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Painted Furniture: Remove wood grain texture to get a smooth finish

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This week, I am breaking down how I painted some kitchen cabinets for my craft room. But before we get to painting the cabinets, I am starting off by showing how to remove wood grain and pits in these oak cabinets and get a nice smooth finish on painted furniture. You can also check out my post on the definitive guide to painting kitchen cabinets as well.

painted furniture- Removing Wood Grain Texture -How to get a nice smooth finish when painting cabinets or furniture that has a strong wood grain. Part 1 of a 2 part series on painting oak cabinets bought off of craigslist.

While, yes, I could have just slapped some paint on them and called it a day (or week), I understand that preparation is the most important part of making a project both beautiful and long lasting. Filling in the wood grain creates a modern and uplifted appearance on painted furniture.

How to get a nice smooth finish when painting cabinets or furniture that has a strong wood grain. Part 1 of a 2 part series on painting oak cabinets bought off of craigslist.

*This post may contain affiliate links. These are products I use for many of my home projects.

This is one of the original cabinets we bought off of craigslist from a kitchen that was slated for demolition and complete replacement. We paid $375 for 13 cabinets. If you have not shopped cabinets lately, $375 is approximately how much you would pay for 2 new base cabinets.  I kept 4 base cabinets and my husband took the rest for garage tool storage.

painted furniture-Oak Drawer Front Before Painting

This is the oak wood grain and facings we are working with. Oak is well known for its recessed wood grain as it dries out. Unfortunately, this means that the pores of the wood are open and will easily soak up contaminants and humidity if not sealed. The damage on the bottom picture is from the wood soaking up kitchen oils and other contaminants over the many years of their use. There was no sign of rot.

painted furniture-Damaged Oak Kitchen Cabinets

How to remove wood grain from oak cabinets

Ok, let’s get down to the business of removing wood grain texture, shall we? The prepwork is much the same as preparing cabinets for painting.

After cleaning thoroughly with TSP,  the glossy varnish needs to be removed or “roughed up”. You can either sand the gloss off or use Deglosser. It will save your poor elbows from all that sanding. It is awesome in a bottle! Simply spray on the deglosser and it puts a coating on the cabinets that paint and wood filler can bond to.  Spray it on and after 15-20 minutes, test your surface. It should look etched, but not gummy or glossy. If it is, the surface may need to be cleaned again or sanded.

painted furniture- Getting Rid of Wood Grain on Cabinet Doors

How To Use Wood Filler

To truly seal the pores and level out all the ridges and valleys in the wood grain, I recommend a quality wood filler. I have used many, many wood fillers and this one is by far my favorite to use for all-purpose. For single use projects, I also really like this DAP wood filler as well, but it dries out in the can, so you can’t save any for a future project. Also, unless you are an experienced DIYer, I generally do NOT recommend Bondo or Epoxy filler on cabinet doors. I used to do custom auto paint jobs in college and, while these products have their uses, the level of effort and practice needed is much higher without delivering a particularly better finish.

To use the wood filler, add some to a regular scraper and spread it out over the wood grain areas. Push down on the scraper as you spread. I personally like a scraper that bends a bit when I press on it. Really get it into the grain and ensure a proper bond. Then scrape the excess off. For large areas, I layer several coats with sanding between coats, until the entire area is smooth and even.

Here are some tips on how to use a wood filler product:

  1. Keep the wood filler as thin as possible. Wood fillers are not flexible the way that wood is. Thus, it is more prone to cracking and thick layers will make it even more so. Think of a wood board vs a cement board. If you kicked each of them, the cement board would crack and the wood board would bow (up to a certain point, of course).
  2. There will be some sanding and you can’t skip it. Make the transitions between wood and filler smooth and seamless. A palm sander or multi-tool (great for corners!) will save you hours on a project like removing wood grain texture.
  3. If you are intending to stain rather than paint, you can match the wood filler to the wood grain and make it stainable. However, this will not look right unless you only have small, individual pores to fill. Large swatches like I was attempting to smooth out would not work with a stained furniture piece. If you have small, tight pores, you may have an easier time with products such as aquacoat.
  4. Make sure your corners or any hard to reach (for sanding) places are as smooth as possible when you let the wood filler dry. Unless you have a mouse sander or multi-tool, corners have to be hand sanded. Keep that in mind and save yourself as much work as possible!
  5. With any wood filling product, you want to make sure that the first layer of paint or primer is thin to prevent reactivating the filler.

Painted Cabinets Benjamin Moore Final

As many people have pointed out to me, I could have simply painted many more coats of paint and sanded between each to remove wood grain & get a smooth front. However, that idea was FAR more work than a few layers of wood filler because of the depth of the ridges and pits. I would have probably sanded through the primer so many times and start over. Paint simply doesn’t fill grooves very well. Also, the purpose of the filler was also to seal the pores and diminish any future recessing of the grain.

