Kitchen Cabinets- How would you fix this?

Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by wau5, Dec 15, 2016.

  1. wau5

    wau5 Active Member

    I want to change hardware and paint my very old kitchen cabinets that came with the house when I bought it as they are still in reasonably good nick and would probably come up rather decent after a refurb.
    However there is some flaking melamine at some parts of the cabinet doors or whatever that stuff is called which just looks nasty, was wondering how would you go about fixing this before painting it all over so it's all even and nice as it should be?
    I see someone has tried to paint the cabinets In past, but didn't do a very good job at fixing the flaking stuff in past and has just teared the flaking bits off and painted straight over without doing anything so it leaves these sharp looking edges..
    I doubt this could be fixed with filler and than sanded flush due to the ''design'' elements?

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Buy new doors.
     
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  3. wau5

    wau5 Active Member

    I have looked in to it, however due to how ancient they are I haven't found a place that does all the sizes I need or they charge just insane amounts just for chipboard ****, I have thought about making the doors myself which is my next step anyway If I can't fix these , but don't have as much free time on my hands at the moment to do that.
     
  4. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Last edited: Dec 15, 2016
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  5. sospan

    sospan Screwfix Select

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  6. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Prefer new doors myself.
     
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  7. Joe95

    Joe95 Screwfix Select

    I do agree Kiab, it is a relatively low cost way to make a kitchen feel 'new' again.
     
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  8. koolpc

    koolpc Super Member

    New doors yes but i am sure you will be able to source a strong filler that would suit your needs? Have a look in a trade / retail paint merchants.

    What have you got to loose? Worth a punt i would say.
     
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  9. Mr Rusty

    Mr Rusty Screwfix Select

    discount kitchen factory (my local supplier - ask for Malcolm) or one of the many suppliers supplying from e.g. ba components. You can order doors in any pattern and size you want and have them pre-drilled with hole centres wherever you want. Vynil covered doors are so cheap I wouldn't bother mucking around refurbing. Typically a 500x570 is about £25-30
     
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  10. GoodwithWood

    GoodwithWood Active Member

    Get new doors. Filling and sanding a flat or curved area is one thing but trying to sand filler down to the shape of an existing molding is an altogether different kettle of fish.
     
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  11. koolpc

    koolpc Super Member

    But worth trying first? Nothing to loose?
     
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  12. Wau, if you really want to tackle this, then use a Stanley knife or similar to neatly cut away all the loose melamine.

    The exposed MDF could then do with priming, and I think something like Everbuild 406 or Zinsser Gardz might work well as it'll soak right in and seal the surface.

    Then apply small amounts of a strong fine filler - car body filler as mentioned above seems the most likely one to be successful as it's flexible, can be sanded to very fine detail and is featherable.

    Use a filling knife that's wide enough to sit on the surrounding melamine surfaces to act as a guide, and the secret is to not add too much filler - try not to get it higher than the surrounding level 'cos it'll chust need sanding back down again - and it's pretty solid stuff. Instead try and just get it level, and then remove any overspill as it sets - get it at the rubbery stage and it'll scrape off easily.

    Go over that filed part with a flat sanding block when fully set and that'll tell you how much further you may need to go. Apply the finest of extra layers as needed.

    If you build it up in stages, you won;t have so much tedious sanding to do afterwards.

    You do know, Wau, that I've been typing this with one hand whilst my other one has been holding my ****, don't you? That's because I'm a sad screen-bound individual who 'gets orf' on writing essays whenever others have already answered...

    When painting, a satinwood finish usually works best (gloss would look terrible). You want them to look like hand-painted doors as in 'country style'.
     
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  13. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    No to 406, NOT suitable for MDF.[​IMG]

    Now't wrong with using Zinsser Gardz, but filling those doors is still a bodge.[​IMG]
     
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  14. 406 is awesome - I've used it for all sorts like this. It soaks right in and will bind any loose fibres together. It will work.

    It's a bodge of sorts - the doors don't have to be perfect, but they can be if enough effort is put in.

    I think hand-painted kitchen doors look great - some nice black wrought iron handles would be awesome too...
     
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  15. wiggy

    wiggy Screwfix Select

    Neaten up the damaged areas with a sharp scalpel, square them off, straight cuts blah blah and get some slithers of veneer or slightly under thickness plastic and glue them on in bits, make up the detail with some sort of filler.
    Look on you tube at veneer repair.

    Clad over the front of them.

    Incorporate the damage in to some sort of painted on design.

    http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/decorating/hobbies-and-crafts/sticky-back-plastic

    Or skip them
     
  16. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member


    Wow![​IMG]

    I know 406 is awesome, BUT I've never tried it on wood.

    Have to agree hand-painted kitchen doors look great, as do powder coated doors.
     
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  17. Gulp, I'm not really sure I should be recommending it for this! It's chust that it soaks in soooo well, and then sets to form a good seal.

    Mind you, I don't know if a 5 litre tub of the stuff makes sense here.

    I'm sure there's plenty alternatives...
     
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  18. CGN

    CGN Screwfix Select

    Give it a go...nothing really to loose really. Try one door and see how it comes out :)
     
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  19. wau5

    wau5 Active Member

    Alright thank you guys again for all the answers, decided not to faff around and just ordered a router and will just make a new doors myself as seems like It will be a wasted time trying to fill all the blemishes on the old doors and try to sculpt the filler to replicate that ''design'' on the cheap chipboard junk doors.

    I priced it all up how much it would cost me to order already-made doors and ....It was a lot! I can buy all the materials, nice makita router trimmer and a nice makita circular saw to cut everything to size and still have some money left over.. but at least I get to keep the tools I have wanted to get for some time already anyway.
     
  20. CGN

    CGN Screwfix Select

    Good for you :) Tbf, painting all those cupboard doors is a labour of love. I hand painted a kitchen as part of a 'freshen up' job on an old property about a year a go, but they were solid wood doors. Looked nice when done, and in this instance, better than buying new doors or a complete kitchen, but not something I would like to do too often :)
     

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