How to paint cabinets with a spray machine

1. Preperation

• The first step in spray painting cabinets is to prepare the surfaces.

• Remove the doors and drawer fronts from the cabinets, then remove the hardware. Mark the doors and drawers for each cabinet. Place the hardware in plastic bags together to avoid readjusting the doors when reassembling.

• If you plan to replace the hardware with different hole alignments, fill the existing holes with wood filler. You'll need to fill in one or both holes and drill new holes where needed. Ensure all surfaces you'll paint are thoroughly cleaned. Wipe all surfaces with cleaner to remove dirt or grease.

• Allow the surfaces to dry completely. Lightly sand the doors, drawers, and cabinets with the grain of the wood to remove the top layer of finish. This will help the paint adhere better and create a smooth surface. Vacuum all surfaces after sanding. Inspect all surfaces for damaged areas and spackle over nail holes and cracks. Caulk gaps between cabinets and walls for a seamless blend.

• Now that the cabinets are prepared, set up the workspace. Cover anything you don't want painted with plastic. Use a canvas tarp or masking paper to cover the floors. Tape and cover box openings, and protect walls and ceilings with plastic. Bag the area where you'll be spraying.  

• In an unfinished basement or garage, create a temporary spray booth by covering the ground and surrounding the area with plastic. Place the cabinet doors on 2 sawhorses with 2x4 boards to raise them off the ground to a comfortable spraying angle.

2. Spraying cabinets

• Begin by priming all surfaces with a non-flammable, oil-based primer and sealer. This will create a water barrier and prevent bleed-through and cracking.

• To remove large particles or dried sediment, strain your primer into a bucket. Wear latex gloves and squeeze out excess primer. Discard the strainer and gloves. Repeat this process with the topcoat material.

• For small surface areas, a spray tip with a smaller spray fan is recommended. Use a 311 spray tip for water-based enamel and satin finish paint, as it delivers a 6-inch (15 cm) spray fan ideal for cabinets and smaller doors.

• Start spraying the cabinet doors. Begin at one end and spray the sides and inside, working your way around and spraying all outside frames. Finally, spray directly over the top of the doors to cover every surface. Work within reach and avoid extending too far. Let the doors dry completely before turning them over to spray the other side.

• When finished, move on to the cabinets. Spray the larger flat surfaces as you did with the doors. Inside the cabinets, spray the corners first and then fill in the center area. For the outside areas of the cabinets with edges, angle your gun so two-to-three spray passes blend in the center.  

• After the primer dries completely, lightly sand the surfaces. This will help the topcoat adhere better and create a smoother finish. Sand lightly between coats to remove a light powder. Vacuum all surfaces and wipe down with a tack cloth.

• Before loading new material, flush the old paint/coating material out of your sprayer. Since this project started with a non-flammable, oil-based primer, flush the sprayer with mineral spirits. If using a water-based topcoat, flush the sprayer again with water before adding the topcoat material.

• Once the sprayer is flushed, strain and load the topcoat material into your sprayer. Spray this first topcoat of paint onto all surfaces and

• let it dry completely before applying a second coat. Sand, vacuum, and wipe with a tack cloth between coats to help the topcoat adhere better.

3. Finishing touches

• Once the second coat is completely dry, carefully remove all tape, paper, and plastic. Reinstall the hardware and attach the doors and drawers to the cabinets. That's all it takes to give your kitchen a completely new look – a quick and easy project.