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Comments

  1. Thank you for the helpful info! I am getting ready to redo already painted oak cabinets. There are a lot of brush marks so I know I need to sand first. Planning to spray using Benjamin Moore advance in white color over the light gray that is there. Do you think I will need a grain filler on top of the paint that is there or will sanding the paint be sufficient? Also do you typically need to use filler on the the cabinet frames or just on the doors? That is probably a dumb question but I’m tutorials I’ve seen it seems that most people only show/mention the doors. Thank you in advance!

    Reply

    • Sanding the paint should be just fine. If the grain is very rough, I would do the frames too. Most likely with oak, it is pretty rough. However, you don’t have to fill the frames and doors unless you really want to get rid of all the grain. For some people, the grain doesn’t bother them, while others dislike any grain a lot.

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  3. How much did you thin the BM Advance paint? We are considering purchasing a sprayer to do our cabinets and already have this paint so I’m just curious as to how difficult it would be to apply it with the recommended sprayer. I’d hate to compromise the durability of the paint by thinning too much.

    Reply

    • BM advance is a great paint, but I honestly haven’t sprayed it. I love it because it is durable and brushes very well without spraying. However, I know my local Benjamin Moore store staff pretty well, so I called them up to ask their opinion. They said up to 10% addition of water should be fine with a sprayer. I usually thin paints with about 1/4 cup of water to 5 cups of paint and work up from there until it flows nicely. However, be very sure to thoroughly mix the paint. This can make all the difference, so they recommended using a paint stirrer attachment on a regular drill at low speed. Hope that helps and good luck with your project!

      Reply

  4. I want to put grain/pore finish on raw ash, spray it with clear laquer but my supplier for the pore filler has been out of. business for forty years. Got any suggestions where I could get some filler? Asking for ash here in New Mexico also brings a puzzled look from our lumber dealers. Could you also send me some sources for hardwoods?
    I saw you on the internet but may not be able to find it again. Thanks for your work. I know it helps a lot of people.

    Reply

    • Depending on whether you are using an oil-based or water-based top coat, I would use either Famowood or possibly Pore-O-Pac. Alternatively, you can obtain the same result with multiple coats of wipe-on poly with sanding between coats, but it takes more time. I am surprised that local lumber dealers would have trouble locating Ash. It’s native and popular for woodworking. However, if you cannot find something locally, I would suggest http://www.bellforestproducts.com/

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  5. Where are you located? We are full time professionals qith no time to do redo our Oak cabinets, but it must be done to remove the grain.
    Are you available to do this for us, or can you recommend someone? We are in Franklin, Tennessee.
    We truly admire your work & skills,
    Tony

    Reply

    • Hi Tony! Unfortunately, I am based out of DC although I grew up near Nashville. There are many furniture refinishers you can hire probably in your area to do the work. A quick google search found Bella Tucker in Nashville, and Fresh Furniture, although I don’t know either of them personally. Another option to cut down on the amount of time needed is to have new cabinet doors made to fit your existing cabinets. Then you only need to fill and paint the frame which is much less time consuming and easier. I hope that helps and good luck with your project!

      Reply

  6. I was at a wood working concerning and sat in at a lecture on finishing. I believe the guy said to use Danish oil before lacquer or poly to fill in the grain. He showed us examples and the finish was extra smooth.

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  7. I have had great results using dry-ex to fill the oak grain. Another tip is using an old credit card to help smear it in the grain.

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  8. I’ve been working on filling the grain also. Used aquacoat and timbermate and can see grain with both. Is this the filler you used Durham rock hard water putty? Says it’s a powder?

    Reply

    • Especially with deep grain, it may take a few coats to get a smooth finish. I have used Durham once for skim coats but it isn’t my favorite because it can suck up the moisture from the paint (even after dry) and leave a grainy texture. I have used this one from Dap and regular interior decently well, but it depends on the situation.

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    • Durham is a powder, follow directions to make liquid, do thin coats as thick coats will crack. This turns rock solid will need sanding so get a palm sander so your hand doesn’t fall off. I used to fill cracks in floor, whew. Learned as I went !!thin coats lol

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  9. Do you recommend DAP Plastic Wood? I’m doing my kitchen cabinets. And you’re right! What a chore. I’ve got 7 cabinets on the bottom and 11 on top. Maybe done by Christmas. 🙂

    Reply

    • I actually do like DAP, but I have only used this one. The problem that I have with it is that it dries out fast in the can. As in you would have to buy a new one for every project. I have had it dry out few days after opening even with the lid on. It does however dry wonderfully and hard and I have painted over it with no problems.

