I did my mantle with Behr before, and I just completed my kitchen cabinets with CC. There is NO comparison. I yelled, I cursed, I waved my fist in the air...experts know how to use this paint, but I was so completely upset with the process that I almost lost it. CC drips, runs, and dries too quick. It doesn't cover well. I have never worked with such an unruly paint. I hated CC. Then I saw the results. Breath-taking is a good description. How can this difficult paint turn out so darn beautiful? I had the cabinets, 25 doors, and 5 drawers to paint. It took me almost 20 hours solo (had to do doors in 2 sets since my study could only hold half). The main problem with any DIY project is that you don't get good until your almost done. I could probably do it in 2/3rds the time now. I used Micheal's complete directions posted on some "looky" sight (I don't remember which - do a search for Cabinet Coat here and you will find it). I skipped a few steps, but it still turned out great. My cabinets were ash pickled pinkish with a heavy varnish. Definately do what they said above. Here's what I did. 1. clean with TSP substitute. 2. sand 120 grit (skipped the 180). 3. vaccuum. 4. tack cloth. 5. mineral spirits (be careful because these fumes STINK and can blow you up). 6. 1st coat - wait 12 hours - then second coat (skipped sanding inbetween). 7. When doing doors do 1st coat, turn over after 3 hours and do back. Repeat after 12 hours. Advice from a rookie: *I can not stress how usefull a palm sander is. Makes the job go sooooo much faster. Sanding crown moulding must be by hand so it REALLY sucks; if you get someone to help out - make them sand the crown and crannies (he he). *Make sure you sand/paint the doors while at a nice high table - I did my first coat squatting around my drying boxes and almost killed my back. *Don't use boxes for drying that have a print (had to scrape some "hungry hippos" off the back of a couple doors). *Do the back side of doors first so you can flip and do the "money coat" last. *Finally, I saved a lot of time using a foam roller on the big areas which did not leave stiple marks. It also cleaned up the crown when I slid it alongat an angle. *I used Lowes best Purdy brush for latex, and it still left marks - especially on large areas - the paint dries too quick for me. Glad i had the little foam roller. Have fun - I am glad it's over. I would rather paint 5 rooms than do that again. Painters earn every penny...

~sigh~ This is probably going to be the instance that gets my head shaved by Michael. karoloke: I have purchased many cans of CC. Only one (the last can I bought) had those tiny little speckled clumps you speak of. Yes it was an absolute aggravation. I have no idea what caused it. I stirred well (I use a battery operated kitchen mixer). Didn't get rid of them. In a pinch, I had no time to return/exchange. It worked out alright, though. I've used this paint a lot so am very familiar/comfortable working with it. I just brushed out any little specks (I was painting trim with that can, not cabinets). It was a real PITA. Because it was trim set on sawhorses it was easy to swipe off the little flecks. Cabinets would be harder. And I ditched that can (half used) when that job was done. If this is your first can/first try, I'd suggest taking your sample board back to the store and showing them. Those specks should not be there. I want to suspect it has something to do with temperatures and storage (warehouse/transit/etc.) but I'm just a DIY'er so don't know for sure. The pros here can probably offer better advice on that. Satin is the only sheen. It's wonderful! Wipes off readily and easily and will take bumps/dings better than regular latex. My mother recuperated here with us after heart surgery, she used a walker and wasn't so good at steering it. Several times she bumped the trim or door and CC didn't chip where a standard latex would have. Little black scuffs from her walker tires wiped right off. I have done projects with and without primer. Rental properties and my own home. (Figures, the one I'm now having issue with is my kitchen cabs, but that's my fault.) If you're going over a similar color you don't need to prime. I tend to prime just because that's what I like to do for extra good measure. I've just done a rental bath, didn't prime, painted over glossy oil-based white on medicine cabinet and trim, CC covered it fine in two coats. First time I used CC was about 5+ years ago on kitchen cabs in different rental. Those were oil-based paint as well (a medium level gloss, cream in color). Dove right in, didn't prime, CC is still holding well. My own kitchen cabs I'm going to have to touch up. They were 70's stained dark oak. I was burned out, didn't prep them well, primed with Zinsser Bullseye (water based, love that primer). I have pin head size dings going straight down to dark finish. So Bullseye is not clinging (atypical, that stuff will cling to most anything). I knew better and now I'm paying for my lapse in judgment and shortcuts :( The other times I've used a primer with CC is when going over dark colors or stained surfaces. It saves on extra coats of CC used. I tested CC on a dark mahogany stained plant stand. It did cover, but it took 4 coats, whereas with a primer generally two coats of CC is ample. And primer is much less costly than CC ;) When I did my cabinets (style similar to yours) I painted large center surface first with a foam roller. Any bubbles quickly brushed out with a good brush. Then did the edges with a tapered brush. Start in working out and you won't get paint all over your arms reaching across what you've already painted to get to the unpainted middle ;)

Wait a day or 2 till it hardens and go ahead , patch, sand, clean, prime( with the same oil, re-paint

CC has a tint-base, but there aren't any formula's for it anywhere. * Many kinds of stores carry it, so it's impossible to have set formula's. * Stores just have to tweak a color 'til it's close. * Also, there's no way to "scan" into CC, since there's no available defined database. * It's a VERY White tint-base, so the few times we do it, we just leave out the white, and build the color from there. * Give your store an afternoon/day to "work up" a match. * Make sure the store doesn't try & tint the "White" base!!! There's a separate Tint-base. Some stores may choose not to carry the tint-base, since it can involve a lot of work. Faron