How Cutting Edge Makes Your Finished Cabinet Doors
Discover how finished cabinet doors are made and what to look for in a supplier to ensure quality, consistency, and install-ready results.
If you’re a contractor or cabinet maker, your work speaks for you. And if your cabinet doors don’t hold up, if the finish chips, flakes, or doesn’t match, your reputation suffers. You might lose jobs, miss deadlines, or even have to refund work. That kind of stress, cost, and damage to your name isn’t worth it.
So how can you protect your work and your reputation? The best way is to understand what goes into a high-quality finished cabinet door.
At Cutting Edge, we’ve made finished cabinet doors in-house for over two decades. We’ve developed detailed processes and tested countless products to ensure you receive cabinet doors that meet your standards. Our finishing team follows proven steps that give consistent results, no matter the material or finish you choose.
In this article, you’ll discover:
- What finished cabinet doors are, and why they save you time
- Why knowing what your supplier uses matters
- How Cutting Edge produces consistent, high-quality finishes and our process for each finish type
- Why MDF needs a different finishing method
- What to expect if something ever goes wrong
By the end of this article, you’ll have the knowledge you need to decide if Cutting Edge’s finishing process is right for you.
Finished Cabinet Doors Save You Time and Effort
Finished cabinet doors are exactly what they sound like: doors you can install as-is, with no extra work needed on your end. Whether they’re primed, stained, clear-coated, or painted, you get a completed product.
If you’re still finishing cabinet doors in-house, you know how much time, space, and skill that takes. Between setup, spraying, drying time, and quality control, you’re burning hours. Multiply that across a project, and you’re losing days. Outsourcing your finishing frees you up to focus on installs, customer service, and growing your business.
But, Know What Your Supplier Is Using
Here’s the catch: not all finished cabinet doors are created equal. You need to know exactly what products your supplier uses. Why? Because you’ll need to match the finish to produce or touch up additional parts yourself, like toe kicks or fillers.
Using different primers, lacquers, or stains can cause mismatches in sheen, colour, or texture. That’s why you should always:
- Ask your supplier what finishing materials they use
- Use matching or compatible products if you need to make additional parts
- Send the additional pieces to your supplier to finish if you’re unsure
Consistency matters, especially when your client expects a flawless final product.
Now that you know the basics about ordering finished cabinet doors, let’s look at the processes and products Cutting Edge uses.
High-Quality Finished Cabinet Doors Require Consistent Processes
At Cutting Edge, every finish we offer follows a clear process. We use specific products, set drying times, and consistent techniques. This consistency means the result looks and feels the same regardless of which team member finishes your order.
We offer four main finished cabinet door options:
- Primed – ready to paint
- Clear Coated (Lacquered) – shows off the natural wood
- Stained and Lacquered – for a richer, coloured door that still showcases the wood
- Painted – smooth, coloured finishes
Let’s walk through how each one happens.
How Cutting Edge Produces Primed Cabinet Doors
Primed cabinet doors are a great option if you want to apply the final coat.
For paint grade wood orders, your doors receive two coats of high-solids primer, applied wet-on-wet. That means you spray the second coat of primer within two hours of the first and without sanding the doors between coats. You should spray the second coat of primer when the first coat feels soft, but your fingers don’t stick.
For MDF orders, your doors first get one coat of sealer and thinner, mixed 50/50. Once that coat dries, we apply two coats of the high-solids primer wet-on-wet.
Product Recommendations and Ratios For Primed Cabinet Doors
For primer, use Bernyl™ Unisurfacer Post-Catalyzed White Primer by AcromaPro™ combined with Catalyst 2750 by AcromaPro™ (13%) and Standard Thinner 219 by AcromaPro™ (22%).
When priming MDF, start with Care Seal™ Post-Catalyzed Clear HS Sealer by AcromaPro™ combined with an equal amount of Catalyst 2750 by AcromaPro™.
This is the product mix our team uses; you might find a slightly different mix works better with your equipment.
How Cutting Edge Produces Clear Lacquered Cabinet Doors
Clear-coated doors allow the wood grain to shine while protecting the doors.
Your doors first get one coat of sealer. Once that has dried, we sponge sand the doors and apply one coat of conversion varnish topcoat. If you’re using a clear lacquer, you might need to apply two coats to achieve the same result.