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  10. Very nice! I see that you updated the post to say you are no longer using Timbermate because it could swell. Have you experienced that? The guys at Woodcraft are encouraging me to use Aquacoat since my cabinets have an existing stain and I am not completely stripping (they say Timbermate is best on raw wood). But I will say the Timbermate is my preferred choice, but when I read your note I was concerned again. I thin out the Timbermate pretty good with a good amount of warm water so that is it not too thick, sand and then prime with Bin Shellac. However, this has only been on a test piece and has not been put to the test in real life.

    Reply

    • The reason I stopped recommending Timbermate is because a reader and a fellow woodworker both started to experience this swelling with water-based paint, recently. I had not had this experience because I have been using another product lately that I got from a trade show. My friend is convinced something has changed in the formula, and it seems unlikely that these two would have both received a bad batch. Once they laid the paint was when the trouble started and the Timbermate developed a rough texture. If you already have done some priming with no problems, I wouldn’t worry about it.

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      • I emailed Timbermate and they said that could happen, b/c water reactivates the product. I’m still gonna use it, but am going to top it off with an oil-based primer to seal it before painting. Goodness help me. eep!

  11. Hi Rachel,
    Your cabinets look beautiful! My husband and I are in the planning phase of painting oak cabinets in our kitchen. Can you tell me what type of primer and paint you chose? How did you apply the paint? Did you seal them with anything? Lastly, how are they holding up? Is the grain visible now?

    Thank you for your time!

    Reply

    • Hi! For kitchen cabinets, there are a few paint options that I recommend depending on what kind of sheen you want and whether you are brushing or spaying. First, I highly discourage most anything latex based because it will peel and won’t hold up to touching unless you use a polycrylic over top. Benjamin Moore makes a paint called Advance. I have satin white/black on my stair banisters and it has been excellent. It can be sprayed or brushed, does not need sealing or top coating, and it levels very well even with a brush. The downside is that I don’t think they have matte options, with the lowest sheen being satin. Either way, I find the staff to be very knowledgeable for what will be best for your project. I think Sherwin Williams also makes a paint specifically for cabinets although I haven’t used it. For a more matte finish, I love Fusion Mineral paints from Homestead House. No priming and very little sanding required. If you are going to a light or white shade from oak, you can save some money by using the concealer before painting. It also lasts a long time, I used 3 pints to cover a 12 foot entertainment center. Both Benjamin Moore and Fusion Mineral are zero VOC so you can paint right in your house with no fumes. Chalk paint is not my personal preference because I am not a fan of how chalk paint feels, but if you like that look, you can also use that too. Most brands don’t require priming or heavy sanding to adhere, which is nice. You will need to seal it with a Polycrylic though. I, personally love Benjamin Moore’s Stays Clear because it won’t yellow. However, it is really expensive (like $70 a gallon I think). Minwax makes a polycrylic top coat that many people like if you aren’t worried about yellowing (i.e. you aren’t painting your cabinets white). I have known two friends who have had it yellow on them.

      As to your last question, my cabinets look brand new even two years later. Originally, I used a regular furniture paint and I actually wasn’t fan of it because of the coverage. I sprayed Stays Clear on them because they are subject to a lot of abuse and I can only find one chip on a drawer. I even spilled an entire paint can down the front not too long ago and it all cleaned up. The wood grain is not visible at all and has not receded. Sorry to write a book, but I know there are a lot of considerations when taking on such a big project. Hope that helps and feel free to write any more questions if you need! I have done tons of painting projects.

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  12. You mention Timbermate in your post, but then talk about Durham’s wood putty. I admit, I’ve always found Timbermate a breeze, given its water soluble-ness. (Yes, I made that up.) I also like the way the Timbermate actually bonds with the wood. But either work, I’m told.

    I laughed at this: “I could have simply painted many more coats of paint and sanded between each to remove wood grain & get a smooth front.” It just screams the word “Just.” You could have “just” done this or that. Why do people do that when 1) it’s a whole bunch more steps and 2) you’re done very successfully?

    A practice MIL I had once didn’t want us to sand 1940s, very damaged floors we had. We could just buff and blah and blah and blah. We looked at each other, sanded, poly-ed, and DONE. Beautifully, I might add!

    Anyway, you did a lovely job. I did this back 15 years ago and those cabinets (painted with Cabinet Coat) still look beautiful. Recently I’ve gone the other way and am Citristripping EVERYTHING to be able to get to the grain, weather it and revel in the soft look. Go figure. The pendulum swings, doesn’t it?

