My husband is planning to refinish our 20 year old kitchen cabinets They are made from birch plywood and have been varathaned long ago in a clear satin varathane: they have darkened to a honey colour. They need to be refinished, as they have also a dirty, oil residue on them, also some rough areas at the bottom of the bottom cupboards [floor] where the baby walker has rubbed against them.
Answer:
Remove the doors and all hardware from them. The workbench should be lined with an old carpet because the varathane you take off with a 2" putty knife and a heat gun will be messy and if its still soft when you place the door down again, you'll be having to remove it the same as the first time. After all the doors are done, you can do the cabinet frames and ends too. A good sanding, first with 100 grit sandpaper and then with 300 grit emery paper will give you a finish you can re-finish with varathane by priming and then painting.
