Ex #2 had a "lower upper end" cabinet shop do her custom
kithcen cabinets - A&C/Mission style in oak, ply with oak
face frame - naturally. The price was in the $300-350
per lineal foot - upper and lower cabinets.
She was a picture framer and the daughter of a furniture
restorer / refinisher/ finisher - from the old German school.
Now science says we can only distinguish 16 shades of gray,
she can see 4 or 5 times that number.
The cabinet finisher had to make three tries at the color
she wanted, the fourth was "acceptable".
Well the cabinets were delivered and the right color - but
the workmanship was, let's just say, "not the best quality"
and the construction was wrong on the cabinets where
you'd see their ends. But the kicker was the finish.
The oak ply hadn't been sanded at all on the insides of the
cabinets that have 6 light doors and on the visible faces
of some of the cabinets and doors. Then there's the finish
- which looked like it was sprayed in the outfeed of a
dust collector. "Nibs" would not be a suitable term for
what was sticking out of the finish - small chunks would
be closer.
The guy from the cabinet shop agreed to repair the
finish "in place" and made the mistake of telling her
he'd just steel wool the rough spots and lemon oil and
wax them.
She went ballistic. Steel wool on a very opened grained
wood like oak wouldn't be a good idea. And wax and lemon
oil isn't much of a finish and gabs dust and crap like
a magnet.
"Oh no - these cabinets are finished with a very tough
"coumpound vinyl", new and normally only used on
very high end furniture."
So I went looking for info on the net about "compound
vinyl finishes". Turns out there is a "catalyzed vinyl"
finish - sort of a vinyl version catalyzed lacquer.
Anyone know anything about "catalyzed vinyl" finish
or anyone have actual experience with it ?
charlie b