b45/celticm00n/kitchen%20cosmetic%20update%20project/finished%20bit%20by%20bit/?start=20

Good luck with your project!! Feel free to ask me any questions as you go.
And let me know if you try it and how it turns out.