How to repaint a Hutch and Buffet?

[Abhijeet_rookie]

Hi all,

I have picked up a second hand hutch and buffet (picture attached). It has an old antique look (feels varnished). 

The plan is the repaint it with dark green color so that it matches our design of the living room.

During my last visit to Bunnings I was looking for some kind of undercoat which will save me the time by not sanding the buffet.

I was advised to use Zinsser Bulls Eye Primer Undercoat Sealer and Stain blocker. Do a couple of coats of the primer/ sealer, let it dry and then do a layer or two of the paint. Post painting the final look of one of the drawers was not as smooth as I expected.

Question -

1. Is the Primer undercoat sealer a good alternative to sanding? If yes, how can I get a smooth finish to the paint

2. If sanding is a non negotiable, how much do I sand? Do I user the primer post sanding?

3. Any recommendation for the sanding? Do we use a sander or just the old technique of sandpaper plus hand is good enough? 

I am attaching all reference images.

Regards,

Abhi

[EricL]

Hello @Abhijeet_rookie 

Thanks for sharing your question about upcycling your hutch and buffet cabinet. Any imperfections on the surface of the cabinet will be reflected on the primer placed on top of it. Sanding in non-negotiable, I suggest investing in an electric sander such as the Ozito 200W Detail Sander. This will cut your sanding time in half and allow you to get into the tight corners of the cabinet. After sanding the surface wipe down the table and make sure all the sanding dust is removed. Once the cabinet is totally clean you can then begin putting the primer on.

It is important to invest in a good quality paint brush so that you will get superior finish. The large cheap brushes are great for large projects, but if you are painting furniture, the brush strokes will be clearly visible, and you won't get a nice flat finish. 

Here are some discussions regarding upcycling you might find helpful:

• Upcycled buffets
   
• Upcycled timber cabinet by @inspiredbycoast 
   
• Upcycled sideboard by @Claire84 
   
• Upcycled bedside drawers by @AthenaGeorgia 
   
• Upcycled tallboy by @lifestylebymari 

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Abhijeet_rookie]

Thanks Eric for such a detailed response. Really appreciate it.

Couple of questions regarding the sander - 

1. What gritt sandpaper is good for such jobs?

2. How do we know we have sanded enough? As I have never sanded before ever, I dont know what point should i stop?

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Abhijeet_rookie,

You might like to check out this article: How to upcycle a bedside cabinet. You don't actually need to sand all the varnish off, and I suspect the texture you're seeing on your paint has more to do with application tools than the varnish needing to be sanded.

Personally, I'd recommend giving the varnish a light scuff up with 240-grit to remove the gloss sheen, then applying Dulux Precision Max Adhesion Primer. You can continue to use the Zinsser product you have, but you'll need to follow its directions, which will require sanding with 180-grit to remove the varnish as it's not specifically designed for adhesion to surfaces like varnish.

Now, to address the paint finish, what tool did you use? I'd typically recommend a fine nap roller similar to the UNi-PRO 100mm You Can Do It Gloss And Low Sheen Mini Roller Kit 9mm Nap. Once you've laid your paint, try not to go over that area again. If it hasn't coated fully, save the rest for a second coat after the first has dried. If you touch an area that has already begun to dry, your roller will pull up peaks in the paint, resulting in this stippled coating.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Mitchell