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I have some old cabinets in my kitchen that are scuffed up and need a surface coat. I am afraid to try to apply polyurethane on a vertical surface, because of my bad skills and previous runs in finish. I was thinking to rub some tung oil, but the directions say not to use it over existing finish. Any advice?

Profin maybe? You will obviously need to test for compatibility.

http://www.dalyswoodfinishes.com/store/ ... ducts_id=5

I have done a couple of kitchen cabinet "spruce up" jobs. I generally remove the cabinet doors, degrease them, clean them with naphtha, scuff sand the old finish, and spray them with a couple coats of a compatible finish. The boxes generally seem to have less wear and can often look acceptable after cleaning and polishing.

Another thing you could do is use Howard's Restore a Finish, but it might have to be repeated annually.

It's the box I have to touch up.

Many commercial cabinets have a 1/4 inch "ear" on the face frame of the cabinet, so if it is the side of the cabinet that needs to be refinished you can sometimes make a 1/4 inch panel that matches and apply (glue) it just behind the "ear" to create a flush side.
Another thing that cabinet refacing companies do is to apply a veneer to the sides and face frames of the cabinets. It is prefinished and sometimes applied with double sided adhesives similar to what stew mac offers for applying pick guards. Not my first choice for a kitchen - over time steam and heat can loosen the veneers
A third option is to remove the cabinet from the wall and refinish it at another location.
You could try an oil/varnish mix like truoil or danish oil as a wipe on finish - but test it on the inside of a door to see if it does what you want.

If you are having trouble with runs, thin your poly with paint thinner by about 20%. What looks like a drip mark while wet will dry smooth. You might have to apply one more coat than you would if brushing un thinned.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Is the the box surface wood or melamine?
If wood, I would use a rattle can of pre cat lacquer. You would need to vent the kitchen with an exhaust fan for an few hours though.
If it is melamine, you can get melamine paint, which, when applied with a fine sponge roller will give you that lightly pebbled finish. Quite durable.

B

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

+1 to what Alex said (but maybe 10% reduction though) and IMO most importantly for good poly application...a top quality brush.
Ken

Wipe poly thinned with mineral spirits may be an option.

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Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Funny that you should mention using a quality brush, Ken. I'm brushing an oil based poly on a vanity that I made for powder room. I haven't used oil poly for 7-8 years, but used the same schedule as I used to: first coat thinned by 15-20% with thinner. Second coat thinned by about 5%, followed by a 320grit sanding sponge scuff. Third coat thinned by about 10-15%. If another coat is needed, same as third coat.
Using medium gloss poly, with this schedule, I get a finish that is between satin and medium gloss, and very thin.
I just checked yesterday's finish coat, and that's with the cabinet side and face frame attached, and brushed while vertical, and the doors upright on cleats - no drips or runs, and done with a $1.50 dollar store brush!
As far as using long, flowing brush strokes to avoid air bubbles, I use a more percussive stroke for the first two coats, more like a FP application, and finish with a long, flowing stroke.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Epilogue

I cut the poly 20% with paint thinner and wiped it on with a piece of foam rubber. (I always war gloves, so there is no point in paying the extra buck for a handle.) It came out fine. In the past, I used to cut with naphtha, but maybe that dries too fast.

Anyway, thanks.