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hmmmmmm........ it sounds like the type cabinets I re-finished last summer, which were cheap particleborad, but the finish was not a sheet veneer, but a more like a fake wood finish that was somehow printed on the wood surface. Water damage had called the board to swell in places, roughing up the texture and ruining the "faux" wood finish. I didn't have much money, but did have some time to invest (the odd nature of my job means I can actually get paid to work on my own house). And rest assured, the job IS DEFINITELY time-consuming, but can make a world of difference in cabinet appearance. In a nutshell:
1. Remove hardware, doors and drawers.
2. Remove old finish. Tip -- I tried both sanding and stripping, and here's what I decided: neither is fun. On doors and drawers I suggest removing the old finish with a random orbital sander--it works faster and cleaner than stripping product, but you'll need plenty of replacement discs. You may have to use stripper and stripping brush on some decorative prifiles that are tought to sand. Tip 2 -- Use high-quality stripping product on vertical surfaces where holding a power sander upright can quickly become fatiguing.
3. After removing all old finish, fill all nail holes and make any other necessary wood repairs.
4. Continue sanding, gradually moving from fine grit to finer grit to achieve a smooth finish.
4. Apply high-quality primer. I suggest using oil/alkyd painst and primers. I used KILZ. Alow to dry, then finish-sand again.
5. Apply high-quality oil/alkyd paint. Can be done with a brush, particularly on vertical surfaces of the cabinet carcass. But I used an HVLP sprayer on the doors and drawers. Allow to dry. Lightly sand. Apply a second cooat.
6. Re-assemble cabintes with new hardware (hinges, pulls, etc)
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