Shawn, The Cabinet Guru

The finish quality starts LONG before paint hits the door 👌

Every raw HDF door that comes off our CNC gets edge-prepped by hand.

✔️ Pneumatic chamfer tool
✔️ Round-over on all edges
✔️ 320 grit hand sanding
✔️ Smooth, consistent finish before primer

This is the kind of detail work that separates production from craftsmanship.

Most people only notice the final paint…
Professionals notice the prep. 🔥

👉 Follow for real cabinet shop process, finishing tips, CNC workflow, and premium cabinetry content.

🌊 Coastal Custom Cabinetry
Custom cabinetry • Refinishing • Design • Florida

🔗 Coastal Custom Cabinetry

🔗 Shawn the Cabinet Guru Instagram

These were the original old-school hinges and the homeowner is getting ready to sell the house. The cabinet doors were bouncing, hard to adjust, and honestly making the whole kitchen feel outdated.

So instead of fighting with worn-out hinges, I upgraded every door to new soft-close compact hinges 🔥

✅ No more bouncing
✅ Smooth soft-close action
✅ Better alignment
✅ Cleaner, updated feel instantly

It’s one of the simplest upgrades that makes a BIG difference when you’re getting a home ready to sell.

Little details matter. 👌

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📍 Tampa, Florida
📩 DM “HINGES” for cabinet upgrades or refinishing
🌐 Coastal Custom Cabinetry

This is my exact cabinet finishing process 👇

• 2 coats primer
• Sand with 320 between primer + first topcoat
• 2 coats topcoat
• Fine 5mm pad between coats
• Very fine 5mm for final pass
• Scotch-Brite EVERY time after sanding

And here’s the difference maker 👇

I ALWAYS hit it with an LED light after sanding.

That light will expose every flaw… every scratch… everything you missed.

Do this every time and eventually—
you stop missing anything at all.

That’s how you get a flawless finish.

Follow for real cabinet tips, not shortcuts. 👊

Straight off the CNC → aligned, glued, and locked in 🔥

Dowels keep everything perfectly registered
A little air pressure brings it tight
23g pins hold it while the glue does its job

No fighting clamps. No shifting panels. Just clean results.

Material: SALT Italian components — this stuff is next level 👌

If you’re building tops and still chasing alignment… try this.

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Everyone wants a perfect finish…
but nobody talks about flow in the shop.

Here’s how we speed things up 👇

I run everything vertical through most of the process
➡️ Less waiting
➡️ More parts moving
➡️ No pile-ups killing production

Then once we’re at final coat stage…
we lay them down and finish strong.

And here’s the truth most guys don’t want to hear:
👉 Spraying flat is easy
👉 Spraying vertical takes skill

That’s why I train my guys to spray vertical early—
because that’s where real control (and speed) comes from.

If you can master vertical, you can spray anything.

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Not bad for 17.

This is my son Lincoln — now a full-time finisher at Rustic Grain Designs.

One thing I’ve been teaching him from day one:
👉 Finishing can’t be the bottleneck.

He’s learning how to move with purpose, spray clean, and handle two sides at once the right way.

Proud of the direction he’s going and the work ethic he’s building. This trade will reward you if you take it seriously.

Go give him a follow 👉

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Custom hood in the booth today for Rustic Grain Designs.

Scuffed with a super fine 5mm pad on the 3x4 SurfPrep sander + maroon Scotch-Brite for the perfect prep before finish. Then laid down smooth with my CA Technologies pump and Cougar gun for that clean, high-end look.

The finish work is where average stops and premium begins.

Follow for real cabinet finishing, pro tips, and behind-the-scenes custom work.

⸻

SHORT CTA COMMENT TO PIN:
Would you put this in your kitchen? 👇🔥

cabinetguru

Most people only notice the final color.
They never see the prep that creates it.

Here I’m using a fine SurfPrep 5mm pad with LED lighting to expose every tiny imperfection before the final coat goes on. Dust nibs, scratches, texture, flaws—gone before they become permanent.

This is the difference between looks good and looks elite.

Details matter. Standards matter. That’s why we do it right.

Follow for pro cabinetry, finishing tips, and behind-the-scenes craftsmanship. 🔥