Diy kitchen cabinet doors.

Tinders

Tinders

Tinders

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There's a voice that keeps on calling me.
After a bit of advise folks. My kitchen has started looking a bit tired, the carcasses are fine but the colour is looking old. Im actually looking to move in the next 3-4 years so i dont want to spend a lot. Which is why im thinking about making new doors or painting the existing ones, im thinking 2 tone, light grey at the top, and navy at the bottom, with a white or grey worktop. I'll be replacing the plinths, handles, adding end panels and pelmet/cornices.

Ive started to play around with some MDF I had kicking around, ive also had a router table for years but ive not really learnt to use it, until now. I ran the door on the table with a simple V groove bit, which as it happens, doesnt look too bad once finished with paint. Problem im having is picking the finish, i got a tub of eggshell that ive tried, which doesnt look bad, the issue is with the cut edges on the MDF, im having trouble getting them smooth....any tips? Would matt or satin be better? Ive never been keen on gloss finishes in general. I can get the wood quite cheap from a neighbour, he gets off cuts, which are slightly bigger than what I need, so hopefully i can refurb the kitchen for not a lot, every penny counts right now, plus it gives me a chance to use all the tools ive acrued over the years!

So far ive only rollered the paint on, the undercoat is Zinnser BIN, paint is a mixed Albany acrylic. I could potentially get my hands on an Apollo HVLP sprayer, any tips on painting in general? I havent really settled on the door design yet, as im just trying different things with the router table, i just want something newer/fresher but i cant afford the 5k for a new kitchen!

Sorry for the rambling post.

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While its not kitchen doors I built my PC desk unit and made it all including doors from MDF. Like you say the edges are the tricky bit in getting smooth. It helps getting some MDF sealer to put on the MDF first, two coats on the edges helps, I used Rustins MDF sealer. Lightly sand the edges after to try and smooth the cut parts, then use sealer again.

You can use a primer undercoat next if you want, I did on a few pieces of MDF but I used Rust-Oleum Kitchen Cupboard paint in a matt finish on mine which doesn't need an undercoat primer.

I found this really good and its washable too so should be great for kitchen cupboards, I say great as I can't really give a definite answer as the PC desk doesnt really take any stick like kitchen unit doors.

I just rolled mine on.

I sanded some homemade kitchen doors for someone once, they built them with a thinner piece of MDF sandwiched between some Oak stripwood, all routed properly and you had the smooth edge of the Oak stripwood so do mdf edge to worry about, they were made to be like a shaker style.
They painted them themselves but sealed with MDF primer like I did, undercoat, then not sure on the paint they used but it was sprayed on and then they used Polyvine decorators clear varnish dead flat finish as a protective coat.
They came up really good, the kitchen was entirely built by himself units as well as doors and basically looked like a 10 grand kitchen

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Ive made a couple of wall units for the kitchen, surprisingly simple (why shouldnt it be i guess!). Its just a bit time consuming, and with the cost of of even cheap wood like MDF its not cost effective
 
Have you looked at diy-kitchens.com?

They do replacement doors and their prices were always pretty keen (you can get them to spray paint any colour for you if you want too - obviously a bit more expensive).

With prices of domestic MDF at the moment, you might even find it cheaper!
 
MDF, im basically getting off cuts of 500mmx800 for beer money, otherwise yes, with the current prices it wouldnt be worth it. I looked at howdens and diy kitchens, even a basic 500 wide door is £25, even at current prices i can get 6 doors from a sheet of 18mm mdf, for not much more (£37 a sheet at selco).
 
Not read your whole post as I'm in the middle of something. Are yiu using moisture resistant mdf for the doors, you need to be if not. I normally put about 4 coats of primer on the edges when spraying and 2 coats on front and back. Then 4 coats of top coat on sides and 2 front and back.

You could also use glue on edging to seal the sides.

I work at a class leading kitchen maker
 
Cheers for that, will try more coats of BIN on the edges.

I’m only using normal mdf. It’s medite. I was going to put 3 coats of Zinnser BIN as the undercoat and 2 coats of acrylic eggshell. The shellac based primer I was hoping would give adequate protection from moisture.
 
Tinders said:
Cheers for that, will try more coats of BIN on the edges.

I’m only using normal mdf. It’s medite. I was going to put 3 coats of Zinnser BIN as the undercoat and 2 coats of acrylic eggshell. The shellac based primer I was hoping would give adequate protection from moisture.
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The reason I do 4 is i lay the doors flat to spray so hit the edges everytime I do the front and back. Personally I wouldnt use normal mdf in a kitchen where pans and kettles are boiling. We only do shaker style doors so tulip wood with a mr mdf panel
 
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