Kitchen cabinet door clear coat repair?

[Cujet]

Our maple kitchen cabinets are in good shape, with very few flaws except for the two doors and panel by the sink, where the water and constant use have taken their toll. Here the clear coat started showing signs of distress years ago, and has finally peeled back and is getting ugly. While I could turn the doors upside down and reposition the handles and carefully fill the holes. I would prefer to repair the damage if I can do so without making it obvious. And the panel needs rework.

I'd love some input from the knowledgeable crowd here!

I have automotive clear coat and an airbrush. Maybe I will simply sand it down carefully and use the clear coat. Blending it it or stopping at the seams. Thoughts please!

 

[Boomer]

Why not remove the old finish, sand the wood and apply a clear marine grade varnish? Probably would hold up for a long time.

 

[97prizm]

Painttalk is a professional contractors forum and has a great article on revealing cabinets.
How to re-clearcoat cabinets.
I saw somewhere that Lowes has a refinishing kit specifically for cabinets.

 

[97prizm]

You also want to use clear coat designed for wood applications.

 

[Capt W]

Like Boomer said, thoroughly sand and re-varnish. You could alternatively use a polyurethane coating, but good ol' varnish is what you probably want. Leave the clear coat in the garage where it belongs.

 

[Cujet]

Poly won't work, way too yellow and not the right kind of clear. These were sold to me as clear coated with an automotive grade finish. That's why I though of my aviation PPG clear coat. It's wonderful on the wood interior of corporate jets, like these pics:

 

[The Critic]

Waterlox may be what you're after. I think I have some unopened cans - send me a PM.

 

[doitmyself]

I have nothing to really add, except that it will be a very difficult repair. The original finish is probably a commercial 2-part system unlike the recommendations above to use a box-store product. Brands like Renner and Milesi offer products designed for the rigors of kitchen cabinets (oil, grease, abuse, etc.). An acrylic water based product will not yellow like solvent based products. Matching the sheen and shade will be a challenge. Some kind of finish application followed by "compounding (rubbing)" to blend it together seems like the correct process.

There are some Facebook kitchen cabinet refinishing forums that might have some useful information. Sorry, wish I could add something useful. I am intrigued to find out what professionals would do, avoiding entire cabinet refinishing

 

[Cujet]

Waterlox may be what you're after. I think I have some unopened cans - send me a PM.

I think that's tung oil for wood. While I love tung oil, that won't work here. It needs a 2 part clear, non darkening, semi gloss.