    Reply

    • I really appreciated reading your comment and loved your stories! The pendulum does swing and I find that so many projects have different needs in process and product. For instance, we just painted a huge entertainment center. The ends of which weighed maybe 400lbs each. I know they are a lot heavier than the fridge so there was no taking them out to the workshop and I had to paint them right in the living room. For that, I need a zero VOC paint. Wood fillers are the same for me. Although I love timbermate, I also keep a flexible wood filler, and I like the new one from DAP for when I need a quick fix. Unfortunately, I have to buy Timbermate online so I give options.

      I also completely agree with your comment about the “just”. I get so many comments and looks about that because I guess people only see it as an extra step. However, without that extra step, it does take so much more work!

      Reply

  13. Hi! This was so informative! I am considering doing this to a small oak bathroom cabinet. Did you remove the cabinet hardware? If so, did you replace it with new ones?

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    • In these particular cabinets, I removed the knobs and did not replace them. I originally planned to but never got around to it and, frankly, it doesn’t both me since they are easy to open. The holes from the original knobs were filled. I did replace the original hardware that allows the doors to swing open with a similar set in brushed nickel. Good luck on your bathroom cabinets! I plan to do the same to our guest bath in the future so I would love to see what you do with yours.

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  14. Thank you for all this awesome info! I have a 1994 built mobile home with 36 of these type of oak cabinets, mine have the cathedral top insets and some have some old yucky glass inserts too but a lot of them are missing though too. I asked a ton of questions on the Hometalk website on your painting your cabinets article. I know this whole process of redoing my cabinets will take me forever! lol but it will be worth it when they are done. Have you ever heard of dlawlesshardware? on their blog on Fridays they do a free hardware friday, where they put up a couple different knobs or pulls and anyone can email in and get as many as they need for free and all they ask in return is pictures of the finished product and a shout out of where you got them from. They have a ton of things on their website and awesome prices too!

    Reply

    • So happy to help, Lisa! If you have any more questions, feel free to send me an email or comment. I hadn’t heard about dlawlesshardware. Thank you so much for that tip because I do furniture makeovers and knobs can be expensive. Will definitely check them out.

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  15. This technique is similar to what I did to my cabinets over 5 years ago, and they look just as good today as when they were freshly done! I did water down my wood filler a bit though – I can’t remember what brand it was. Watering it down allowed me to spread it even thinner. After filling, sanding, priming (and more sanding!), I finally finished with 2 coats of Aura semi-gloss Cloud White. It’s amazing just how well they’ve stood up, even with 5 little grandchildren who visit often. Your cabinets looks wonderful. Great work!!

    Reply

    • It’s so nice to hear that your cabinets are holding up so well and thank you for your sweet comment. Ours are a year old and I am happy that not a scratch is present from all my son’s banging against them. I like your tip about the wood filler. I hadn’t thought of it but I did occasionally add a bit of water to my wood filler as well. I did that mostly because it sometimes would become gummy from air exposure, but thinning it out for the process is very helpful.

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  16. Your end result looks fantastic! Do you have any pictures of what the cabinets looked like in between adding the wood filler and priming the cabinets? I know it would help me so so much to see what it looked like for you.

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    • Hi Adrianne! Forgive me, I am not sure if I am understanding your question quite right. The fifth picture (the one that looks like the wood has light tiger stripes) is after I had sanded the wood filler down and just before priming. Oak usually recesses over time so you are just trying to even out the peaks and valleys. The idea is that you are only filling the “valleys” with the wood filler. The point is that your door won’t be entirely coated in wood filler because you want to avoid a really thick filler layer. You will see streaks of filler and, hopefully, even more areas of wood. The most important aspect is that the transition from filler to wood is seamless or it will show in your paint. If it does, you can still sand and fix it later. My cabinets have been in place in the office for almost a year and I could not be happier!

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    • I used Durham’s water putty on my cabinets. At first I bought a Elmer’s pro-bond wood putty. Unfortunately, it had these little wood pulp pieces in it which made that product a nightmare to work with. However, the Durham’s was easy to get smooth and sand after it was dry.

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      • I didn’t add anything to the wood filler I used. I just spread it thin and made sure to get a good adhesion to the wood. Thanks for stopping by!

      • I saw in the post you recommended famowood but here you said you used Durhams…which is better?

      • You are correct that I have used Durhams, however, I don’t recommend that method anymore. I have used Famowood on several projects and it is so much easier to work with. My second choice would be Dap’s wood-x, but I explained what I don’t like about that one in the post.

    • Yeah, this project took some time. The sanding is the longest part and you never feel like you’re moving forward! Doing 4 cabinets at once was quite a project and pieces were scattered all over the basement for about a month.

      Reply

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