[B Coll]

I posted a while back asking for feedback on Kem Aqua Plus as I was preparing to remodel my kitchen. The boxes are not that old (13 years) so I am simply making new doors, drawer fronts, and throwing some roll outs in some of the bases. I had a slow start with the finish after reading how difficult it can be to spray. Here is my opinion if you are looking for a quality cabinet finish in pigmented. First, I had a hard time getting it, many are, and I was finally able to get what I needed in a white base. Unfortunately, the pale sage green calls for a dark base (clear). My SW rep added additional pigment to reach the color I needed, which does effect viscosity. I had a difficult time spraying test panels, but realized I needed to retard and thing beyond what the data sheet calls for, due to the additional pigment. Once I had it dialed in it is the nicest spraying waterborne I have ever used. Lays out and dries like glass. Once done I would put this finish up against any commercial finish on the market. When running your hands over it the finish has the same feel as solvent precat lacquer. The finish is KCMA rated so it should hold up to anything a kitchen would throw at it. It is also quite affordable at a contractors price of just over $40 a gallon. The finish is also made in clears. You do have to use it's own primer called Kem Aqua Plus Surfacer. It is cheaper than BIN and sands to a fine powder. It did take two coats to level off the MDF and block the tannins in the soft maple. I sprayed the finish through a Graco 4 Stage turbine using a Fuji T75 gun and a 1.0 needle cap set. I would say this finish is well worth trying. One note is you can not get this at a regular SW store, you need to locate your local SW Industrial store.

 

[Steve Neul]

The neighborhood store won't stock the finish but if you give them enough notice they can have some sent over from a commercial store. I do that often with my Sherwin Williams. The nearest commercial store is 50 miles from me.

 

[DrRobert]

I was going to use this but was told by SW guy it only comes in 5 gallons. Guess I'll need to do some checking on that.

I used Target Coatings pigmented lacquer top coated with their high build "lacquer". Mistake one was not researching enough. It is yellowing where exposed to direct light. Mistake two I should have gone with semi gloss instead of satin.

Did you thin and how much? Semi gloss?

Can you post some pics?

 

[B Coll]

I was going to use this but was told by SW guy it only comes in 5 gallons. Guess I'll need to do some checking on that.

I used Target Coatings pigmented lacquer top coated with their high build "lacquer". Mistake one was not researching enough. It is yellowing where exposed to direct light. Mistake two I should have gone with semi gloss instead of satin.

Did you thin and how much? Semi gloss?

Can you post some pics?

A few weeks ago I purchased 2 gallons of low sheen (which is actually a satin) in white in one gallon cans. My understanding is the clear gloss is only available in 5's. Supposedly there are some SW dealers who will pour off a gallon at a time to customers. They certainly won't do that here.

 

[GCTony]

I don't use pigmented KA but the clears can be purchased in gallon cans. The retail stores don't stock any KA but they ship them in for me from their commercial store on the other side of town. That being said, due to raw material "shortages" KA in gerenal has been a little difficult to get the past year or so, enough that we have been using ML Campbell that is very similar to KA.

B Coll. we use a 1.5 needle with the clear thinned maybe 5%. I've found the KA clears don't like much water. We use HVLP air.

 

[GlennL]

I really like the Kem Aqua Plus product as well. I had mine tinted to a light color, so there were no issue with viscosity. I sprayed with a Fuji HVLP using 3M's PPS, and like you, couldn't have been more happy with the results! I bought both the Surfacer and Finish in one gallon cans. I'm lucky the local SW carries KA in both single gallons and 5 gallons.