How do I finish a new cabinet door?

[rjsurfer]

I got the bright idea to remove the mouse hole and pull out all the coiled 30amp power cord beneath the oven and just flush mount a waterproof 30amp connector to the outside, no more stuffing a stiff 25' cord back into that compartment.

No problem there, then I got the bright idea to turn that area into a shoe closet and purchased a red oak cabinet door to replace the thin panel that closed up the front of the compartment. I just received the new door and realized I have to put a finish on it to match the rest of the red oak cabinets.

Its been 50 years since I took wood shop so I don't know what I need to do.

I'm guessing a coat of oak stain then varnish?

Any help would be appreciated.

Ron W.

[Steve S]

What's on your cabinets now? Is it a high gloss, low luster? Do you have any pics?

[Festus2]

If your present cabinets are "red oak", I'd get a few small pieces of scrap oak and try 2 or 3 different "red oak" stains on each one until you find one that is a decent match. When you find one that is, then go ahead and stain the door. Often, samples of pre-stained wood with a variety of stains are located in the same store section as the stains and finishes.

Instead of varnish, I'd recommend a polyurethane-type finish. They come in 3 or 4 different types of "shine" -- flat, satin, low and high gloss. Varnish is more difficult to apply and takes a lot longer to dry. There are many good "varnish" type finishes out there that work as good as or better than varnish. These newer finishes are easy to apply and after 2-3 coats with a light sanding in between, the finished product will look quite good.

Applying a finish over stained wood will usually darken it slightly.

[EricLynnAllison]

I built a whole set of cabinets in my garage and finished them with laquer. I would suggest you take one of your finished doors along with your new door to someplace like woodworks. They can show which stain and finish to use. They are experts in helping people work with wood. Don't go to a big box store.

[rjsurfer]

Good idea about bringing an old cabinet door with me...I'm not sure if it's a gloss or satin finish.

Ron

[theeyres]

If you are going to have somebody else finish the door, taking a sample door is a good idea. My experience in adding doors over the years to other RVs is that most RV's are done with white oak, not red. You should still be able to get close enough that nobody will notice. If you diy I would agree with the poly, not true varnish. Will go on easier and will be more durable than the thin coat of lacquer that is sprayed on the existing cabinets.

[WaltBennett]

I did a fair amount of modification to our old TT about five years ago. Used leftover unfinished red oak with tung oil as a finish and it matched perfectly. No stain or sealer at all was needed.

[LM3929]

I gave the nice service manager at CW the vin of our trailer with the size of the door we wanted and a picture, about 10 days later we received a door that matched our cabinets

Lorne M.