Can I put a different color of polyeurethene on top of existing?

Question

My kitchen cabinets are oak with a clear poly coat. I want to get a reddish cherry color poly and just go over them to give a richer color. Can I do this?

Answer 1

You can....try a sample spot in an unnoticable place to see if you are happy with the results before doing the entire set of cabinets.

Answer 2

The problem with polyurethanes as a finish, or one of the many problems, is that a new coat will not fuse and bond with an old coat of polyurethane. So, in order for this to work, you're going to need to do some sanding with 220 grit to rough up the old finish in order to provide the necessary crags, or as it is called "the tooth", for the new coat to physically grab onto.

If you had lacquer on your cabinets, a new coat of lacquer would actually "melt" into the old one and bond very well.

I'm not a big fan of polyurethanes, they generally build too fast and give a finish that looks like a laminated driver's license or something. I am a big fan of nitrocellulose lacquer, which is a beautiful, repairable finish that is easy to apply.

It sounds like you're wanting to tint the finish? to make it cherry red? and still show the wood grain? This is going to be tough. I suggest you do the preliminary sanding and then try laying a lacquer "toner" finish on to achieve this effect. Toners are clear lacquers with some pigment in them and they are used for shading and coloring wood finishes. How much you apply is up to you. If you put on too much you get paint - opaque. Here's an example of toners (Behlen is an excellent professional quality brand of lacquer): http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?Fam...