Maybe click 'pigmented coatings' then 9300 & read some. Says floors & the pdf will have more info. Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.fuhrindustrial.com/page_stain.php

thanks rosiew, I'll check out the post and definitely go into a SW or one of the others, they probably know what they are talking about more than the big box store employees may. hi malhgold, I could take the doors off, but don't want to take the cabinets down, hence wanting someone to come in and paint the cabinets. Hi jterrilynn, that might be where i saw the cabinets, I just remember thinking it was a spectacular transformation at the time and would have loved it, I couldn't remember where i saw those cabinets, but that would have been about the time I was thinking of redoing my cabinets in my last house and Lynette Jennings was on HGTV at the time, that kitchen was obviously really spectacular because you remember it and i do too - Ha!

Lacquer can be clear or coloured. For the coloured, a pigment is added basically the same way you mix a paint. You have a base, light or dark and colourant is added to a 'recipe', blacks, browns, reds, yellows, etc. In my past, I was a custom cabinet manufacturer, I'm a Cabinetmaker by trade. When a customer wanted a 'painted' finish, I would have them choose a colour from the paint brands, Ben Moore, Sherwin, even Home Depot. I would then take the paint chip to my lacquer supplier and he would generate a formula the same way you would if you took a paint chip to have a paint mixed. It's just different products. For a DIY'er you can buy a cup gun at the home improvement/hardware store, and then find a finish supplier who sells lacquer. You can buy a pre-catalyzed (one that has the hardner added at time of purchase), have it tinted to the colour you want, and spray it yourself. However, lacquer is volatile (unless you use a water-based) and for that reason you need to use it in a well ventilated. free from spark area. To be honest, I wouldn't recommend it for the average person to do just because of it's volatile make-up. If you did find a water-based lacquer, you would be a lot safer and it would be better for the environment if you're using it without a proper filtration booth. Although, water-based lacquers are more finicky to work with. Spraying also takes quite a bit of finesse and talent to properly achieve the best look, but it can be done by a DIY'er. Every finisher started off with not knowing anything about finish but with practice, became proficient. It's all about practice and patience. As far as cracking goes, the only time I've seen lacquer crack is when it wasn't applied or mixed properly. Too thick and it will definitely crack. Too much hardner and it will crack. You don't want lacquer to pool in areas where the wood moves such as around the inner perimeter of a panelled door. Lacquer is meant to be applied in thin layers and even when the last layer is applied, it's only so many 'mils' thick.

Remodeled my kitchen, and converted stained cabinets to painted cabinets. The paint contractor suggested/encouraged using SW Emerald water-based Urethane over SW oil based product. The cabinets were prepared appropriately and the paint was applied beautifully. But I HATE this paint and would not recommend it. It shows marks (eg if the button on my shirt rubs up against cabinet as I'm washing dishes in the sink, it leaves a black mark). Yes - you can get the marks off with a Magic Eraser, but who wants to do that? For the amount of money it cost to prepare and paint my cabinets, I do not want daily maintenance. I had the same contractor use the oil-based paint on my laundry room cabinets - no problems whatsoever. Yes - it takes longer to dry and there is a strong odor for a day or two. But the "wearability" is so much better. My decorator said the painters like to use the water-based because it dries much faster. This same story applies to my refinished wood floors. They talked me into a water-based sealer. AWFUL. The dog scratched it all up just walking on it within days. I had them come back, take off the water based sealer and add three coats of the oil based polyurethane. It's been 3 months - NOT ONE SCRATCH.