Product Recommendations and Ratios For Clear Lacquer Cabinet Doors
Start with Care Seal™ Post-Catalyzed Clear HS Sealer by AcromaPro™ mixed with Catalyst 2750 by AcromaPro™ (6%).
Topcoat with Amerivar Post-Catalyzed Clear Topcoat by AcromaPro™. You can add Catalyst 2750 by AcromaPro™ (5%), which can make the finish nicer.
How Cutting Edge Produces Stained Cabinet Doors
Stained doors give depth, colour, and warmth. Our staining process depends on whether it’s a wiping or spray stain.
If you order a wiping stain, we apply the stain and leave the doors overnight to allow the stain to soak into the wood.
If you order a spray stain, we spray the stain and the sealer coat on the same day. Then, add a coat of clear lacquer.
Product Recommendations and Ratios For Stained Cabinet Doors
Use your preferred solvent-based stain. Then, apply a coat of Care Seal™ Post-Catalyzed Clear HS Sealer by AcromaPro™ combined with Catalyst 2750 by AcromaPro™ (6%).
Finally, topcoat with Amerivar Post-Catalyzed Clear Topcoat by AcromaPro™. Again, you can add Catalyst 2750 by AcromaPro™ (5%) for a smoother finish.
How Cutting Edge Produces Painted Cabinet Doors
Painted finishes are our most popular request. We have two separate processes based on material.
First, we start with either the MDF or wood primer process. Once the primer has dried, we sponge sand the doors and apply one coat of a high-solids conversion varnish.
Product Recommendations and Ratios For Painted Cabinet Doors
Once you’ve completed the primer coats, move on to the final coat, using Matador™ Topcoat by AcromaPro™ tinted by Richelieu to match any Benjamin Moore colour. Combine this with 13% Catalyst 2750 by AcromaPro™ and Thinner 419 HAPS Free by AcromaPro™. Before you add the thinner, check the label. Use 19% if you receive clear base material (typically used for medium to dark paint colours) or 24% if you receive a white base.
Why Are There Separate Processes for Finishing MDF Cabinet Doors?
Finishing MDF cabinet doors is harder than finishing wood. MDF is tricky to get perfectly smooth, even with top-quality cutters and a detailed sanding process. The surface can absorb finish unevenly, especially around the edges, and it often shows flaws that wood hides more easily. That means your painted finish might look rough or inconsistent, something your clients will notice.
That’s why MDF needs a specific, step-by-step finishing process. A proper seal coat, followed by wet-on-wet primer and light sponge sanding between coats, gives you the best shot at a flawless result. If you want painted MDF cabinet doors that look sharp and professional, using this method makes a real difference.
Are Cutting Edge’s Finishing Processes Perfect?
Let’s be real – when you buy finished cabinet doors, you expect perfection. And rightfully so. You’re paying more, you’ve got tight timelines, customers to impress, and a reputation to protect. The last thing you need is to install a door that doesn’t meet your standards or causes delays on-site. It’s frustrating when suppliers act like problems don’t exist or push the blame. That’s not how it should be.
At Cutting Edge, skilled craftspeople finish your cabinet doors, not machines. And while we follow proven processes and use top-tier products to deliver consistent, high-quality results, we’re still human. That means once in a while, something might not turn out exactly as planned. The colour varies slightly. The sanding isn’t perfect. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, we don’t hide from it.
We stand behind every door, every finish, and every person who works on your order. If something isn’t right, we make it right – period. You won’t have long email chains or a frustrating runaround. Just real solutions, quickly. Because your time is valuable, and your projects don’t pause for mistakes.
We believe the strength of a finishing partner isn’t just about being perfect – it’s about being accountable and willing to work with you.
Learn How Much Finished Cabinet Doors Cost
Not every finishing process will be perfect, especially when skilled hands are involved. But what matters most is having a supplier who takes responsibility when things go off track. If you’ve ever dealt with late responses, mismatched finishes, or suppliers who leave you to clean up their mess, you know how frustrating that can be. Your clients expect precision. Your schedule demands reliability. And your reputation depends on getting it right the first time.
Now that you know what goes into high-quality finished cabinet doors and what sets a consistent, trustworthy process apart, it’s time to take the next step. If staying on schedule and delivering flawless installs is the goal, it starts with choosing the right partner. Learn how much finished cabinet doors from Cutting Edge cost, and get the confidence that comes with a product backed by an accountable team that cares about you.
